The Best Snowboards of 2020-21 Can Handle it All on the Mountain

These five snowboards can handle anything the mountain throws your way—be it powder, chunder, or hardpack snow.

 

 

Best for: Big Mountain

Cardiff Snowcraft The Goat

Originally developed as a splitboard for stout backcountry lines at high speed, the Goat now comes in a solid version. Deep sidecut radius and 60 percent camber underfoot put more edge on snow for maximum control on hard turns. For a noticeably consistent power transfer, poplar stringers fuse with the sidewall to reinforce the edge and keep the ride damp. Top that off with a graphite sintered base—the hardest and fastest available—and it comes ready to rip.

[From $750; cardiffsnow.com]

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Best for: Pow Surfing

Venture Snowboards 20/21 Euphoria Splitboard

With a wide, scooped nose and an aggressive taper for less resistance edge to edge, this board eats deep powder turns for breakfast. The rockered tip and tail keep it surfy—as do the playful flex and dramatically set-back stance—but straight camber underfoot maintains edge control in chunky, lower-mountain conditions. Built in Colorado’s rugged San Juan Mountains, where durable construction is paramount, this board thrives in bottomless snow and is still able to rail high-speed turns on hardpack.

[$649; venturesnowboards.com]

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Best for: All Mountain

Burton Family Tree Straight Chuter Camber Snowboard

Like the family car, this new entry is not super flashy, but all kinds of reliable, consistent, and capable. The right balance of core thickness—thinner underfoot and beefier outside—keeps it light and maneuverable while still adding enough backbone for extra pop off terrain features and control on landings. The horizontal grain direction of the wood core beefs up edge hold, response, and strength. Unlike the family hatchback, this ride is super clean with minimal chatter.

[$750; burton.com]

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Best for: Backcountry Freestyle
Weston Hatchet Pow Slayer 20/21

One size fits all with this 152mm stub, which takes cues from shorter, fatter boards designed for riding powder, and packs them into a directional twin shape. Increased surface area allows for superior float in fresh snow, but the shorter length also reduces swing weight for more nimble handling when popping off pillows, spinning off cliffs, and boosting off backcountry kickers. A carbon stringer along each edge provides some backbone when bringing your terrain park skills into the machine- or snowshoe-accessed backcountry.

[$649; westonbackcountry.com]

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