UPDATE: Check out our review of the 2018/2019 Best All Mountain Snowboards here
We live in blessed times, where whatever weird and wonderful snowboard shape you can think of is most likely already available to buy. And if not, all you need is a jigsaw and a blank canvas like the YES Clark.
Of course, the result is specialist sticks that, while bloody brilliant on their day, are pretty niche. If the powder hasn’t arrived but it’s bluebird over the freshly-groomed park, a swallowtail’s not much use. Besides, given that the vast majority of us only get one or two trips away every year, you’ll need luck on your side if what you’ve got in your board bag requires just the right conditions.
“Here we salute the all-rounder, the quiver killer, the ‘one board to rule them all’”
If you can only justify buying one board, it’s wise to find a stick that can do a bit of everything. Usually it’ll be something with a bit of directional flex or shape that can still be ridden switch, with a sintered base for high speeds. The profile may allow for a little extra float in powder, but it will be fairly conventional – which isn’t a bad thing.
Here we salute the all-rounder, the quiver killer, the ‘one board to rule them all’. If you need something that can sail high above the lip of the halfpipe one day and turn nimbly through pow stashes the next, then you’ll find it in this top ten. And not to sound all click-baity, but our #1 pick may surprise you…
All boards are in alphabetical order, other than the category winner which can be found at the end of the list.
All photographs by Sami Tuoriniemi
Production: Ed Blomfield / Mike Brindley / Andrew Duthie / Sami Tuoriniemi
[series]
