Our favourite all-mountain snowboards for 2024-2025 tested, chosen and reviewed by the Whitelines Team
What is the best all-mountain snowboard? Is there even such a thing as one snowboard that can do it all? The debate goes on and remains snowboarding’s most contentious battleground. Many brands claim to have come up with the silver bullet, single snowboard solution that kills off the competition. You know the ones – the daily drivers, the all-rounders, the quiver killers, the one-stop-shops for park, piste and powder riding alike.
Don’t be too easily swayed, though, the easy answer isn’t always the truth. Colonel Sanders sold a hell of a lot of chicken, but I’m not sure anyone wants to know how he made it. All-mountain snowboards are virtually every brand’s best-seller, but it takes a little more scrutiny to pick out the best of the bunch. Every winter, the Whitelines crew round up our highlights, cut through the marketing jargon, and present our selection of the season’s best all-mountain snowboards.
“Many brands venture slightly off the fence, creating what you might call an all-mountain freestyle or all-mountain freeride snowboard”
In the list below, we’ve curated a selection of all the big hitters, hidden gems and complete curveballs that genuinely impressed us this season. But look, we get it. One man’s Michelangelo is another man’s Milli Vanilli. They won’t all be to your liking, and that’s fine. It’s a hell of a balancing act. Occasionally, some strike the treble twenty and split the stoke evenly between freestyle, freeride and piste. More often, brands venture slightly off the fence, creating what you might call an all-mountain freestyle or all-mountain freeride snowboard. These snowboards tend to have the edge when it comes to riding in the park over the backcountry, and vice versa.
No matter the conditions and no matter the terrain, an all-mountain snowboard can handle it all | PC: Ed Blomfield
What To Look For When Buying An All-Mountain Snowboard
Shape
Directional twins are often the shape of choice for all-mountain snowboards. For the most part, the board will feel and ride like a true twin and easily handle switch, but there will be some directional elements in its construction. This could be a slightly set back stance, elongated nose scoop, flex pattern, taper, etc. but never enough to make the board feel uni-directional.
Profile
CamRock and Hybrid cambers seem to have claimed this territory for the majority of all-mountain boards, but there’s still the odd sighting of a full camber, flat, or even rockered all-mountain snowboard in this year’s Whitelines 100 – as well as this list.
Camber provides grip, power and pop to the snowboard, making it very versatile on the piste and suited for faster, more aggressive riding. Rocker offers increased manoeuvrability, float in powder and forgiveness but can feel unstable at speed. It doesn’t take a genius to work out why all-mountain snowboards tend to adopt a combination of the two.
Construction
Flex ratings are a personal choice and largely down to the type of rider you are, and the type of terrain you’ll be spending most of your time on. Generally, in this category range, flex ratings will sit somewhere between four and seven out of ten, striking a balance between playfulness and response. It’s not uncommon to find these numbers creeping close to double digits on some all-mountain options, though.
“We believe the following boards should be serious contenders for all-mountain shenanigans this season”
Of course, if you’re planning on spending a lot more time in the park this season, or lining up some big backcountry lines, or maybe heading out to Japan for the first time, you may be in the market for a more specific tool for the job. If so, check out our rundown of the best freestyle snowboards and best freeride snowboards instead.
As with any purchase of new season snowboard gear, the choice is very subjective. But whatever your ability, budget, gender or feelings towards things that are gold and glitter, we believe the following boards should be serious contenders for all-mountain shenanigans this season. And hey, if in doubt, just pick your favourite graphic (please don’t).
Best All-Mountain Snowboards For 2024-2025
Amplid Singular Directional Snowboard 2024-2025
PRICE: €660 / $660
What is the ultimate ‘Swiss Army knife’ snowboard? You know, one that can float well in powder, carve up a piste, hold its own in the park, and wouldn’t surprise you if it had a discreet pair of tweezers embedded somewhere in the sidewall?
Step forward the Amplid Singular Directional snowboard, the product of an exhaustive R&D process that aimed to iron out all the well-established issues with supposedly ‘go-anywhere’ options. Its subtle taper, mid-range flex and early-rise camber profile give it a solid foundation for groomers and backcountry lines alike, yet our test team reports a negligible effect on its ability to handle kickers and rails.
