Intro
We recently asked some of our snowboard reviewers which boards they’d include in their ideal 3-board quivers, and now it’s time to narrow that down.
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 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 2-board quiver, and why?
II. If we take splitboards out of the equation, which 2 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 2-board quiver, which company would you pick?
Andrew Forward
(5’ 11”, 175 lbs /180 cm, 79 kg)
I. Which currently available snowboards would you pick for your own 2-board quiver, and why?
For a 2-board quiver for Alaska resort and backcountry riding, I’d have to have a pow-oriented split and solid that performs well in powder but is still enjoyable on everything else in the resort. My choices will be pretty close to the 3-board quiver selection, but with a more universal shape / daily driver option.
Board #1: Jones Ultralight Hovercraft 2.0 Split
The Ultralight Hovercraft 2.0 is the lightest splitboard in my quiver and rides phenomenally in powder, which is my primary concern. Despite its powder-oriented shape, it is versatile enough to ride down variable and other less-ideal conditions. The shape is conducive to fast riding in the alpine, yet it is nimble and maneuverable enough to throw around in tight terrain. Plus, the lightweight construction makes it easier to break trail and get one more lap in.
Board #2: Nitro Squash
The Nitro Squash is a fantastic daily driver and 1-board quiver option for those who focus on the carve with a secondary priority in powder. It has a nice moderate-stiff flex that feels pretty stable at high speeds but is soft enough to be enjoyable on side features and ride more like a freestyle twin, despite the fishtail. It’s a fantastic daily driver and makes every day at the resort (or backcountry via snowmachine) enjoyable. The only downside for my situation is that it isn’t amazing when conditions do line up and we get basically bottomless powder. I would really miss some of my truly powder-specific shapes, such as the Jones Storm Wolf, Weston Japow, and Amplid Snomolier on the epic days.
II. If we take splitboards out of the equation, which 2 solid boards would you choose?
Board #1: Nitro Squash
I would still want the Squash in my quiver for all the reasons listed above. It’s versatile and handles a variety of conditions well. Despite not having a directional twin in my quiver, the long, supportive tail of the Squash makes side hits and jumps enjoyable with little sacrifice besides a longer nose to contend with when spinning. While I’m far from a park rider, I’ve had a lot of fun with the Squash in the park, hitting rails and getting inverted.
Board #3: Jones Storm Wolf
Without the split in the mix, I need a board that thrives in deep powder — after all, those are the most memorable days of the season. The Storm Wolf is a solid choice for most powder days, from several inches to several feet. There are better options (e.g., Amplid Snomolier) for the handful of 2+ foot days we get at Alyeska and Turnagain / Valdez each season, but the Storm Wolf is the more versatile option, particularly when it gets too deep for the Squash.
III. What boards were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Weston Japow
Last year, I chose the Weston Japow as one of my solids for both my 3- and 2-board quivers. It was pretty difficult to omit from this season’s picks, but preferences change, and I’ve become slightly more infatuated with the Nitro Squash. While the Japow is a far better powder choice and enjoyable on fresh corduroy, the Squash seems to handle variable and less ideal conditions better, in addition to riding more like a traditional board with a supportive tail. Still, it’s hard to leave the Japow off the list…
Arbor Iguchi Pro Camber
While I’ve been drifting away from freestyle-oriented boards over the years, the Iguchi Pro Camber is a great choice for those who prefer twins with a somewhat pow-friendly shape. It does ride pow well, particularly low-density, boot-top snow, and has all the traditional elements of a snowboard — camber underfoot, poppy tail, switch capable, etc. But for my preferences, the Squash is a better fit.
Jones Storm Chaser
The Storm Chaser grew on me last season and is a super fun shape that I want in a 3-board quiver. However, I value a full-length board over a short, volume-shift shape for a few reasons, primarily the stability and glide in deep pow. If I lived somewhere with fewer open faces and more tight trees, my decision might have been different.
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?
As mentioned in my 3-board quiver, I’d like to try out the Amplid Souly Grail as a daily driver, as well as the Lib Tech Orca. I’d also really like to ride the Hovercraft 2.0 solid at the resort to see how the new shape handles groomers and non-powder, resort conditions.
For splitboards, I think the new and reshaped Amplid Milligram shows a lot of promise. Hopefully, when next year’s quiver picks come around, I can report back on the revised Milligram.
V. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-board quiver, which company would you pick?
Similar to my 3-board quiver selections, I’d have to go with Amplid, and Jones as a close second.
For Amplid: Milligram split and Souly Grail or Surfari. The kicker is that I haven’t actually ridden any of these newer shapes, despite logging a lot of days on the original Milligram. Still, the shapes look promising and I’ve been consistently impressed with the construction and designs from Peter Bauer during my time with several Amplid boards over the years.
For Jones: Ultralight Hovercraft 2.0 and a tough decision between the Hovercraft 2.0 solid and Storm Wolf.
Jed Doane
(6’2”, 165 lbs / 189 cm, 75 kg)
I. Which currently available snowboards would you pick for your own 2-board quiver, and why?
I’m a big fan of both lift-served and human-powered snowboarding, so my 2-board quiver really needs to consist of two quiver-killers in each category. I’m valuing versatility above all else here.
