Burton Process Flying V
Men's best value
A team favourite, the Process Flying V is the go-to park board for the Burton team including Mark McMorris and Jussi who both helped to design it. If you like freestyle riding then you need to test this board out!
Salomon Wonder
Women's best value
Salomon are renowned in the snowboard world for building excellent boards at very good prices, and when you compare like-for-like boards, their value and performance becomes clear. The Wonder scored highly on test for its all-round capability, in particular it's stability and speed on the piste.
K2 Raygun
Men's best beginnners
K2 have been building top end high quality snowboards for years and as such have a great reputation for durable products that last for years. At the test riding the Raygun felt like an old friend and was so much fun to shred with.
Burton Social
Women's best beginners
The Burton Social is a freestyle board with a friendlier flex for riders who are more easy-going, but who still require top performance when it's time to play. In fact, this board was requested on test when it was time to take it down a gear and just have fun.
Burton Custom Flying V
Men's best all-mountain
Possibly the most popular snowboard at the test, the Custom Flying V seemed to have its own fan club with everyone high fiving each other after riding this board. I don't think there is anything you can't do or ride with a Custom, or I haven't come across it yet...
Yes Emoticon
Women's best all-mountain
Yes Snowboards made quite a splash when they launched a few years back. Formed by a band of renegade pro snowboarders who wanted to do it their way, they have quickly established themselves as a hot Niche brand snapping at the heels of the big boys. The Emoticon got top marks on test as one of the best all-rounders in the category.
Ride Machete
Men's best freestyle
Superseding the popularity of the DH, the Machete has built a strong name for itself. A test team favourite, the queue to test the board was long - but worth the wait in the end for such a well-priced all-mountain freestyle snowboard.
Bataleon Distortia
Women's best freestyle
While most brands have been experimenting with Rocker technology, Bataleon have stood behind their TBT, or Triple Base Technology because it just works so well. They are known for high performance freestyle boards with seriously eye-catching graphics. The Distortia is their most freestyle driven board and stood out on test as one of the best in class.
Burton Nugget
Women's best freeride
Burton are always on the forefront of new concepts, which other brands then go and copy. Some work, some don't. The Nugget sits in the first category as one of those genre-defining boards that challenge people's notion of what a snowboard should be. We know this much: On a powder day, this is normally the first board out on test.
K2 Turbo Dream
Men's best freeride
K2 have a seriously great snowboard team, and an R&D lab where the K2 boffins can come up with creations that touch the snow just a day later. So they can test and test until they their dreams come to fruition. The Turbo Dream is one of the finest snowboard specimens to escape the lab.
