The best new snowboards rely on carbon, rocker and variable camber for versatility.
SNOWBOARDS
Light is right.
SAY WHAT?:
TAKIN’ ALL COMERS: Rome SDS Anthem SS
The perfect board for Colorado’s variability, the Anthem SS combines carbon (to make it light) with built-in impact plates (for strength), so it can launch and suck up the landings. Better still, the board can handle all conditions with regular camber in the waist for edge hold and reverse camber in tip and tail for float. $600; romesnowboards.com
KING OF POW: Ride Slackcountry
Meet your new powder board. The Slackcountry’s carbon fibers and HighRize rocker make it a dream ride in bottomless fluff (and just as smooth in old crud), plus its urethane sidewalls dampen out chatter. But the deal clincher for us was the classic Schmidt’s beer-can graphics. $700; ridesnowboards.com
Burton Method
Burton went all in with the Method, allowing its designers to build the board of their dreams without worrying about the cost. The result sounds more like a road bike than a snowboard—it’s obscenely light, yet strong thanks to carbon and titanium. The good: it performs. The bad: it costs. $1,500; burton.com
BOOTS
FREERIDE / AT
Dynafit Titan
The stiff, powerful, versatile Titan is a game changer. Providng all the performance of an alpine boot with thermo-moldable liners, the Titan’s interchangable soles are designed for Dynafit, AT and alpine bindings. It’s simply a boot that does it all. $759; dynafit.com
ALPINE
Rossignol Synergy Sensor 100
Built with easy-to-adjust buckles and a flexible cuff, this expert boot felt smooth right out of the box. We were shocked by how well it drove skis considering how easily it fit. $480; rossignol.com
TELEMARK
Scarpa T2 Eco
Scarpa earned huge green cred by using eco-friendly Rnew Pbax to build a non-petrochemical version of its proven T2. In fact, Rnew Pbax is better than old plastic since its stiffness is not as affected by temperature. $579; scarpa.com
LACE-UP SNOWBOARD
ThirtyTwo Prime
For some of us, there’s nothing better than the feel of lacing up, but it can get sloppy. The Prime offers all the fine-tune benefits of lacing up with confidence thanks to a Power Wrap system that keeps the boot tight around your foot. $330; thirtytwo.com
BOA SNOWBOARD
K2 Maysis
The Maysis takes Boa lacing to a new level, featuring two dialed systems that both secure your foot and keep it back in the heel for the most stable snowboard boot around. $250; k2snowboarding.com
