The Details:

‘All-mountain freestyle’ sounds like one of those cop-out phrases that attempt to make you think a board can do everything, but it’s actually true in this case. The Head Architect will do you just fine in the park, but can also be used to bash natural features all over the mountain.

It’s a no-nonsense board, foregoing some of the flashier (and pricier) tech of its stablemates to deliver a simple, predictable ride. The poplar wood core and layers of fibreglass are enhanced only by basalt stringers, which increase the pop without going overboard in the stiffness department.

It’s no noodle, though; get this up to high speeds, and it won’t back down when things get choppy. The slightly setback stance means it’ll ride better from nose to tail, but it’s fine for riding (and landing) switch too.

It has an extruded base, which isn’t as quick as a sintered, but requires less maintenance and is generally tougher. Although it’s probably more suited to jumps than rails, if you opt for hitting the metal then it’ll withstand all the abuse you can throw at it.

More aggressive chargers might prefer the Pilot, also new for 2016/17, but this one will suit the all-mountain explorer who isn’t above razzing the park too.