Intro
Over the past weeks, we’ve been rolling out our reviewers’ picks for their ideal ski quivers, and now it’s time for our snowboard reviewers to chime in.
As we state in all our quiver selection articles, there is no single perfect quiver for everyone. It all depends very much on where you ride and how you ride. So our selections below should not be viewed as our answer to the question, “What are the best boards out there?” Instead, these are our reviewers’ personal picks, along with their rationale for why they would choose them.
As always, we’re interested to hear what you’d pick for your own quiver, so let us know in the Comments section at the bottom.
Get Advice (rather than our personal picks)
For more general suggestions — as opposed to what we personally would pick — check out our Winter Buyer’s Guide.
And if you’d like to get our recommendations for assembling your own quiver, then become a Blister Member, submit your question via the Blister Member Clubhouse page, and we’ll help you decide.
Five Questions
For each of our reviewers, we asked them to answer the following questions:
I. Which currently available snowboards would you pick for your own 3-board quiver, and why?
II. If we take splitboards out of the equation, which 3 solid boards would you choose?
III. What boards were the most difficult to leave off your list?
IV. What boards do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ride them, or get to ride them more?
V. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-board quiver, which company would you pick?
Jed Doane
(6’2”, 165 lbs / 189 cm, 75 kg)
I. Which currently available snowboards would you pick for your own 3-board quiver, and why?
With a 3-board quiver including splitboards, my priority is putting something together that has me covered in all snow conditions and riding styles, and these boards are all quite versatile. For reference, I spend most of my time riding in the Pacific Northwest, and occasionally venture north into British Columbia.
Board #1: Season Nexus
The Nexus is incredibly easy to ride and is great for side hits, cattrack drops, and tight trees. It’s an excellent option for crappy snow days and is generally a safe pick for most conditions. On the Nexus, I ride the 158, which is a small and maneuverable size for me, but if sized up, it could be a great soft-powder board as well.
Board #2: K2 Excavator
The Excavator is my board of choice for powder or variable-snow days where I want to go fast, jump off things, and feel both nimble and stable. I love its short but dependable tail, stiff overall flex, and tapered nose. It’s also a great groomer board, and is stable at speed despite its small size.
Board #3: Venture Paragon Splitboard
The overbuilt, durable, do-everything Paragon is a great choice for a 1-board split quiver. The mid-flex, rockered design is damp and forgiving in variable snow, incredibly fun in powder, and capable on edge in high-consequence situations. It’s on the heavier side but still tours well, with the upside being uncompromising durability.
II. If we take splitboards out of the equation, which 3 solid boards would you choose?
Board #1: K2 Antidote
A stiff, cambered, all-mountain freestyle crusher is the main thing missing from my solid section above. The Antidote rides as you’d expect from a board designed with Sage Kotsenburg’s input: fast, energetic, and dependable.
Board #2: Jones Mind Expander
With the Antidote filling my stiff, charger slot, the Mind Expander serves as a softer, less nimble “directional surfer” than the Excavator, and is generally easier to ride. It’s also a great powder board.
Board #3: Season Nexus
When it’s raining cats and dogs in the PNW and a sloppy, slushy day is coming, I can’t go without my Nexus.
III. What boards were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Lib Tech Golden Orca: A fun, versatile, longer version of Travis Rice’s volume-shifted Orca and Orca Split.
Ride Warpig: Great volume-shifted design in a freestyle-capable shape.
IV. What boards do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ride them, or get to ride them more?
Among many others:
Capita Mega Merc, Korua Transition Finder, Arbor Veda, Burton Free Thinker, Weston Japow.
V. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-board quiver, which company would you pick?
Jones: Ultralight Stratos Splitboard, Hovercraft 2.0, & Flagship
Jones makes a solid 3-board quiver for my riding style, and that of many others. The redesigned Hovercraft 2.0 improves on a classic as an everyday directional board; the Flagship is a tried-and-true big-mountain charger; and the Ultralight Stratos is a top-tier carbon splitboard that is much more versatile than many of its competitors.
