Endeavor Alpha Review: Aggressive All-Mtn Snowboard

Who is the Alpha Most Suited To?

The Alpha is a great option for anyone looking for an aggressive beast to charge the groomers. It's best on nice smooth groomers, where you can open it out and let it bomb. 

Certainly not for a beginner - too stiff and aggressive for that and even intermediate rider's will probably find it too much board. But for an advanced rider who loves to carve, it's a machine!

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Stance width: 560mm (22″)

Stance Setback: Centered

Width at Inserts: 262mm (10.32") at front insert and 257mm (10.12") at back insert.  

Rider Height: 6'0"

Rider Weight: 185lbs

Rider Boot Size: US10 Vans Aura

Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M 

Weight: 3040grams (6lb 11oz)

Weight per cm: 19.24 grams/cm

Average Weight per cm: 18.45 grams/cm*

*based on a small sample size of 51 boards that I've weighed in 2019 and 2020 models. So a bit heavier than normal. 

Powder

Didn't have any fresh snow to test it in, but it's not designed for powder, IMO. 

It's got a small nose and tail and it's all camber. 

It is tapered and has a directional shape - so that helps, but it just doesn't feel like it's going to float that well in powder. It feels more like a formula one car - close to the ground and locked in.  

Carving & Turning

Carving: It's a carving machine. So much fun to really lean into carves on it and do it at speed. 

Maneuverability at slow speeds: Definitely a board that prefers to ride fast. Not that nimble at slower speeds. 

Skidded Turns: Could be catchy if you get off your game - not a skiddy board, you want to be on edge on this thing for sure. 

Speed

It's a bomber for sure. Felt really confident to really open it out and charge - even in poorer visibility. Super stable, good glide and just feels really locked down into the snow. 

Uneven Terrain

It feels quite damp, so it absorbs chatter from crud well and just smashes through crud. 

Not overly nimble at slower speeds for negotiating more bumpy terrain though - best on groomed flat runs. A bit of crud is no problem - crashes through it, but not great for trees and moguls. 

Let’s Break up this text with a Video

Jumps

Solid landings and good pop if you're strong enough, but overall a board that I preferred to keep on the snow. 

Pop: When you really work it, it does give back, but you've got to be strong and put in the effort to extract it. Not easily accessible. 

Approach: Stable as, but not overly nimble or forgiving for trickier approaches. 

Landing: Really solid/stable for straight air. Feels not as good landing out of a spin. 

Side-hits: Not nimble enough or easy enough pop for my liking for side hits. 

Small jumps/Big Jumps:  Better for bigger jumps for sure. Straight air big jumps.

Switch

Even with that taper and directional shape it's not too bad for riding switch. Not amazing either, but not too bad. It does have a centered stance on the effective edge, which helps. 

Spins

Too torsionally stiff to feel good to spin. And whilst landing taking off switch isn't terrible, it's not amazing either. Not really a great spinner overall, IMO. 

Butters

Takes a bit of effort, but you can actually get a bit of a press on the nose and tail. Not super buttery though, as you would expect from a board this stiff. 

The Alpha is a bombing, carving machine. If going flat out and getting elbows deep is your main thing and you're an advanced rider, that doesn't need to ride powder or has another board for that, this is a great option.