What To Look For
HKD--The Honeycomb Kevlar Directional is a series of feather-light, super-responsive, all-mountain, directional twin-tip boards that feature a honeycomb core combined with vertically laminated poplar and obeche woods. The boards feature a super-fast, solid 7500 sintered base.
MLF--Winner of the Transworld Snowboarding Good Wood Award in 2009, the Mountain Lab Freestyle line of men's snowboards is a line of true twin-tip boards designed for park and back country. A major feature of these boards is the Radius to Flat technology, which can be seen on both the tip and tail, providing superior flotation and stability on landings.
XFB--The Xtreme Fun Board series features directional twin-tip park boards designed with some all-mountain riding in mind. A full poplar core reinforced between the bindings with Kevlar and carbon gives the board power and pop. The 4400 sintered base is a nice compromise between speed and easy repair.
PBJ--Designed for park, jibbing and urban features, the Park Board for Jibbing line features the same poplar core with Kevlar/carbon reinforcements as the XFB to provide active pop. It also has the 4400 sintered base.
BFF--DC's women-specific snowboards feature a softer flex and narrower cut tailored for the female rider. The series is a park-influenced all-mountain line with directional twin-tip design.
Size/Models--All lines come in a variety of sizes. The HKD, MLF and XFB offer pro models and the PBJ boards come in wide models. The PBJ Tweener 38 is DC's kids snowboard.
Common Pitfalls
DC snowboards all offer pretty tight graphics, but don't get sold on the look alone. Pay attention to more important features such as size, style, flex and sidecut. Find the board that you need, then worry about graphics. If you're just starting out, it's always tempting to get a large board that "will go the distance," but it's better to get something that fits you so that you'll have a better opportunity to learn.
Where To Buy
DC snowboards are sold at a variety of online snowboard dealers such as Dogfunk, Evogear and Porters Tahoe. You can use the store finder on DC's website to find a local dealer, but call ahead first to make sure they stock boards, since DC also offers shoes, boots, clothing and accessories.
Cost
DC Snowboards range in price depending on model from about $300 to close to $600. The top-of-the-line 2009 HKD Pro Devun retailed for $560. Like any snowboards, prices likely will increase in the future.
