The Most Hardcore Snowboards You Can Buy Today.

But just because you can, does it necessarily mean you should?

So I've long been of the opinion that most people buy a snowboard because of the graphics, then they teach themselves how to get on with that particular board. If you only have one snowboard then of course, given enough time you will learn how to excel on it. And I think its far to say that if a board tugs at the heart strings stylistically then you would be more inclined to part with a big wodge of cash for it rather than one that looks ugly, or even worse.. boring - but is a perfect match performance wise for your riding style. Its part of the reason I never loved my Bataleon Goliath, performance wise it was amazing, it just looked a bit... safe. (they've since sorted this, pretty much all of Bataleons range now looks stunning)

So we are heart buyers in most cases as opposed to head buyers, not really all that surprising I know. But as we will see from the following list, theres a certain level where being heart first can not just get you in trouble.. It could kill you. 

I'll start with a little tale from my own mediocre sporting life.. When i first tried surfing on a family holiday to Newquay we went into the surf shop for our lesson and were immediately given a yellow foam board that was twice the length (and width) of my first car. What followed was a day floating about trying to reach around the board to paddle and at most four occasions of standing up and coasting for about 5 or 6 seconds. I was well chuffed with myself. 

The next morning when we went back to the shop to get a rental board for the next 3 days, a young lady with a great tan and blonde dreads asked me how i got on the day before. Of course i wowed her with tales of my 5 or 6 seconds of glory and being as impressed as she obviously was, she then picked me out a rock hard skinny piece of pointy fibreglass that looked like even Swayze would think twice before using. (obscure 90's reference, if you know.. you know)

What followed was 3 days of slow death by drowning in saltwater.. I couldn't even balance on the thing to paddle. I hated it, I didn't get better.. at all, and my eyes were bright red for weeks because of all the sea water I got in them. Now, you can probably spot how easy this little tale applies to snowboarding but if not just ask yourself the question.. Would you rather feel like a pro riding an amateur board, or an amateur riding a pro's board?... Exactly. 

What follows is a list of the most hardcore snowboards on the market right now. All of them are Freeride oriented (ish), they are all radically different but they all have one particular thing in common.. They are absolutely NOT for beginners! At best you will just have a terrible time and not progress your skills, at worst you will seriously hurt yourself, or others. 

You have been warned!

1) Capita Megadeath - I mean, the name sort of gives the game away, any board named Megadeath should come with some sort of proficiency exam before purchase. And this is extreme even for Capita, who are not a brand known for their subtlety.. The Megadeath is the hardcore version of the notorious The Black Snowboard Of Death (I know.. it gets worse) which means it is a directional freeride monster capable of tackling anything the mountain can throw at you. 

Being a directional board it features a positive camber base with a long reverse camber section at the nose, a flat section at the tail followed by a tiny reverse camber section beyond that for maximum kick. Be wary though, if you are too careful or meek with this machine it will punish you severely. It needs aggressive handling by a seasoned pro. If you ride this board unaware of its power, I guarantee at some point you will find yourself launched into the air wondering how you got there and with enough time to call the ambulance to meet you as you land. 

Full detailed guide at Powderstuff.com - CapitaMegadeath

 

2) Ride Superpig - As the bigger brother of the ever popular Warpig, the Superpig is a go anywhere do anything machine, a full on Freeride weapon. Designed to be sized down compared to a normal snowboard the Superpigs short and wide profile makes it a super agile beast but one that can be tricky to control if you are not used to it. Beginners will find themselves not turning in aggressively enough to jam the edge into the snow and wondering whey they are simply heading off into the tree's rather than turning back to safety. 

With its short wide profile this is a board that although not a powder specialist, can tackle the deep stuff well. However, given that most newbies ride resorts, that means you will be using this mainly on hardpacked snow and ice.. and thats where you will run into issues, the sintered base means it is lightning quick and the responsiveness will catch most people out. Could you get used to it and start to progress? sure, would i want to?.... No

Full detailed guide at Powderstuff.com - RideSuperpig

 

3) Nidecker The Gun - With its arrow shaped profile you could be forgiven for thinking this is a lovely cruiser built for those beautiful days of soft pillowy fresh powder... Ah, sounds heavenly. WRONG, The Gun is quite simply a freeride land speed weapon. It should really be called the bullet but hey, take that up with Nidecker. This board is super stiff and super long, with its pointy surf style nose, wide fish like tail and narrow waist this board likes to go fast.. Very fast. 

If you are still at the stage where you are getting to grips with your turns at speed don't even think about it.. This board will point downhill and not stop until you have become a permanent part of the Apres bar wall.. Think the bright orange safety netting will save you.. Think again. For very experienced riders this is the ultimate tool to bring out on special days to try and hit some new speed records. For everyone else.. Not so much.

Full detailed guide at Powderstuff.com -NideckerTheGun

 

4) YES PYL Xtrem - the YES Pick Your Line Xtrem, the Xtrem bit is key.. This takes the all mountain ability of the standard PYL and amps it all the way up. It is a hard charging, stiff, carve ready monster thats built to take the toughest lines you can find. 

Being this freeride heavy the board is super directional which means it will not be playful in the park or at slow speeds. To get the most out of it you need to take aim, launch and  let nothing slow you down or get in your way. It will reward aggressive handling and extreme confidence.. if this is not you, maybe pick something else. 

Full detailed guide at Powderstuff.com - YESPYLXtrem

 

5) Nitro Pantera - As far as aggressive all mountain freeride machines go the Pantera is right up there, probably not a coincidence it's named after one of the loudest, most full throttle metal bands in existence. The Nitro Pantera is mega stiff, super responsive and explosively fast. For advanced riders looking to tame the mountains, its perfect.. but for everyone else in any other conditions, its a bad call. 

Put simply, a board built for speed and hard carving isn't going to look after you when you're going slowly. what it is going to do is catch edges when you're not paying attention, wash out on turns if you aren't forceful enough and buck you off every time you go over a little bit of rough terrain. No fun for anyone. 

Full detailed guide at Powderstuff.com - NitroPantera

 

6) Jones Flagship Pro - The least aggressive sounding board here but do not be fooled. the flagship pro is the ultimate big mountain charger. For a newbie I would choose almost every other board in Jones line up before getting to this one. This board is built for adventurers who like to get chucked out of helicopters and spend the day outrunning avalanches. I'm not saying you need to be the owner of a Red Bull helmet to ride one, but its close. 

With all that tech its easy to imagine you might feel a little silly strapping in to a flagship pro and tootling off for a five minute jaunt down to the bottom of the ski lift.. and you would be right. There are countless other boards that will give you a more enjoyable time at your local resort but if you want the best.. I get it. We like to think our equipment is much more capable than we are, maybe it gives us hope that if we just get the right kit we can reach Travis Rice levels of awesomeness one day. 

Full detailed guide at Powderstuff.com - JonesFlagshipPro

So that concludes our round up of the most hardcore snowboards you can buy right now. there are loads more we haven't covered, maybe we will in another post but for now.. Let us know if you agree in the comments below and whether you buy one or not.. have fun, be safe... Andrew.