Board #1: K2 Antidote
If I’m just going to have one solid board, I want something that’s happy going fast, freestyle-friendly, and not too cumbersome in tight trees. Sage Kotsenburg’s Antidote combines a medium-stiff, snappy flex with an all-mountain-freestyle shape and just a hint of spooning in the tip and tail. This equates to easy turn initiation, good pop, reliable landing gear, and the overall composition of a capable 1-board quiver for my riding style. It rides switch well and is a very capable park and groomer board, given how well it handles soft snow.
Board #2: Venture Paragon Split
A 1-split quiver should, above all else, be able to handle all the best and worst snow types that the backcountry can muster. The Paragon’s medium flex, forgiving rocker profile, and nimbleness edge-to-edge make for a board that’s fun in great snow but, perhaps more importantly, very forgiving and maneuverable in harder, less friendly conditions. Venture’s Straight-Line rocker profile (flat underfoot with rockered tip and tail) is surprisingly capable on the uphill, and it provides ample float and maneuverability in soft conditions. Plus, Venture’s build quality and durability are also extremely high
II. If we take splitboards out of the equation, which 2 solid boards would you choose?
Board #1: Gnu Hyper
The Hyper is a very capable all-mountain board and is considerably easier to ride than the Antidote. So, if I can have a stiffer solid option for inbounds, I’d make the Hyper my daily driver.
Board #2: Jones Flagship
For fast, high-consequence riding, the Flagship is an all-time favorite of mine. Every day is leg day on this board, but you get what you pay for in a stable, dependable, burly ride.
III. What boards were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Ride Warpig, K2 Excavator, Season Nexus, Jones, Capita Mega Merc
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?
Capita Black Snowboard of Death, Gnu Something Gnu, Cardiff Swell (solid), Korua Transition Finder
V. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-board quiver, which company would you pick?
Probably K2. The Alchemist is a great charger that’s freestyle capable, and I’d love to try the Niseko Pleasures as another powder-specific alternative to the super fun Special Effects.
Frankie Toohey IV
(5’11”, 175 lbs / 180 cm, 79 kg)
I. Which currently available snowboards would you pick for your own 2-board quiver, and why?
Picking a snowboard (or quiver of boards) is a highly personal affair. There needs to be a connection / common ground; if you have very different priorities than what the board actually does well, there are going to be problems. Your quiver is a matter of picking the right tool for the right job — sometimes you need a hacksaw and other times you’ll want a paintbrush. Personally, I’d want something a little more aggressive that encourages me to push my limits, and then pair it with another board that I can really play with and have fun riding at any pace.
Board #1: K2 Antidote
This is the board that I’d ride most days, knowing that I can trust it in the bigger, more consequential lines at Crested Butte Mountain Resort — but still enjoy it just about everywhere else. The Antidote fills that role for me for many of the same reasons Jed picked it for his quiver. It’s a great feeling getting up to speed or coming off a techy line and knowing that I can trust the board underneath me. The Antidote responds well to landings and aggressive riding, which can really come in handy on spicier lines. Being able to ride switch and enjoy the park are also big priorities for me, so those are included when I’m looking for something that can actually be fun across “the whole mountain.” The Antidote is the multi-tool in my quiver.
Board #2: Weston Japow Split
Every now and then, I have days when I just want to put in some headphones and feel my own riding. It’s not always about sending it the biggest or fastest; snowboarding can be more of a meditative experience, too. Of the models I’ve tried, the Japow is a really interesting design; it’s got that old-school Sims-esque surfboard shape, but it’s also really light. It’s honestly just a really fun board to ride (for me and my preferences), especially in powder. I first rode it at Blister Summit 2024, and it was sized down to 154 cm. I usually ride a ~163 cm for comparison, so it was a huge difference. But the 154 Japow turned so easily that I could really settle into the flow state and enjoy the mountain, so it’s an easy pick for Board #2.
II. If we take splitboards out of the equation, which 2 solid boards would you choose?
Weston produces the Japow as both a split and as a solid, so I’d probably just opt for the solid version here.
III. What boards were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Without a doubt, my favorite board of all time: the Rossignol XV. Designed by FWT champ, Xavier DeLa Rue, the XV makes me feel like I’m going to win the next one. I initially bought this board after my coach recommended it to me as a “groovy” snowboard, and with it’s super directional shape, that’s exactly how this board feels underfoot. Underneath the front foot, the board is incredibly stiff, but it tapers to a medium stiffness underneath the rear foot, which really increases the maneuverability without losing any stability. The XV also has excellent edge traction, and I never felt out of control riding it. Plus, my version from a few years back also has a really cool goat on it.
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?
Stay tuned to the Blister this Winter! We’re working hard to line up a lot of reviews of more boards, bindings, and boots out there to choose from.
