Our favourite freeride snowboards for 2024-2025 tested, chosen and reviewed by the Whitelines Team
Freeriding. The clue’s in the name. Rather than being confined by artificial boundaries, man-made features, a prescribed set of rules, or even a specific environment, snowboarding’s freeride fraternity prefer to venture into more unchartered territories on the mountain. From bottomless conditions in Hokkaido’s legendary powder fields to the high alpine, death-defying faces of Chamonix, there are as many world class freeride destinations as there are best freeride snowboards to choose from.
With such a broad spectrum of terrain comes an equally diverse range of tools for the job. We could have broken this list into freeriding’s ever-increasing splinter factions: big-mountain, carving, backcountry-freestyle, powder, and even those that claim to do a little bit of it all. But where’s the fun in that? Much better to line them all up, Usual Suspects style, and collectively appreciate their weird and wonderful designs.
“There are as many freeride destinations as there are snowboards to choose from in this category”
It shouldn’t take a particularly discerning eye to pick some of key differences between some models. Other features may be harder to spot. With that in mind, here are the key considerations to keep in mind when choosing your next freeride snowboard.
Turns for the soul (Pic: Ed Blomfield)
What To Look For When Buying A Freeride Snowboard
Surface Area
It doesn’t take a BSc in Physics to understand that surface area is a key component to how well a snowboard floats, but it certainly takes an open mind to consider some of the more eccentric freeride shapes appearing on the market these days. Whether you’re looking at a more traditional 160+cm freeride snowboard, the increasingly popular volume shifted snowboards or anything in between, the rule remains the same: the bigger the surface area, the better the float.
Shape and Outline
Convention dictates that a snowboard must be directional in its outline to perform away from the pistes. While we don’t disagree that a setback stance, tapered shape, stiffer flex in the rear and countless variations of directional nose and tail designs all play their part, the necessity for a directional outline simply doesn’t hold true these days. Freeriding has increasingly seen freestyle and switch riding move into the backcountry and snowboard shapes are adapting to meet the demand.
Profile
Take your time on this decision. Are you only ever going to ride this snowboard in bottomless powder? Or do you want/need something that can carve up groomers, or navigate down an icy couloir when you beat the morning sun to the drop-in, too? In most cases, some form of rockered section will feature in the nose of a freeride snowboard. After that, however, there’s an abundance of flat, cambered or hybrid profiles to suit every rider’s needs.
Construction
Freeride snowboards tend to come in at a higher price point than your run-of-the-mill park or all-mountain deck. That’s understandable, though. The last thing you need on a trip to the backcountry is a slow running base or construction that can’t withstand the forces of high-speed descents or the odd rock poking through the surface.
Expect to see high quality sintered bases, powerful cores with a blend of different wood species, performance-enhancing additives, like carbon, Kevlar and basalt, and even brands’ latest innovations in state of the art innovations on show in this snowboard category.
“Whichever freeride deck you opt for this season, never venture off-piste without the correct avalanche safety equipment and plenty of practice using it”
Above all, whichever freeride deck you opt for this season, never venture off-piste without the correct avalanche safety equipment and plenty of practice using it, as well as some experienced company or a mountain guide.
Best Freeride Snowboards For 2024-2025
Amplid Psychonaut Snowboard 2024-2025
PRICE: €590 / $590
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.
Hats off to Drake for this one: the brand has two new models for this year, the Cocktail and the Shot, and they’re exactly the same shape. That gives you the choice of a bells-and-whistles version, or the stripped-back option. The Drake Shot is the latter (see also: the Battle and the fancier Battle Rusty).
Let’s go over that shape first; it’s as directional as they come, with a huge wide nose and stubby tail that cry out for powder (but will happily settle for a deserted piste, and a rider willing to get their elbow down). There’s camber between the feet, but given how set back it is, most of the board is as good as flat.
Tech-wise, we’ve already indicated that you won’t find the Cocktail’s lightweight, poppy core, nor its urethane sidewalls, on the Shot. And as you might expect, the base has also been downgraded a little – although is still a pretty quick sintered offering.
