Shape, Profile and Sidecut

The outline of the Moonchild Malibu is pretty hard to mistake for something else; it’s a real head-turner, not least because of how wide it is even at the narrowest point. You’ve probably guessed it by now, but just in case, this is no ordinary board; the volume shift design means that it’ll suit riders who usually go for something between five and ten centimetres bigger.

This one’s all about the nose. In powder it’s an absolute dream, and on piste the blended sidecut at the contact points combines with a rocker section to help you initiate carves with ease. Camber between the feet means a nice, solid carve once you’re locked in.

Naturally there’s not much pop to be mined from the short tail, but there’s a carbon stringer to give you a bit more than you might otherwise expect. At the front inserts, the carbon diverges out to the contact points, creating a ‘Y’ shape that gives you more response up front.

“The Malibu opts for tried-and-tested materials and build techniques, with zero gimmickry”

Construction and Materials

Moonchild definitely puts shaping first, so you wouldn’t expect to find too much trickery in the construction. The Malibu, like the rest of the range, opts for tried-and-tested materials and build techniques, with zero gimmickry.

It features a combination of poplar and aspen in the wood core, which is strong yet light. That sits between two layers of mellow biax fibreglass (a good decision given the width, as a firmer glass would make this hard to manipulate). Making contact with the snow are steel edges and a sintered base – again, no surprises there. The result is mellow enough for cruising down a wide, freshly-groomed piste, but the support is there when you want to turn the crank.

“The Moonchild Malibu is a real head-turner”

Roundup

Moonchild is far from a slick, polished brand – the website’s diagram of a snowboard cross-section looks like it was drawn with Microsoft Paint – but that’s a big part of its appeal. The passion for snowboard shaping, and snowboarding in general, bleeds out of everything the brand makes. It even offers you the opportunity to get involved in the build, if you’re looking for something bespoke.

For those who want off-the-rack dependability which also has bucketloads of character – and ultimately offers an unforgettable experience on the hill – the Moonchild Malibu could be it.

Pros:

• This oozes with small-batch authenticity and charm
• Despite its powder-chasing focus, you’ll still have a blast on bog-standard resort groomers

Cons:

• Given the shape and additives, switch riding is essentially off the table.