What’s the best women’s all-mountain snowboard?
What's the best women's all-mountain snowboard? — Annie San Francisco, California
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
According to my FWR (Friends Who Ride), including Alicia Carr, the managing editor of Outside‘s Buyer’s Guide and a snowboarding ripper, Burton’s Feelgood Flying V ($530; burton.com) is the board to ride. The 2011 version of the popular 2010 V-Rocker Feelgood, the Flying V offers the best of all worlds: It’s squirrely enough to have fun in the park and half-pipe, wide enough to float in powder, and stiff enough to edge hard on packed ice and snow. Here’s how it does it all: Constructed from a “Superfly II,” wood core that strategically places stronger, lighter wood in specific areas to provide snap, strength, and reduce weight, the board also combines rocker and camber, which means that you get responsive suspension, yet solid edge hold. That all just means that no matter where you find yourself on the mountain, this board will feel great underfoot and give you enough confidence to go big.
Feelgood Flying V
Feelgood Flying VAnother solid choice is the RIDE OMG ($430; ridesnowboards.com). With a slight early-rise tip and tail (which offers some rocker benefits) and camber between the feet (which gives you control and pop), the OMG is a solid board for carving big turns down a bold mountain—on chattery snow or in powder. Important fact: The OMG was developed in conjunction with the Ladies Ride Collective, a group of pros, Ride employees, and shop women, all of whom added their input on the board’s sidewall profiles, flex, weight, and visual appeal.