This was definitely one of my favorite boards I rode last season. I love the directional camber profile featuring rocker in the nose for float and camber through the center and back of the board for pop and stability. That combination along with the light weight and responsive Superfly II core make this board a versatile all mountain ripper. It held an edge great, was super stable at high speeds and turned on a dime when I was riding a hard and fast groomer day in Colorado. A few weeks later I scored some epic deep and light snow at Baldface Lodge and the Hometown Hero really shined. It felt nimble in the trees, stayed afloat through the low angle open meadows and gave me plenty of confidence to take some lofty drops. If you like directional all mountain boards you will love the Burton Hometown Hero!

Let’s be real here, what makes the Cold Shoulder so impressive from an aesthetic standpoint is that it reeks of retro-dad style fresh from the exterior of a ‘70s winnebago. A generous sidecut and tapered directional shape make this board easy on the eyes and tons of fun even in sub-optimal conditions. The Cold Shoulder has impressive edge to edge response and feels like you’re riding a powerful big mountain board that’s been shrunk down for more maneuverability. A true daily driver for all-mountain riding, I’d recommend this board to anyone who likes to go fast but wants the versatility to hit every feature on the way down.

This is the twin board for all around riding! If you like to ride fast, this board will test your limits thanks to Capita’s new Hyperdrive base. The big shoutout on this board is the 3D Hovercore, which steps this board up from the original DOA. The center of the board is thicker for more stability and torsional stiffness without making the board heavier, while the thinner tip and tail allow this board to still be playful for butters and presses. The Super DOA can handle the big jump line down to the small jibs in the park with this new core tech. It also offers insane pop due to the combination of ample camber and Ampletex stringers. If you like to ride peak to park on the same deck and demand the best freestyle performance along the way, look no further!

The Ride Algorhythm is my go-to in this new wave of daily drivers. With a pulled back stance, directional twin hybrid profile, and a unique Quadratic Sidecut, this shape is a dynamic blend of haul ass and jib fast. It lives for the days of cruising your local resort - sending lines, blasting side hits, and good times with your buds. Equipped with Carbon Array 5 stringers and Carbon Slimewalls, I found the Algorhythm has plenty of snap out of a turn and ample pop off the lip. It’s great for variable conditions and terrain, and I’ll be riding pow, park, and trees all in one run on it. Plus, I like the spooky graphic.

A true freeride machine that can take care of business no matter where you find yourself on the mountain. I choose the cambered variant of the Crosscut for a snappy feel over the smoother rockered version. Both can hold their own at any speed whether flying down groomers or putting the setback stance and slight taper to work on a deep powder day. I typically find myself gravitating towards shorter and wider boards in the 155cm range, so it was refreshing to get out on this in a 158cm and feel how stable and controlled the board was, with plenty of pop to spare for darting around the hill. Pair this up with Arbor’s Cypress binding and call it a day.

The Yes. Hybrid is an all mountain powder monger. I was fortunate enough to ride this board on one of those dream days where snow was measured in feet, not inches. The combination of the wide profile and tapered underbite put me in a charging mentality and it was all white room and cliff drops from there on out. The camrock 1-4-1 profile gives you the snap and stability of camber with the float and maneuverability of a rockered nose and tail. Its stiffer flex gives you confidence at high speeds and support for those backseat landings.

Surprisingly, finding a splitboard for a rider under 5’5” is still quite limiting so Jones’ release of expanded sizes is truly the thing of dreams. The poplar core offers a mid flex that is super playful; a refreshing change-up to the norm in a sea of stiff backcountry options, while the recycled steel edges and eco-plastic topsheet make the board incredibly resilient over exposed terrain. If you’re looking for a highly capable backcountry board that is confidence inspiring and fun, look no further.

Salomon initially made me a custom version of this board to film on during the 2016-2017 season. That year I got involved with a TWSnow project that involved filming an entire season in the Oregon backcountry. I needed a freestyle splitboard that was small and light enough to do some tricks, but stable enough to link some high speed turns. After a successful first season, evo ordered a limited run of the custom made splitboards which quickly sold out (mostly to my good friends who knew how special it was). For 19-20, evo has ordered up an exclusive run of the exact splitboard that has given me so many incredible runs over the last 3 years. It is actually available in two sizes: the 157cm and my personal 160cm. Both are dialed in to ride exactly like the normal Super 8 snowboard that has become so popular in the Salomon line. It is not purely a freeriding board, not just a freestyle board, but something in between. With a relatively tight sidecut, slight taper, solid flex and large enough nose for deep pow, the Super 8 split is my go-to board for all my amazing days in the backcountry. This year we collaborated with North Drinkware on the graphics to make a board that is both pleasing on the eyes and shred-ready for hours of endless touring and backcountry fun.