It’s not just about making it more affordable, however. The spec’d-down design of the Drake Shot will better suit riders who aren’t as interested in getting up to eye-watering speeds, or popping to the moon. And if it’s cruising that you’re choosing, shapes don’t get much more appealing than this.
The Rome Ravine Select took everything people loved about the original Ravine and made it better, with changes that went much further than some upgraded versions. Now it’s called the Ravine Pro as part of a stable clean-up, but it’s still the same winning combination of top tech applied well.
The Rome Ravine Pro does its best work at ground level, either rolling from edge to edge on a motorway piste, slashing up a pow field, or (our personal favourite) hugging berms on a banked slalom course. The setback camber and tapered outline are made for each other, while the gigantic nose features 3d contouring for even more powder float than its shape already promises.
If you do want to get airborne, there’s enough strategically-placed carbon in the tail of the Rome Ravine Pro to send you to the moon, and the core is (for want of a better word) heavy on paulownia to ensure you stay up there for longer. When it’s time to touch back down, the impact plates made of natural flax fibres have your back.
The regular Ravine isn’t going anywhere, but here’s a premium version that really lives up to the billing.
The Jones Storm Chaser, born from a collaboration with legendary surf shaper Chris Christenson, has been reimagined for 24/25. A longer swallowtail and a Surf Camber profile aim to take the crossover philosophy to the next level in a board that thrives being ridden off the back foot.
Our tester Tristan got to try this one out on a 30cm pow day in Italy (“pretty much a dream come true,” he admits). “The wide nose and swallow tail made it float like a boat,” he reported, noting “zero issues with back leg burn here.” But the Storm Chaser isn’t just about volume – the radical short silhouette makes this board as nimble as it is buoyant.
The Storm Chaser’s bevelled 3D Contour Base softens turn entry and, together with a medium flex, create a ride that’s both powerful and intuitive. The construction also includes a lightweight Bamboo Surf Core, complemented by biax fibreglass and Power Basalt stringers, which keep it feeling lively and stable even at speed.
While the Storm Chaser can certainly handle groomers (it was “fun on edge-to-edge eurocarves,” says Tristan) as the name suggests, its true home is in the deep stuff. “What both the board and I really wanted was to dive back into the pow as soon as possible.”
Available in sizes from 142 to 157cm, the Storm Chaser can be ridden shorter than your regular all-mountain deck and is ideal for powder hounds who value agility in tight spaces. As Tristan put it, “it’s ideal for cutting between tight trees, or throwing surf-style layback slashes.” If that sounds like your jam, then as a wise man once said: this is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, man.
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.
Buy the CAPiTA Outerspace Living Snowboard 2024-2025: $479 at evo.com
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.
Buy the CAPiTA Equalizer Snowboard 2024-2025: $549 at evo.com
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.
Buy the Burton Family Tree Gril Master Snowboard 2024-2025: $679 at burton.com
PRICE: €700 / £630 / $670
The Burton Fish has long been the yardstick by which other powder boards are measured. Launched in 2002, when the rest of the market was essentially a sea of twin tips, it’s been helping riders stay afloat in the deep stuff for over two decades. Along the way, Burton’s iconic snow surfer has undergone the occasional nip and tuck – including a recent 3D revamp – to ensure it’s still the (ahem) big fish in an increasingly crowded powder pond.
Aside from a fresh lick of paint (that purple is well 90s, so well on trend) the standout feature of the latest edition remains its 3D shaping in the nose and tail. It’s a surfboard-inspired design that Burton claim is the result of more prototypes than any board they’ve made in years. This convex shaping blends seamlessly with a traditional base underfoot, giving you a surfy, catch-free feel in the tips without sacrificing edge control where you need it most.
As a deep snow specialist, the Fish’s outline is heavily directional, with extended rocker up front and a full 30mm of taper. Its trademark double swallow tail maintains enough running length for you to hold an edge off the lift while sinking easily when you reach the deep stuff. The short overall design results in a nimble ride that’s perfect for weaving through tight trees or getting creative in open bowls. Our testers claimed it was one of their favourite models in Burton’s freeride-focused Family Tree line – a board that begs to be ridden fast and loose, slashing banks and throwing up rooster tails at every opportunity. Just don’t forget to pack your snorkel.