It also features a massive dollop of the kind of tech advancements with which Peter Bauer’s company has become synonymous, including vibration-cancelling additives in the nose and – new for 2024/25 – additional carbon reinforcements through the waist.
There’s also a true twin version of the Singular, but for our testers this one ticked a greater number of boxes overall. They also reckon it’s avoided the biggest pitfall faced by all-mountain boards, in that it actually has its own personality and doesn’t feel like a compromise. You’ll have to bring your own tweezers, though.
PRICE: €590 / $490
Inspiration for snowboard design can, of course, come from anywhere – but we must admit that Amplid’s description of the Psychonaut’s outline being “reminiscent of dadbod curves” is a new one for us….
Performance-wise, this one is perhaps better at multi-tasking than the average dad. Its powder prowess is made clear in the shape alone, but carving on hard-pack comes naturally too. It’s certainly not a freestyle board, and even some other all-mountain models (including the Amplid Singular, more on which below) may be a better pick for those who truly want to keep all options open. However, if you just need something for side-hits and drops encountered on the way to your next carve or slash, then look no further. Our testers noted how the Psychonaut launched to the moon (thanks in part to the carbon additives) and touched down with surprising grace (cheers, impact pads).
Like all the boards in Amplid’s ‘Future Shapes’ collection, the Psychonaut is only available in one size – 157cm – so naturally some riders will be excluded from the get-go. On the plus side, those who fit the physical profile for this one will know that it’s been fine-tuned just for riders like them, while others are welcome to scope out the rest of the line.
PRICE: €500 / £480 / $500
Nature’s playbook meets snowboard design in Nidecker’s Biomimicry Series, with the Alpha standing tall as a versatile all-mountain freestyle weapon. It’s a directional stick that’s equally at home charging natural terrain, floating through powder or taking your park tricks to the backcountry.
The Alpha’s Surfy CamRock profile marries traditional camber with an early-rise rocker nose, delivering a responsive ride with a relaxed, floaty feel. Time-tested sandwich construction provides bombproof durability, while the N-7000 base strikes a balance between speed and low maintenance. It’s not quite rocket-propelled, but you won’t be left behind on the cat track – or stuck waxing every other day.
Our test team was particularly impressed with the Alpha’s edge hold. “It’s got your back, basically,” noting how it gripped even on dicey heelside turns. The ample nose floats effortlessly in the deep stuff, while the pinched-in pintail design lets you drive low through turns like a surfer bottom-turning (check out any videos of Nidecker team rider Lewis Sonvico to see what we’re talking about) .
To be honest, though, we suspect a lot of people looking at this board are gonna be swayed by the base graphic. It’s certainly pops, and those technicolor swirls seem to have been an ever-present in the insta feed over the last year. If you’re into stoner rock, laid-back tree runs and maybe a little seasonal mushroom-picking, you’ll dig this thing.
Italy-based brand Drake is best known for its bindings, but also does a fine line in boards, and the Drake Battle Rusty is no exception. It has playful characteristics that our test team loved, but it’s also strong enough to withstand anything Kendrick Lamar might throw at it.
Given its association with Alex Stewart’s merry band of Itali-Kiwis, the Drake Battle Rusty is most at home in the park or the streets – which might seem a bit odd, given that it’s a little tapered, and a lot wider than most. That makes it good for other things too, not least getting your elbow down on piste and staying afloat in powder – but when you want to get airborne, the mostly-camber profile and end-to-end carbon bar have got you covered. There’s also carbon infused into the base, bestowing the Drake Battle Rusty with the means to clear the gnarliest of questionable winch-accessed street spot gaps.
Fans of standard-width true twins may find that this takes a bit of getting used to, but we reckon most will find it to be a change worth making. We love that topsheet too, featuring Vitruvian Man-esque sketches of the crew’s mad winch-bike. Brava!
Our test team’s big takeaway from the Rome Rene-Gade was that it’s not for the hesitant; it’s stiff, aggressive, pops to the moon and takes a lot of work to press on boxes and rails. It goes without saying, then, that the Rene-Gade won’t be for everyone – but those who get on with it can expect to open up a new world of park-based possibilities.
