“This was my first time riding a West snowboard and, from what I gathered, the La Hache was the best place to start. This is West’s flagship model and it’s easy to see why.

Not that it matters (even though it totally does), but I’m a really big fan of the natural wood, offset with black and blue topsheet. The board just looks premium and timeless. It definitely has a vibe of something that hasn’t been pumped out on a production line, but handcrafted with that meticulous level of Swiss attention to detail.

My first run on this was in whiteout, powdery conditions up at 3500m in Hintertux – probably not this board’s natural calling, but all the more reason for it to impress me. By no means is this a powder board; it’s not even a freeride board. The shape is that of a true twin and, while the rocker in the nose didn’t lend epic levels of lift in deep snow, it managed just fine.

Further down, where the visibility improved and the pistes returned to their groomed condition, the La Hache started to show its true nature. The combination of a really lightweight and lively wood core with those full-length stringers running from the tip to tail made the board bounce and hop in and out of every turn.

I love a board that feels like it’s just waiting for you to make a move and react – like a tennis player on the returning end of a serve. Every time I put the board into a press, turn or spin I felt the response underfoot immediately which made for a really predictable ride.

“I love a board that feels like it’s just waiting for you to make a move and react – like a tennis player on the returning end of a serve. Every time I put the board into a press, turn or spin I felt the response underfoot immediately which made for a really predictable ride”

The flex rating varies from a six to an eight, depending on what size of board you ride. This seems kind of strange to me, surely a bigger rider will flex a bigger board as much as a smaller rider will flex a softer board… either way, the 158 (which is my usual size) felt right on the money for me.

Speaking of money, my only gripe with this board is the cost. It’s a great performing snowboard, and definitely one that you won’t see around the mountains too often either, but it does come in a bit steeper than a lot of the competition. I understand that the more premium materials and smaller production output will likely bump the price up, but I fear that may turn a lot of potential customers away. That’s a real shame, as it only took me one top to bottom run to be completely converted to the La Hache, and I’m sure there are a whole bunch more riders out there who’d feel the same.

If you’re happy to spend and have something a little different from the norm, but also a snowboard that you can ride every day and ultimately get your money’s worth out of, this one should be a shoo-in.”

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