If Jed lets me borrow his Jones Flagship, that’s a board I’d love to ride. Two other boards I’m stoked to try this season are the Ride Twin Pig and Peace Seeker:
Ride Superpig: when I was instructing, I had a mentor in ski & ride school that was always hyping this board up to me. A “suped up” take on the Ride War Pig, the Superpig is a more aggressive freeride board that’s supposed to handle high-speeds and bigger drops but with some of the War Pig’s playful, volume-shifted personality. It’s something I’ve always wanted to get my hands on and go to the moon with.
Ride Peace Seeker: This board just looks cool, like something from the fourth dimension that got sent back from the future. Ride says this board is “like a Superpig and a Berzerker had a baby.” I’m not quite sure what to make of that, but regardless, it has me intrigued, and it seems like it could pair well with the Superpig in a 2-board quiver.
V. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-board quiver, which company would you pick?
This is not an easy question. It’s like asking me, “if I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, what would it be?” Off the top, I’d probably go with Jones. The Flagship, Mind Expander, Hovercraft, Solution Split — the list of boards that intrigue me goes on and on. I could say the same of Lib Tech. And if we throw bindings into the mix, Rome stands out to me, too. Honestly, until I can test more boards from a wider range of brands, I don’t think I can confidently answer this.
Justin Bobb
(5’10”, 170 lbs / 178 cm, 77.27 kg)
I. Which currently available snowboards would you pick for your own 2-board quiver, and why?
Durability and versatility are guiding my decisions as the quivers get smaller. In a larger quiver, I’d want one board that handles most conditions and then I could pair it with more niche / novelty shapes. But in a smaller quiver, I want two boards that are both great at most things. Ideally, either could be used in all conditions, but I’d prefer each to be a bit more optimized for a particular set of conditions / terrain near the ends of those spectrums.
Board #1: WNDR Alpine Belle Aire
The Belle Aire fits my demands very well in that it has a directional / tapered shape that suits most conditions. I can ride everything on it with comfort and control, though I probably wouldn’t spend multiple laps in the park with this board. I don’t tend to do that anyway. I do trust the shape, although directional, to ride switch comfortably around the resort. It is on the stiffer end without being overly burly or demanding to maintain a playful feel. It’s also one of the best boards I’ve used when it comes to reducing chatter and vibration. It feels calm when making fast, hard carves in variable snow, yet it’s still nimble enough to pilot through Taos Ski Valley’s tight steeps.
Board #2: WNDR Alpine Shepherd Tour
The Shepherd has all the damping / construction benefits of the Bellaire but with a shape more optimized for powder and big lines. It has a snappier feel and is quicker to turn in tight spaces, but it’s also stable enough at speed for choppy backcountry runouts. The WNDR Alpine boards are quite damp for their relatively soft longitudinal flex patterns. The split version would fill out my quiver by giving me a great touring setup that I can trust to be predictable in most conditions, and to hold up for a full season. The main sacrifice would be playfulness; this board isn’t super ideal for spins and the occasional freestyle session in the backcountry. The Cardiff Goat (which was in my 3-board quiver) is more freestyle-friendly, but I don’t find it as nimble and fluid when wiggling through tight trees.
II. If we take splitboards out of the equation, which 2 solid boards would you choose?
I think this is just a testament to how fickle my decisions can be for these articles, since I’m now opting for a different setup relative to my 3-board quiver (which was essentially a 2-solid quiver + a split). But for now, I think I’d keep things simple with:
Board #1: WNDR Alpine Belle Aire
I would stick with this board as my go-to setup for most of the days and conditions throughout the season, almost to a 1-board-quiver degree. As mentioned above, the Belle Aire can handle just about everything, but there’s room to optimize for deeper days when a “surfy” feel is desired.
Board #2: WNDR Alpine Shepherd
The solid version of the Shepherd shape. This would be used on deep days to find the surf on the mountain. I would trade for the Belle Aire if I was focused on side hits, spinning, etc., but the Shepherd would be excellent for hunting for pow stashes in the trees. It also provides great edge hold and would be a blast for early morning groomer laps.
III. What boards were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Amplid UNW8: This has been a favorite board of mine for years. Although, in the past, I would literally ride this board every day I went out, it can be tiring since it requires a high level of user input. Sometimes it’s ok to ride a little easy and have a little more flex under foot. The UNW8 comes alive at speed, and sometimes there isn’t speed to be had.
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?
So many snowboards to choose from. I really want to ride the LibTech Golden Orca. I have ridden older Lib Tech boards and always found them unique and quite fun. A re-acquaintance is warranted.
The Amplid Singular has my attention and I hope to test one soon. Seems like it could offer some of the components that make the UNW8 so fun but in a more approachable shape with less demanding camber and flex.
Jones has so many snowboards that fit into niche spots in quivers that it’s almost hard to narrow it down. I would love to ride the Aviator and the Flagship. These boards seem like they’d fit my riding style well and seem comparable to the WNDR Alpine Belle Aire in shape and flex.
V. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-board quiver, which company would you pick?
For this round, I actually already answered this: WNDR Alpine. They only make two shapes right now, and they offer both in solid and split versions. I think they’ve been designed extremely well for the style of riding I gravitate toward. They offer excellent vibration control, which could be a result of their algae-derived core materials, but whatever the reason, they just happen to work very well for what I want to prioritize in a 2-board quiver.