Justin Bobb
(5’10”, 170 lbs / 178 cm, 77.27 kg)
I. Which currently available snowboards would you pick for your own 3-board quiver, and why?
First off, I think snowboarding has arrived at a good place where “quivering” is better understood and more feasible, relative to several years ago. It seems there used to be more of a strict focus on “do it all” boards and, as a result, boards were purchased as whole-season, whole-mountain tools, while in reality, there are always going to be lots of different boards that can make riding in specific conditions much more fun. Obviously, versatile do-it-all boards still very much have their place (as we’ll discuss in our smaller quiver picks), but in typical snow conditions where I live in the Southwest, having a few options to optimize the conditions and/or however I’m feeling on a particular day has greatly enhanced snowboarding for me. So, with that said, here’s how I’d go about putting together a 3-board quiver:
Board #1: Amplid UNW8
A board that has been on my list of favorites for many years now, the UNW8 is a very stiff, aggressively cambered, directional tool. The input required for this board to perform well is returned in the form of excellent precision, pop, and stability. This board requires great attention and needs a responsive set of boots and bindings. It has been one of my go-to decks for daily riding in a playful yet fast style.
Board #2: WNDR Alpine Bellaire
The Bellaire has recently become my tool of choice for anything soft, whether that’s slush or powder. It’s stiff in the rear, which helps compensate for its shorter tail, but soft enough underfoot to flex in and out of turns with great speed and rebound. The set back stance and large, floaty nose keep me above the surface without having to rely on my back foot to keep it up.
Board #3: Voile Skyline Split
As the largest splitboard I’ve ever been on (162 cm, 272 mm underfoot), I’ve been impressed with how quick and nimble the Skyline Split feels. Lots of surface area for stable, high-speed runouts, but light enough for quick hop turns. And while it probably stands out most for its edge hold and stability, it’s surprisingly versatile in soft snow. So far, the Skyline Split has also been one of the more durable boards I’ve found, which is always appreciated in the backcountry, where things always seem to break.
II. If we take splitboards out of the equation, which 3 solid boards would you choose?
Board #1: Amplid UNW8
As I’ve mentioned for many years on this site, the UNW8 delivers exceptional response and damping in a directional shape. This requires more attention than most boards in most conditions, but the payback is rewarding. Very capable and stiff, I enjoy it for most types of riding that I seek out. I would not choose this for rails, but for anything else, I’d keep this at the top of my list.
Board #2: WNDR Alpine Bellaire
As noted above, I think the Bellaire rounds out the powder end of my quiver very well. It maintains stability at speed but has a bit of a fish shape to make powder riding a lot more fun without relying on a strong back leg. And unlike some pow-specific boards, the Bellaire still has a usable tail that offers some support and helps prevent unwanted loop-outs.
Board #3: Bataleon Evil Twin
I don’t ride a lot of park, but in the absence of splitboarding, I would ride more. I used the Evil Twin for a few days last year and it left me wanting for more. I would use this playful all-mountain board in most conditions but would avoid (or more cautiously attempt) things like high-speed runouts and bigger, steeper terrain. In the park, though, I found myself feeling much more confident on this board. Since I’m mostly used to stiff boards and tend to seek them out, the softer flex of the Evil Twin was also incredibly fun in moguls and when releasing from deep carves.
III. What boards were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Jones Solution Split
A stable and playful splitboard that’s gotten me down some big lines. However, I’ve found a relative speed limit on it that I don’t trust myself to stay within. Overall, though, the Solution provides easy touring and playfulness in soft conditions.
Rossignol Juggernaut
A very solid contender to the UNW8, but I tend to prefer directional boards more than true twins. Although it performs well when sized up and set back, it doesn’t quite match the precision and responsive feel of the UNW8.
Salomon Dancehaul Pro Limited
A very capable board in most conditions. Like the UNW8, the Dancehaul Pro Limited requires some effort to extract performance and feel the reward. There’s a decent chance you’ll see this board in my smaller quiver picks, but in a quiver this large, I’d rather go with boards that are designed to specifically excel in more niche scenarios, conditions, etc.
IV. What boards do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ride them, or get to ride them more?
The LibTech Golden Orca, Amplid Singular, K2 Alchemist, and Arbor Candle are all boards I’m interested in testing. I am particularly excited about the Amplid Singular since it seems like it might maintain much of the UNW8’s characteristics but in a less demanding package, allowing for more creativity and more margin for imprecision.
V. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-board quiver, which company would you pick?
Amplid
Not only have I really enjoyed several Amplid boards over the years, but over the course of several boards and many, many seasons, I’d put them near the top of the list in terms of reliability / durability. For the 3-board quiver, I think I’d go with the UNW8, Singular, and Surf Shuttle.