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.
Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero Snowboard 2024-2025
PRICE: €700 / £630 / $670
As the name suggests, the Hometown Hero was born in Burton’s backyard of Vermont. The Green Mountain State is (in winter anyway) a land of famously variable conditions, which means this board is a true all-terrain vehicle that can handle whatever Mother Nature throws at you, from bulletproof hardpack to knee-deep pow.
The Hometown Hero’s directional shape features just enough taper to keep you afloat on deeper days, while its twin stance offers a freestyle feel when riding flat base. Strategically placed glass stiffens up the nose and tail, giving you the power to plow through chunder, while carbon highlights boost snap and smooth out the ride, delivering a refined feel that’s equally at home on groomers or in the backcountry.
Our tester Kaelan was stoked on its versatility: “A true jack of all trades. Good at everything and perfect for springtime sends.” This all-round performance is backed up by a speedy ‘WFO’ sintered base that will get you back to the lift for another lap quicker than you can say “WTF is WFO anyway?”
With a ton of sizes available (from 145cm for smaller riders right through to the positively sasquatch 165 wide) everyone can be a Hero, while Burton’s use of bio-based Super Sap epoxy in the layup broadens the appeal even further by adding a touch of sustainability.
While the Hometown Hero might not top the podium in any single category, it’s a solid choice for riders who want one board to rule them all. Word from the WL test team this year suggests that Burton’s new High Fidelity gives it a run for its money in the all-mountain stakes, but fear not: the Hometown Hero remains a respected local legend with global appeal.
Buy the Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero Snowboard 2024-2025: $669 at burton.com
The K2 Antidote – like the Jones Solution – writes a fairly big cheque with its name alone. Will this solve all your problems? Well, it depends – but for the right rider, the answer could well be a resounding yes.
The K2 Antidote is an all-mountain model that avoids the tedious pitfalls that are often associated with that label. Its twin outline, slight setback and full camber are pretty conventional, but the 3D shaping in the nose is your first clue that this is not just another bland all-rounder.
Every effort has been made to reduce the weight of the K2 Antidote. For starters, the core has lightweight bamboo and paulownia woods mapped out in a way that shaves grammes without compromising strength. On top of that, some sections have been milled out to save even more weight. Then there’s the fibreglass in the nose and tail; a bleeding-edge, extra-light variety of which you’ll feel the benefit all over the mountain, from slicing up pistes to spinning off rollers.
While it’s light, it’s also pretty stiff from end to end and from edge to edge, so this won’t be for everyone – but our test team adored it, and the hefty range means that confident riders of all shapes and sizes can take the Antidote for a spin.
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.
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.
PRICE: €499 / $599
The Korua Dart is one of those pure directional shapes that would look almost as good on the wall as it does under your feet. It’s a proper swallow-tailed powder weapon that blends high-speed carving performance with incredible natural float, making it a versatile choice for riders who want the best of all worlds when it comes to the fabled art of the turn.
The design centres around Korua’s Float Camber profile, which delivers stability and edge-response underfoot while the rockered nose enhances float in deeper snow. Although we weren’t blessed with blower pow conditions when we took it out, our tester Kristiin was impressed by how fun it was to ride even on hardpack: “It’s quite stiff, but the short swallow tail and rockered nose make it feel playful and surfy.”
Another element at play here is the construction. A classic poplar core and biax glassing mean that – despite the aggressive outline – this is a board most intermediate and up riders will quickly feel comfortable on. There’s none of that plank-like feel you can experience from more aggressive triax layups, and yet (as you’d expect from the Swiss turn-meisters) the Dart excels when you get low and fast. “It goes well in icy conditions, hardpack and slush,” says Kriistin. “It felt great on edge and you can really lock those turns in.”
A generous number of sizes from 147 to 164cm means there’s a Korua Dart for everyone. Just don’t expect so much choice when it comes to the colour. It’s (checks notes)… white, with a signature red base. And let’s be honest, you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Whether you're cruising round the mountain, floating through powder or tweaking out in the park, here's our roundup of the best snowboard bindings for 2025.
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