Rene Rinnekangas’ fun-loving persona has bled into the name of his pro model – however, unlike the similarly puntastic pro-endorsed Rome Stale Fish, this is a serious precision tool rather than a laid-back cruiser. Rome doesn’t make boards that come much stiffer than this, and that means absolutely bucketloads of pop, but you need to put the work in to get the most out of it.
In its natural habitat (pipes, hips and showtime booters) the Rome Rene-Gade is nigh-on perfect, with well-placed additives complimenting the true camber profile, as well as shock-absorbing flax to mellow out harsh landings.
The directional twin design also makes it a bit better suited to the whole mountain than most freestyle-favouring sticks. Wherever you take it, Rome’s fastest base will ensure you get there quickly, and in style.
This one is a true modern classic, and our clear favourite of all the boards Stale Sandbech has helped conjure up for Rome over the years. The Rome Stale Fish puts the fun in freeride; yes, it’s directional in just about every way, and better suited to carving than corking, but it still feels more like a speedboat than a battleship.
As such, it’s a brilliant gateway board for people who want to ditch the usual fare but not go too oddball. It’s nimble and forgiving, with side-hits very much still on the table, but can still be ridden full throttle thanks in large part to the, ahem, large part at the front of the board. That long, wide nose has carbon reinforcements to handle the chop, plus subtle 3D shaping that smooths out edge changes and delivers a bit of extra float in the deep stuff.
Most of our testing of the Rome Stale Fish was done in slushy conditions, which was appropriate enough given that this is a bashing, slashing masterpiece for which powder is a bonus rather than a necessity. By the time we’d managed to pry it out of our tester’s vice-like grip, its place in the Whitelines 100 was assured.
PRICE: €660
New for the 24/25 season, Bataleon’s Cameleon promises to shake up the all-mountain market. It’s a shape-shifting stick that lives up to its reptilian namesake, adapting to whatever terrain you throw at it.
At the heart of the Cameleon’s versatility is Bataleon’s trademark Triple Base Technology with SideKick. The high nose uplift and medium tail uplift work in tandem with a medium camber profile, creating a board that rolls smoothly from edge to edge when carving groomers and fully surfs through powder.
The Cameleon’s relatively soft flex (our testers rate it at a mellow 5/10) belies its technical chops. Carbon stringers and Dual Radial Super Tubes (DRST) inject explosive pop and enhanced edge response, while the Ultra Glide S base – Bataleon’s molecule-dense 7000-grade P-tex – ensures it’s no lounge lizard.
As a relatively high end model, the Cameleon also benefits from triax glassing and a 50/50 paulownia and poplar core that strikes a perfect balance between liveliness and strength. All in all, the test team found this thing hit the sweet spot between forgiving and responsive – but it’s in deep snow that it really comes alive, thanks to that wide nose and 3BT magic.
Available in sizes from 149 to 161cm, the unisex Cameleon is a solid do-it-all choice for riders of all shapes and sizes.
PRICE: €550
The Bataleon Whatever lives up to its name in the best possible way – it’s as relaxed and versatile as a snowboard can be. This bestselling all-mountain model effortlessly transitions from park laps to powder runs with a shrug and a “whatever, dude” attitude.
As with all Bataleons, it’s built around Triple Base Technology that transforms the base of the board into a 3D hull, with medium uplift in both nose and tail. This combo creates a ride so forgiving, one of our testers claimed he “literally tried to catch edges and couldn’t.” It’s the snowboarding equivalent of having a guardian angel on your shoulder.
The Whatever sports a directional twin outline with a true twin contact surface – a clever design that offers the best of both worlds. With a medium camber profile and a playful mid-soft flex, it’s a board that begs to be thrown around. “Fun and playful” is the vibe here, with the testers especially stoked on how it performed on tight, slow sidehits.
While the softer flex and triple base make it less suited to icy halfpipes and more critical descents when you need maximum edge-hold, this board truly shines when jibbing or cruising through powder. The Light Core keeps things lively, while carbon stringers and dual carbon Super Tubes add pop and response without compromising the forgiving feel.
