Best Pipe Board: Burton Vapor
The Burton Vapor snagged a 2010 Good Wood award in Transworld's Pipe Board section. The boards were tested in Breckenridge, Colorado. The Vapor is one of the most high-tech boards on the market, featuring all of Burton's top technology. The Vaportech Alumafly core and Carbon Vaporskin Lite help to eliminate precious ounces, and the sintered N20 WFO Vision base provides plenty of speed on the hill. The Channel offers flexibility and easy installation for binding mounting. The Vapor features a directional shape and twin flex. The Vapor brings technology, but it doesn't bring it cheaply; the board costs $1,199.95--more than many riders spend on their entire setup.
Best All-Mountain Board: Rossignol Angus
The Rossignol Angus enjoyed a No. 2 spot on Snowboarder's Best of Test 2010 (overall list). It also took home a Transworld Good Wood Award for boards under $399. The Angus is a directional-twin all-mountain freestyle board that features Rossignol's AmpTek technology. AmpTek is a blend of positive camber between the feet and early rise toward the tip and tail that Rossignol created to offer a versatile ride that provides a boost in conditions from powder to park. Rossignol rates the board's flex at a 7. Though you shouldn't choose a board based on graphics, you might be persuaded by the Angus; it looks like a piece of on-slope graphic art. Best of all, the Angus costs just $399.
Best Backcountry Board: Venture Storm R
Venture Snowboards is an independent manufacturer known for offering boards tested on and around the lines of Silverton Mountain--some of the most challenging, raw, lift-served terrain in the United States--so you can expect its boards to eat up fresh powder and huge lines. The company sweetened the deal for backcountry riders when it began offering its boards in both solid and split varieties. The Storm won an Editor's Choice Award from "Backcountry Magazine" and also took a spot in Snowboarder's Best of Test for the Rocky Mountains. The board features some key design components that make it ideal in the backcountry including a soft tip and rocker construction for better flotation and a more rigid mid-section and tail designed to offer stability on big, long lines. The 2010 version of the Storm R costs $565 for solid and $895 for split.
Article Written By Joe Fletcher
Joe Fletcher has been a writer since 2002, starting his career in politics and legislation. He has written travel and outdoor recreation articles for a variety of print and online publications, including "Rocky Mountain Magazine" and "Bomb Snow." He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Rutgers College.
