Published in Whitelines Magazine Issue 95, February 2011

SALOMON

SALOMONDER – £280

AVAILABLE SIZES: 148, 151, 154

CONTACT: SALOMONSNOWBOARD.COM

Look beyond the slightly silly name, and you’ll see that Salomon’s Salomonder is one of the best boards in its class. Unlike a lot of jib boards– which are rockered – this has a completely flat profile, giving it more natural pop and greater ollie power. It still presses easily though, thanks to its super-soft flex. This also makes it more forgiving than a lot of other boards, allowing you to get away with the occasional sketchy landing. There’s a very good reason why Canadian jib prodigy Jed Anderson rides one of these.

ROXY

SILOUETTE – £310

AVAILABLE SIZES: 141, 146, 151

CONTACT: ROXY.COM

When it comes to snowboard manufacturing, the humble banana has a lot to answer for. This seemingly harmless yellow fruit inspired the dudes at the Mervin factory (where Roxy’s boards are made) to launch a revolution in snowboard design, which has now spread across the industry like bird flu in a battery farm. Thankfully, boards infected with banana symptoms – like the Silhouette here – are generally more playful, more forgiving, and easier to ride than others. So really, we should be praising the fruit instead of eating it. Banana for pope anyone?

FORUM

SCALLYWAG – £300

AVAILABLE SIZES: 151, 155, 158

CONTACT: FORUMSNOWBOARDS.COM

Forum’s Scallywag is a rockered twin tip aimed at those who enjoy plundering parks or violating the virtue of street rails. It proved so popular last year that they decided to make it again, tweaking the specs slightly, but keeping the pirate the med graphic. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the pirates on the top-sheet are mutilating bananas in various ways – which we’re sure has absolutely nothing to do with a rival company’s successful products. Still, everyone loves a pirate, don’t they? All together now: “Arrrrrrrrggggghh!!”

K2

FASTPLANT – £420

AVAILABLE SIZES: 151, 154, 157, 156W, 159W, 162W

CONTACT: K2SNOWBOARDING.COM

K2 are so confident about the strength of the core in this board that they’ve offered a pretty much unprecedented five year warranty on any breakages. Cocky, some might say, but we reckon there’s method in their madness. It contains cross layered bamboo, which means it’s extremely poppy as well as durable. In fact, K2 publicised this board by pitting it against all comers in a series of highest ollie comps around the world. With its mid-fl ex and ‘jib rocker’ profile, the core helps make the Fastplant a great park board.