Available in an impressive range of sizes from 138 to 162W, the Whatever is part of Bataleon’s genderless collection, catering to riders of all shapes and sizes. So whether you’re a park rat, a powder hound, or just someone who likes to go with the flow, the Bataleon Whatever is ready for, well… whatever the mountain can dish out.
The Rally Cat is a brand new directional twin that injects a little more fun into the Jones line. Its bright, skate-inspired graphics are a radical departure from the brand’s usually sober and organic-looking artwork, and hint at a board that’s all about getting creative in the park and beyond.
At its core, the Rally Cat features a true camber profile, mellowed out with the addition of Jones’ 3D Contour Base and a soft flex. Overall, the ride feels cruisey and forgiving, whatever the terrain. As our tester Tristan reports, “I tried this out in a wide range of different conditions – from early morning pow to afternoon slush – all of which it handled with aplomb.”
Diving into the tech specs, you’ll find Jones’ poplar/paulownia Control Core and biax fibreglass, together with a sustainable bio-plastic topsheet made from castor beans and a sintered 8000 base that ensures you’ll maintain speed whether you’re cruising through fresh snow or hitting park features.
“The Rally Cat felt great in the powder, cruised through the slush, and was a whole world of fun when I took it for a couple of laps over the kicker line in the park,” our tester reports. While he noted it wasn’t the most stable at high speeds in choppy conditions, he acknowledged this as “pretty much par for the course for any board with a flex this soft, and the flipside of its fun, forgiving nature.”
Available in a huge range of sizes from 151 to 170W, including multiple wide options, there’s a Rally Cat for almost every rider – and for good reason, since it would be a great choice for any beginner to intermediate rider. It’s a board that invites you to push your boundaries without punishing your mistakes – you might even say it gives you nine lives. *ducks for cover*
Burton Family Tree Gril Master Snowboard 2024-2025
PRICE: €700 / £630 / $680
The Burton Family Tree Gril Master is a beautiful tribute to the late Marko “Grilo” Grilc, who tragically passed away in 2021. Refreshed for the new winter, this board continues to embody Grilo’s love for the family shred, making it the ultimate choice for rad dads everywhere.
Profile-wise, it features a directional camber with extended rocker towards the nose for an unbeatable mix of stability and float. The twin stance gives it a solid freestyle feel when riding flat based, and makes it more than doable to go switch, but in combination with the directional outline the board is equally happy on edge or cranking quick, nimble turns. In fact our tester Sara reported that “it carved the best of all the Burton boards I’ve ridden.”
Under the hood, Burton’s Super Fly II 700G core blends lighter and harder woods for a responsive yet forgiving ride. The addition of a full carbon layer throughout the board beefs up the flex and adds a smooth, damp feel without making it overly aggressive. And to top it all off, a rapid sintered base ensures you’ll have speed on tap when you need to break free from/catch up with the sprogs (delete as appropriate).
The Gril Master’s versatility is ultimately its standout feature. Whether you’re cruising with the little ones or sneaking in some tree laps, this thing is up to the task. A subtle new graphic moves things on from the painfully sweet artwork Grilo’s kids put together for the previous model, but make no mistake: his spirit lives on.
PRICE: €550 / £490 / $500
The Burton Cartographer is proof that you don’t need to break the bank to get a slice of that premium Burton pie. This versatile all-mountain board hits a sweet spot between performance and forgiveness that’ll appeal to a wide range of riders.
With a directional shape featuring a slightly longer nose than tail and plenty of camber underfoot, the Cartographer is ready to chart a course through any terrain. The stiff nose ploughs through choppy snow, while a touch of taper and medium overall flex keep things playful when you stumble upon a pow stash. It’s a board that encourages exploration, happily cruising groomers one minute and dipping into the trees the next.
Our tester Sara found it to be the ideal choice for progressing riders: “Perfect for beginner-to-intermediates, or someone’s first board. Fun and forgiving without being too niche or too limiting as they progress.” This is exactly the kind of accessible, do-it-all vibe you want from a board in this category.
Speaking of accessibility, with sizes from 149 to 162cm, including a 159 wide, there’s a Cartographer for just about every rider, regardless of gender or boot size. Oh and a shout-out to the graphics by local Vermont artist Julio Desmont – the 24/25 topsheet is a timeless design that’ll still look fresh seasons down the line.
