HEAD EVIL I SNOWBOARD 2013/14 REVIEW

Head are one of several brands making a foray into the realm of experimental shapes this season, as this Evil I shows. The nose and tail of this board both feature cutaways, a shape that they call Hammerhead. This might be counter-intuitive if this board was designed for powder, as the nose would drag and get buried more easily, but on a jib-stick like this one, it makes sense. What’s the point in having that extra weight when the tip of your nose is nowhere near the snow anyway? But the unusual shape isn’t the only thing that sets this board apart.

While many jib boards are simple, low-tech affairs, this one has a surprising amount going on underneath the topsheet. There’s the core, which features bamboo mixed in with the poplar, again to help keep the weight down. It also features ‘intellifibres’, which channel energy generated at the edges of the board when you turn and use it to stiffen the board’s flex, helping it to hold an edge better. It does have a simple, extruded base however, so it’s not that quick in a straightline, but that’s not really what you need when you’re pissing about in the park. In fact, for freestyle the reverse camber profile and soft flex of this board are perfect. It’s playful, easy to ride and makes nosepresses ridiculously easy.

It’s little wonder then that Head’s rail-riding whizz-kid Alex Tank picked this to be his pro-model – the picture on the topsheet is apparently the symbol of his crew, called the Attage Tank.

BUY THIS BOARD AT: absolute-snow.co.uk, granitereef.co.uk, snowfit.co.uk, surfdome.com, snowfit.co.uk

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