The Details:

After making its debut in the 2014/15 season, the Ride Alter Ego returns to win over more pow fans with its split personality. From a distance it’s obvious enough that this is built for the backcountry, but look closer and its purpose is well and truly hammered home.

Thanks to the split tail, the Alter Ego can be ridden in two different ways. Keeping the clip fastened makes it ride more like a traditional freeride board, whilst letting it loose gives you a less stable but far more maneuverable option. Choose the former for bombing wide open faces – or the piste – and the latter for tighter lines and trees.

The board’s construction is designed to compliment whichever option you choose. The core is sandwiched between both biax and triax glass, rather than just one or the other, and the stiffness is close enough to mid-range to suit both styles of riding.

It’ll definitely handle high speeds, thanks to its sintered base and carbon-enhanced build, but it’s surprisingly light and snappy too. The camber profile is slightly closer to the rear of the board, but there’s still plenty of tailwith which to pop – especially when it’s clipped.

So in a sense the Ride Alter Ego is a compromise, but one you’ll be happy you made when conditions vary during your trip.