This category is all about life on the edge. Carving has made a comeback of epic proportions- think Sylvester Stallone delivering that final glorious knockout punch to Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV. Turning and burning is no longer restricted to weird guys wearing skintight one-pieces and hard boots, carving is definitely one of the cool kids again.
“Turning and burning is no longer restricted to weird guys wearing skintight one-pieces and hard boots”
Most brands these days have brought a model out dedicated to digging trenches, and for some brands it’s even their raison d’être. At its very essence, carving is turning through the arc using your snowboards sidecut, rather than pedal turning, or skidding round. And it’s anything but boring. Take Tyler Chorlton or the Slice n’ Dice boys for instance. Once you get the basics down, the turn is your oyster.
Any board with an edge and a sidecut can carve in theory, but there are a few things that make a snowboard able to really put down turbo turns. A positive camber profile, a directional shape and a stiff core.
Camber
A positive camber profile delivers you life and aggression on piste and allows for increased stability through your turns. Camber offers increased energy feedback compared to a flat, or rockered profile. The board is essentially always pre-tensioned allowing for dynamic and powerful riding. Not every board in this list is full tip-to-tail camber, but for the carving purists out there it remains the gold standard for riding on the edge.
Directional Shape
A directional shape and sidecut allow you to drive through the turns and ensure that you’re rock solid through each phase of your carve. While not the most versatile shape, if you’re looking for a carving snowboard are you really wanting to spend half your time landing switch in the park?
Core
A core built with stiffer wood will inject a little extra life into every turn, but you’ll also want to pay attention to the extra materials that are added. Many boards nowadays feature carbon or Kevlar to increase dynamism and to soak up chatter as you’re going mach 10. If you’re trying to get deep, rail grabbing carves on a soft board it’ll start to wobble and fold, whereas a stiffer board can handle the pressure and respond instantly to rider input.
After that, it’s up to you if you want to opt for a snowboard with extra width in the waist, an asymmetric or disrupted sidecut, or some nanoparticle, supercharged, sintered base. While many of the boards below represent some of the most cutting-edge technology and shapes in snowboarding, they all hark back to the good old days of the sport’s origins – they’re all about the turn. The boards in this list were all chosen by our Test Team as their favourites for letting rip on the corduroy, and getting buckwild with the art of the carve.
Best Women’s Carving Snowboards 2020
- Korua Pencil
- Bataleon Love Powder
- Burton Story Board
- CAPiTA The Equalizer
- Jones Mind Expander
- Nidecker Odyssey
Scroll down to view all the best women’s carving snowboards, or skip to a particular model using the links below
Korua Pencil | Bataleon Love Powder | Burton Story Board | Capita The Equalizer | Jones Mind Expander | Nidecker Odyssey | Bataleon Push Up | Burton Feelgood | Gnu Ladies Choice | Gnu Whip | Jones Airheart | Jones Flagship | K2 Cold Shoulder | K2 Cool Bean | Korua Cafe Racer | Lib Tech Dynamiss | Never Summer Lady West | Nidecker Princess | Ride Magic Stick | Rome Winterland | Salomon Bellevue | Yes Hel