Andrew Forward
(5’ 11”, 175 lbs /180 cm, 79 kg)
I. Which currently available snowboards would you pick for your own 3-board quiver, and why?
To cover the bases for my ideal Alaska 3-board quiver, I would choose a versatile powder-specific solid and splitboard, in addition to a more universal, everyday, all-mountain solid board for the resort and sled-access days.
Board #1: Amplid Millisurf Splitboard
The Millisurf was by far the easiest board to pick for my 3-board quiver. Out of a splitboard quiver of 15+ boards, the Millisurf is by far my most used board and has earned a permanent set of splitboard hardware and pair of skins for several seasons. Check out my full review for the whole story.
Board #2: Weston Japow
Similar to the Millisurf, I usually keep a pair of bindings on this board all season. Ideal for powder, the Japow is also an excellent on-piste board and generally a fun option for the resort in soft conditions. I have developed a swallow tail / directional board preference that could be largely attributed to countless days on the Japow. More times than not, the Japow is my go-to resort and backcountry/ sled access selection.
Board #3: Season Aero
With my backcountry and powder days covered, the Season Aero serves as a great universal all-mountain pick. It’s a touch softer than I would prefer, but the shape caters wonderfully to a huge range of conditions. It is a great choice for shallow-to-tracked pow, soft chop, groomers, and hitting jumps / natural features on the hill.
II. If we take splitboards out of the equation, which 3 solid boards would you choose?
This is a bit of a tough call… I would definitely still want the Weston Japow and Season Aero as my top solid picks. Without the Amplid Millisurf, one contender would be the Amplid Pentaquark. When high pressure or rain plagues our snowpack at sea level, the groomer-specific Pentaquark brings me a lot of joy. While I would prefer pow days over anything, the Pentaquark urges me to hit the mountain on less-than-desirable days, knowing it’s going to be a fast and dynamic ride with unrivaled edge hold.
A deep pow board is also essential for a season at Alyeska Resort, so I could also see myself going with the Amplid Snowmellier, which is an excellent deep snow (20”+ / 50+ cm) big-gun swallow tail.
III. What boards were the most difficult to leave off your list?
This board is a contender to replace the Japow. I only spent the latter part of last season on the Storm Wolf, but was very impressed with its powder and groomer performance. As of now, having spent numerous seasons on the Japow, I do like how it handles soft chop and variable conditions better than the Storm Wolf. However, I see the Storm Wolf becoming a usual suspect in my daily quiver selection.
Season Forma
Smaller and more nimble than the Japow, I enjoy the Forma on shallower pow and groomer days, where it feels more stable and slightly less chattery.
Weston Backwoods Carbon splitboard
If I had to select two splits, the Backwoods Carbon would be in the quiver. I appreciate its stiffer overall flex pattern for bigger alpine missions, both in ski mode while touring and on the descent.
IV. What boards do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ride them, or get to ride them more?
Amplid Singular
I’m a big fan of several Amplid boards and I think the Singular looks pretty spot-on as a 1-board quiver option for the resort and sidecountry.
Lib Tech T.Rice Orca
I’ve only spent a day riding the Orca, but would love to get my hands on one for a season of testing.
Nitro Squash
After 15+ days on it last spring, I can already tell that the Squash will be one of my go-to boards this season. My initial impression is that it’s a very versatile option in the surf-inspired category, similar to the Forma or Japow, in pow and on groomers.
Jones Hovercraft 2.0
I still find myself grabbing one of the oldest boards in my quiver, an early generation Hovercraft, for sled days and the occasional resort rip. New for this season, the revamped Hovercraft 2.0 is high on the list of boards I would like to get my hands on.
V. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-board quiver, which company would you pick?
Amplid: Millisurf Splitboard, Surfari or Snowmellier for the deep days, and Pentaquark.
(Although I have not tried the Singular, my gut instinct tells me it would likely find its way into this quiver.)
Weston: Backwoods Carbon splitboard, Japow, Range
Jones: Ultralight Hovercraft 2.0 splitboard, Storm Wolf, Hovercraft 2.0 solid
While I have yet to try the Hovercraft 2.0, I have spent considerable time on an older Hovercraft and feel confident that the newer design will hold up to my previous expectations for the resort and backcountry.
J. Bobb, you should really try and get on the BelleTour, the split version of the BelleAire. It’s incredibly versatile in a wide variety of snow conditions and a true contender for a quiver of one splitboard. I use mine for everything but early season (bust out the ol’ rock board) and super deep low angle days.
I was hoping you’d do some board quivers! Thanks :) I’d never paid much attention to Season or any to Amplid; might have to broaden my horizons a bit!