Hello and welcome to my DC PBJ snowboard review.
In this review, I will take a look at the PBJ as a freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the PBJ a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freestyle snowboards.
Note: This review is no longer being updated.
Overall Rating
Board: DC PBJ
Price: $499
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium (5/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 83.7/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Boards
Out of the 36 men’s freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the PBJ’s Specs
Check out the tables for the PBJ’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle |
Price: | $499 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Extruded |
Weight: | Felt Lighter than normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
149 | 248 | n/a | n/a |
153 | 250 | n/a | n/a |
155W | 261 | n/a | n/a |
157 | 251 | n/a | n/a |
159W | 263 | n/a | n/a |
Who is the PBJ Best Suited To?
The PBJ is best suited to someone looking for a park board or a board to ride freestyle over the mountain. Particularly good for someone who likes traditional camber and wants to still be able to lay down some decent carves.
Not for beginners. It's not catchy for a trad camber board - and it's not super stiff or anything, but still a difficult board to learn on.
The PBJ in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the PBJ is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: DC PBJ, 2022 155Wcm (261mm waist width)
Date: February 2, 2022
Conditions
Overcast but decent visibility. 90% visibility. Coldish.
Temperature was around 23°F (-5°C) and 16°F (-9°C) with wind chill.
24hr snow: 0" (0cm)
48hr snow: 0" (0cm)
7 day snow: 8" (21cm)
On groomer: Really nice. Well groomed. Firm but with soft on top. A couple of icy patches, but not many.
Off groomer: Quite crunchy/icy.
Set Up
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 575mm (22.6″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 272mm (10.7")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical ADV
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Control Board for Control Laps: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Weight: 2700grams (5lb 15oz)
Weight per cm: 17.42 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.59 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 200 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models. So the PBJ was quite a bit lighter than average on the scales, which is saying something for a wide board. On snow it felt a little lighter than normal, but not by heaps.
Powder
None on the day we tested the PBJ, unfortunately, but based on specs and the feel of the board, it wouldn't have been great in powder - as true twin, centered, traditional cambered boards tend not to be.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Above average carver for a twin. The traditional camber definitely gives it a leg up there - and it's not super soft or anything either, so it can hold a carve decently well.
Turning: Pretty easy to initiate turns on and perform slashed turns with.
Maneuverability at Slow Speeds: For a wide I was pleasantly surprised with it's quickness of turns at slow speeds. It wasn't lightning, but a better experience than what I would typical feel from a wide board. Sizing down to 155 helped in that, of course.
Skidded Turns: For a trad camber board, it's pretty forgiving of skidded turns. Didn't have to worry too much about catching an edge.
Speed
It's not hopeless at speed - and again that trad camber helps here - and the fact that it's not ultra soft or anything. But, it's also not a bomber. Getting up to moderately fast speeds and it starts to loose it's stability. Certainly not as stable at high speeds as the DC Ply, which I also rode that day.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: Gets bucked around fairly easy in crud - not a smasher, but it is pretty easy to correct/make adjustments, when you do get thrown off your line.
Trees/Bumps: Fairly nimble for weaving through wells and handles undulating terrain well too. In a regular width board, I think I would have found this even more nimble, making it an even better weaver.
Jumps
Overall nice and fun for jumps.
Pop: Nice and easy to extract. Not a hugely high pop ceiling, but def easy to extract.
Approach: Not super stable for faster approaches, but stable enough for most and nice and easy to adjust and make speed checks.
Landing: Solid enough without being a stomper. That extra width helped in this regard.
Side-hits: Easy pop and good maneuverability made this fun on side-hits - and forgiving/un catchy on landings, helping to land on less than ideal terrain.
Small jumps/Big Jumps: Small to medium. Doesn't quite have the stability at speed on faster approaches for bigger jumps.
Switch
Really good for riding switch, which was no surprise.
Spins
Fairly easy to get spin around and setting up and landing switch was good. Plus good easy pop to get the air you need.
Jibbing
I'm typically not super keen on jibs on a trad camber board. But the PBJ felt uncatchy for a trad camber and something that I was pretty confident taking on jibs - noting that I'm definitely no expert jibber.
Butters
Pretty easy to press both nose and tail and being a twin they feel the same. And good for holding it once locked into a press too.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 4.0 | 16/20 |
JIBBING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SPINS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SWITCH | 4.5 | 9/10 |
BUTTERING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
POWDER | 2.0 | 2/5 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 3/5 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 83.7/100 |
The PBJ was super fun for jumps and sidehits, particularly those on the small to medium side, and a great option for jibs. A really good all-round park board, that could just as well be used as an all-mountain freestyle board.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the PBJ, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare the PBJ to other freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
Thanks for this nice review!
I have pretty much the same stats as you regarding height and boot size and I have a hard time deciding which size to choose. I wonder why you chose the wide version – and was it the right choice? I think with 180lbs the 155 wide would be better, but I am afraid it might be a not the quickest to turn/adjust between features. Here the 153 could be better. I would appreciate any opinion! Thanks!
Hi Rula
Thanks for your message.
I wouldn’t choose a wide version if I was to buy this board. It was the only option for me to test, and with it being not too long in the 155W, it was still within range for me to be able to test it. If it was any longer and a wide version, I probably would have declined testing it. I find if a board is a bit too wide, then sizing down in length helps to bring back some of the agility lost from the width.
All that said, I would probably ride this board in the 157, if I had the choice. And if you have the same specs, then that’s probably what I’d go with. However, in reality if I was to buy this board, I would likely get it as my dedicated park board, so I would consider the 153, if that’s what I was riding it as – to use as my rails/butters and small features park board.
So depending on how you want to use it, you could either. If you’re wanting to use it more as an all-mountain-freestyle board, then I’d go 157. If you were wanting to use it as your park board but you have big jumps in your repertoire, then I’d also go 157. But if you wanted it as your creative small feature/jib board, then I would look at the 153. Just note that it’s not going to feel very stable at speed in the 153 for your specs.
Hope this helps