All in, the Burton Cartographer is a compelling blend of performance and value. It’s an excellent option for any shredder that wants to explore the whole mountain without exploring the depths of their wallet, while for beginners, it’s a board that’ll help them find their way in the snowboard world – no compass required.
PRICE: €630 / £560 / $600
When the voice of action sports decides to design a snowboard, you’d better believe it’s going to make some noise. The Burton Alekesam, developed in collaboration with legendary X Games commentator Selema “Sal” Masekela, is a welcome addition to their freeride-focused Family Tree collection.
While it shares some surf-style DNA with Burton’s iconic Fish, the Alekesam is a far more versatile beast. Its directional shape and camber profile deliver the stability and response you need for charging groomers and navigating technical terrain, while still offering enough float for those precious powder days.
At the core of the Alekesam lies Burton’s Super Fly 700G wood blend, striking a great balance between pop, reduced weight, and strength. Its mid-wide shape provides a stable platform without sacrificing maneuverability (“The sidecut is aggressive but isn’t twitchy and feels natural,” reports Sara from our test team. “This is a really versatile one-board quiver.”).
Burton’s Channel mounting system allows for easy stance adjustment and plays well with all major binding brands, adding to the board’s versatility. And though smaller riders might be disappointed by the limited size range – it comes in a 156 and 160 (plus a wide option) – the Alekesam’s go-anywhere credentials will please pretty much everyone outside pure park shreds.
“Absolutely loved it,” our tester summed up. “One of the best Burton boards I’ve ever ridden.” The Big B have done Sal proud here, creating a smooth all-terrain operator that reflects his fluid commentary style – and in the spirit of the big man’s word skills, it also boasts one of the best pun-based names we’ve ever come across. Alekesam… Masekela… geddit?
This one made a splash last year, so we’re delighted to see it back in Ride’s line. The Ride Deep Fake is an all-rounder, which – like most of the best boards in this category – leans a little more into certain riding styles than trying to be all things to all snowboarders.
You can truly ride this anywhere, but only if you’ve got your wits about you. It’s stiff, it’s aggressive, and you get out what you put in. Multiple carbon stringers transfer energy from your feet to the contact points, while the three-wood core delivers pop at the drop of a hat. A slight early rise to the camber profile helps out in the powder, as does the tapered outline.
The sidewalls feature a strip of aluminium alloy, not unlike what you’ll find in a lot of race-ready skis, alongrise Ride’s signature ‘Slimewall’ urethane. This improves the dampening and overall edge hold, which is ideal given the long, speed-friendly sidecut. If you’re one for redlining it on a deserted motorway groomer, this will come in very handy – as will the carbon-infused base.
Our team’s verdict was that this is “an absolute weapon on the piste”, whilst also being more than suitable for other areas of the mountain.
Elon Musk may not agree, but there’s a lot to be said for moderators – especially when they’re as tidy as this new offering from Ride. The Ride Moderator shares its shape – and comprehensive size range, from 144 up to 165W – with the Ride Deep Fake, so its purpose is much the same. However, a dialling-back of the tech makes it a better fit for less gung-ho riders.
There’s a bit less carbon in the build, and it’s been taken out of the base altogether – so while you still get plenty of response and speed, there’s a bit more margin for error. Inkeeping with this approach, there’s also no ‘titanal’ alloy in the edges, but only the true speed freaks will miss it.
A lighter, mellower-flexing core makes this more accessible for less powerful riders – our tester’s verdict was that even beginners could get to grips with this. It’s no noodle, though; those with more experience will enjoy its considered, varied sidecut and tapered shape on the piste, as well as the pow-friendly rocker in the nose.
The Ride Moderator is proof positive that a board’s personality comes from much more than its outline and profile. If you’re more of a cruiser than a charger, but like to keep your options open all the same, then this is definitely one to look at.
PRICE: €500
The Salomon Dancehaul is a board that demands a double-take. With its shorter, wider silhouette, it’s a refreshing departure from your typical all-mountain stick that’ll have you rethinking what a daily driver can look like.
Profile wise, the Dancehaul features Salomon’s Rock Out Camber i.e. flat between the bindings for stability, camber near the feet for response, and rocker at the tips for float and pressability. That all sounds pretty complicated, but it essentially feels nice and planted when you’re running flat-based, and breeds confidence – whether you’re messing around on sidehits or exploring further beyond the ropes.
The tapered directional shape adds to its versatility, improving float in the deep stuff without sacrificing hardpack performance. While it’s no park specialist, it’s actually pretty easy to ride this thing switch since the stance is less set back than many other boards in this volume-shift style. Ghost Basalt stringers provide durable pop and a smooth ride at speed, while the Popster core (which is milled out between the inserts) keeps things lively when you’re cruising at lower velocities.
With a medium flex that strikes a balance between playfulness and response, the Dancehaul caters to a wide range of riding styles and ability levels. In our experience, Salomon – along with Nidecker – routinely seem to make some of the fastest boards on the market, and the sintered base on this model is no exception.
Available in sizes from 139 to 157cm, there’s a Dancehaul for most riders (bear in mind this model likes to be ridden a little shorter than you might be used to). And for those looking to take things up a notch, there’s a Pro version available with a beefed-up spec-sheet to go with the beefed-up price.
As our test team noted, the successor to the much-loved K2 Party Platter has some huge shoes to fill. Fortunately, the K2 Almanac is up to the task, and a worthy successor to one of the most fun snowboards of modern times.
It’s another volume-shifted design from K2, designed to be ridden around 5cm shorter than your usual fare. A bit of extra waist width makes this possible, but it’s not an extreme case like the K2 Special Effects or the K2 Niseko Pleasures. No, this one is more suited to everyday riding – all terrain, all conditions.
A mellow-flexing core, sandwiched in between layers of easy-going biax fibreglass, make getting to grips with the Almanac (and getting used to that extra girth) a piece of cake. Before you know it you’ll be carving up the piste or even getting the most out of its directional shape in the powder, and wondering why you didn’t downsize sooner.
If you want pop, there’s plenty on hand thanks to the mostly-cambered profile, enhanced with a carbon strip (also cambered) running from tip to tail. ‘Going over the handlebars’ is always a bit more of a concern on a volume-shifted board, so you may not want to take this to the XL line, but for everything else you’re golden.
You don’t have to look far to find quite idiosyncratic all-mountain boards (hell, you don’t even have to close the K2 catalogue) but the K2 Embassy is an honest-to-goodness, old-school all-rounder. Turns out they do make ‘em like they used to.
The mid-stiff flex is exactly what you want when you don’t know where your next turns will take you. It’s robust enough to charge, and can step to big features both in and out of bounds, but can be ridden at half-throttle just as easily. Shape-wise it’s a twin, but there’s a little extra rocker in the nose, so you’d get more out of it in your normal stance with a slight setback. Switch – whether it’s takeoffs and landings, or just cruising around – is still very much an option.
The tech under the K2 Embassy’s hood isn’t remarkable, but it’s tried and tested fare that does its job admirably and doesn’t break the bank. Biax fibreglass makes the waist easy to manipulate, but there’s a bit of carbon in there too for added snap. The base is sintered, and the three-wood core is lightweight and durable.
Perhaps sensing its crowd-pleasing potential, K2 has made this available in every size from 149 to 165W, with several stops in between.
Despite a name that suggests ‘precision tool’, the K2 Instrument is actually a board for all seasons. Another all-rounder, then – but with a twist.
This one has been given the volume-shift treatment, meaning that you can afford to ride it up to 10cm shorter than your usual fare. Our tester’s verdict was that downsizing predictably offered up a more nimble, skate-esque experience, but you can just as easily stick with your regular length for a slightly wider, more stable ride than normal.
Whatever your preference, stability is something that the Instrument has in abundance. The core has been designed to handle impacts and soak up vibrations.There’s carbon running from end to end that ups the pop, and more of it running from the inserts to the contact points for improved response.
The directional elements – including the tapered outline and setback camber – make this happier going forward, but riding and landing switch isn’t off limits; indeed, the volume shift makes the difference between stances less of an issue than it would be in a more conventional ride. For the indecisive among us, the Instrument could be the answer.
Thanks to a preponderance of unisex bindings, female riders looking at K2’s line aren’t short of options. However, if you’d prefer to go with something that’s been designed specifically for women from the core up, then the K2 Extravision could be the one.
It’s not a tech-stravaganza by any means; the biax fibreglass has a bit of carbon in it to deliver added snap to your ollies, but that’s about it for additives. No, you can file this one under ‘simple but effective’. The medium flex leaves all options open, and the slight early rise in the nose makes this powder-friendly without tempting you to save this only for deep days. It’s truly one for taking all over the mountain, equally adept at unlocking the potential of the casual rider, or meeting the demands of the aficionado. Our testers were also stoked to find a women’s board with such a decent selection of wide sizes.
The K2 Extravision is new for 2024/25, but we expect it to find its audience and stick around for a while. Any blokes who like the sound of this can check out the Embassy, which follows a similar design philosophy.
After a very well-received first season, it’s no surprise to see the K2 Passport getting renewed for 2024/25. The ‘unisex’ design was indeed a hit with both our male and female testers, especially when they were looking to open the throttle – and the comprehensive size range (146cm all the way up to 163cm) means that there’s a Passport for every traveller. If your feet are bigger than average, look out for the two new wide sizes that have been added for this year.
The longer sidecut radius is ideal for stability at speed, but it shifts to a tighter arc at the nose to deliver easy turn initiation and navigation in tight spaces, such as tree lines. The setback camber, mid-wide waist and tapered shape are right at home in both powder and on piste, especially at speed.
The core of the K2 Passport features three types of wood. Paulownia in the nose and tail has reduced the swing weight, with dependable Aspen complimented by strong-yet-light bamboo elsewhere. It’s mid-stiff from end to end, but the carbon-enhanced triax fibreglass makes it a little more rigid between the edges; again, ideal if you want to push the sintered base as far as you dare.
PRICE: £439
The Slash Happy Place is a board designed to spread the love. A staple in the line-up of Gigi Rüf’s brainchild brand, it embodies the legendary Austrian rider’s vision of accessible, high-performance snowboarding.
Geometry-wise, the Happy Place features a true twin freestyle outline and a versatile CamRock profile. This combo of camber between the feet and rocker at the tips delivers a ride that’s both playful and precise. It’s a board that encourages progression, whether you’re a park rat or an all-mountain explorer.
Despite its wallet-friendly price point, the Happy Place doesn’t skimp on tech. A lively dual-wood core is wrapped in torsionally soft biax fiberglass, while carbon X-bracing outside the inserts (and visible through the blank topsheet) adds pop and responsiveness where it counts. Overall, it’s a soft and confidence-inspiring flex that intermediate riders will love. A sintered base – a rarity at this price – keeps you gliding when others are stuck.
Slash’s approach to graphics is nothing less than inspired. You can either ride it blank – a clean, translucent look that lets the board’s construction speak for itself – or choose from a selection of roll-out ‘Topart’ that you stick on yourself. Heck, you can even keep the same board for years (thus doing your bit for the planet) and refresh the graphic whenever you feel like it. Genius.
Available in a unisex size range from 146 to 163w, everyone can find their own Happy Place. As for ourselves, the WL test team found it lives up to the freestyle billing but is far from a one-trick pony. From side hits to powder stashes, it’s a genuine go-anywhere board that can handle all but the gnarliest situations.
Pow-chasing is all well and good, but few have done more in recent years to advocate for staying inbounds than Arthur Longo. For anyone wanting to emulate his Side Hit Euphoria approach to the mountain, his CAPiTA Aeronaut is one to consider.
While it appears fairly accessible, boasting a medium flex and cruise-friendly directional shape, our testers suggested that it’s slightly too stiff and poppy for a novice. For those who can handle it, you’ll get a lot out of its relatively pronounced camber profile when you want to impress passing pootlers. Meanwhile the flattened-out sections at the contact points might bail you out of a sketchy side-hit landing.
The ‘Panda Hover’ core is, as the name suggests, full of bamboo and extremely light, and there’s a carbon stringer in the tail for added pop. The base is also super fast, and has been made a little thicker (and therefore more robust) for 2024/25.
It’s only the second season for the CAPiTA Aeronaut, but we expect this one to run and run. With nine sizes – including four wides – it’s available to any rider that wants to turn a standard resort trail into an airshow. And isn’t that everyone…?
Like the CAPiTA Aeronaut, the CAPiTA Outerspace Living is positioned as an all-mountain board. However, the differences between the two highlight just how wide that category can be. This one has a true twin shape, and a thinner section of core between the feet to offer a mellower flex than CAPiTA’s standard beech-and-poplar combo – so you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a pure park board.
However, the nose and tail are quite prominently rockered, which makes this easier to keep afloat in powder than most twins (and of course makes buttering a lot easier, whether it’s in the backcountry or on the piste).
The CAPiTA Outerspace Living is a relatively simple beast, construction-wise; there are no fancy additives either in the wood core or the fibreglass, and the extruded base isn’t the fastest. However, not everyone actually needs lots of today’s best tech, and for progressing riders it can actually be a hindrance. Instead, the CAPiTA Outerspace Living offers up consistency and reliability in spades.
As for more advanced riders… our testers left the training wheels behind long ago, but even they appreciated the increased margin for error that the easy-going flex and no-frills design delivered.
In 2024, some brands continue to employ cringe ‘Bic for her’-esque marketing to their women’s boards, while others seem to have overcorrected – as if the gender-specificity of their products was a secret that must be closely guarded. Twixt the two is the CAPiTA Equalizer – a name that’s abstract on the surface, but alludes to the need for more women’s boards to step up to the quality offered to men.
The stick of choice for Jess Kimura, this is unsurprisingly a mid-stiff all-mountain model that can handle a stairset one day and a couloir the next. It’s as near as damnit to being a twin shape, with camber underfoot moving to rockered sections at each end.
No matter where you take this, you’ll feel the benefit from the vibration-absorbing strips made of both natural and man-made fibres. While the base isn’t the quickest in CAPiTA’s stable, it’s still pretty decent, and is a better suited than most to being dinged off rails. There’s also some beech wood in the paulownia & poplar core, running right under the inserts, to deliver even more strength and durability with minimal weight gain.
The size range is pretty limited even when compared to many female-specific models out there, but it worked for our tester. She took the Equalizer into the sidecountry – its natural habitat – and reported that it passed with flying colours.
Everyone’s favourite Scandi shapers are marking ten years in the business. It’s been a bumpy ride at times, but their uncompromising approach to quality snowboard hardware is likely to sail them through rough times for the foreseeable.
Take the Vimana Motherbrain, which – like everything in the range – exists because someone in the brand’s pro team thought it’d be rad. The mellow flex is augmented with carbon for a bit more pop power when you need it, and an almost undetectable taper (new for 2024/25) makes life a little easier in powder without ruling out park laps. It’s also crazy fast, thanks to some top-end base material. In short, the Motherbrain has all the right ingredients for a true all-rounder, without that lowest-common-denominator vibe possessed by all too many boards in that category. No, the Motherbrain is focused on elevating the right rider rather than simply satisfying the masses.
The downsides? Well, the model options aren’t all that comprehensive – just three sizes, all wide and fairly spaced out in length (although to be fair, that’s still more than last year). It’s also not one for riding switch, noted our tester, but “for everything else it’s super good”.
UK brand Shred Sleds’ bread and butter continues to be its fine line of snowskates, but last year saw a foray into the world of inserts and edges. The snowboard range is back again for 2024/25, and has even been expanded, but the Shred Sleds Explorer remains the flagship deck.
The race-car graphic gives you a clue to its performance at speed; the sintered base is super-quick, while the triax fibreglass keeps things relatively stable and solid an edge even when Mach-ing it down the firmest of early-morning groomers.
The all-poplar core may lack some of the clever characteristics that high-end boards offer, but it’s got it where it counts: sustainability, affordability, and pop. In fact, the Whitelines on-test verdict was that it’s surprisingly poppy for a board that can also press really well. That, combined with its true twin shape, make it a great choice for anyone who roams free but prioritises the park.
The Shred Sleds Explorer will suit the rapidly-progressing intermediate rider just as much as the grizzled veteran (which describes most of the brains behind the brand). Plus that price tag isn’t bad either.
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