Hello and welcome to my GNU Ladies Choice review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Ladies Choice as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Ladies Choice a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: GNU Ladies Choice
Price: $629
Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium (4/10 to 5.5/10 depending on size)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 91.0/100
Compared to other Women’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 24 women’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Ladies Choice’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Ladies Choice’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freestyle |
Price: | $629 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Rocker - GNU's "C2X" Profile |
Shape: | True Twin - Asymmetrical Twin |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered (GNU'S "Sintered Knife Cut") |
Weight: | Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
139.5 | 226 | 50-130 | 23-59 |
142.5 | 232 | 60-140 | 27-43 |
145.5 | 240 | 70-150 | 32-68 |
148.5 | 242 | 80-160 | 36-73 |
151.5 | 244 | 90-180 | 41-82 |
153.5 | 244 | 90-180 | 41-82 |
Who is the Ladies Choice Most Suited To?
The Ladies Choice is a really versatile board that is well suited to most riders looking for a one board quiver, particularly those looking for one with a slightly more freestyle feel to it.
Whilst it's not ace in powder, it's pretty good in powder for an all-mountain-freestyle board, making it a little more versatile.
Not for beginners, but great for intermediate and up.
The Ladies Choice in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Ladies Choice is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: GNU Ladies Choice 2022, 148.5cm (242mm waist width)
Date: April 9, 2021
Conditions: Snowing! Visibility around 70%
Temperatute -4°C (25°F) - so quite cold for April!. -9°C (16°F) with wind chill.
15kph (10mph) winds.
24 hour snow: 15cm (6") (and more snow while we were testing)
7 day snow: 20cm (8")
On Groomer: Was a little crunchy and even icy in patches to start, which was really surprising given the snow. But it was good in other patches. Then as the day wore on, the snow got softer and softer.
Off Groomer: Pretty good but a little crunchy with some icy patches on steeper slopes to start. As the snow kept falling it got better and better though, until it felt like a proper pow day by the end.
Bindings angles: +15/-12
Stance width: 530mm (20.9″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 250mm (9.84")
Weight: 2660g (5lbs, 14oz)
Weight per cm: 17.91g/cm
Average Weight per cm: 17.12 grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of around 20 women's boards that I've weighed in 2020, 2021 and 2022 models. The Ladies Choice is a little heavier than normal but Jade found it to feel normal weight on snow.
Tester: Jade
Rider Height: 5'7" (170cm)
Rider Weight: 145lbs (66kg)
Rider Boot Size: Women's US6.5 Thirty Two Exit
Bindings Used: Burton Lexa, Medium
Damp or Chattery?
Not overly chattery but also not overly damp. Pretty close to the middle of the scale.
Smooth or Snappy?
More snappy than smooth, but close to the middle of the scale.
Powder
Wasn't enough powder to be a perfect test, but some there to get a feel for it - and it performs pretty well.
It's never going to be the queen of powder, but for an all-mountain-freestyle board it ain't bad. And as far as twin's go it's really good. So for anyone who likes to ride switch a lot in powder, it's a great option.
It has a healthy portion of rocker in the profile which helps it to float.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Whilst not a carving machine, you can lay one over pretty well on the Ladies Choice. Nothing super aggressive/high speed/epic, but some nice carves can be had.
Turning: A breeze to turn on. It responded effortlessly and was all round just fun and easy to turn with. 4/5 for turning, 3/5 for carving.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Nice and easy to maneuver at slow speeds.
Skidded Turns: Quite forgiving of skidded turns. Not beginner level forgiving, but really quite un-catchy and can get away with skidding turns most of the time.
Speed
It's not a bomber, but you can certainly ride it at decent speeds without feeling like it starts to loose a little stability.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: It gets a little bucked around in crud. It's not the most bucky going around, but does get a little bucked. However, it is easy to adjust and correct.
Bumps: Nice and easy to maneuver between bumps and hugged them pretty well too.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
Overall really nice board for jumps.
Pop: It certainly doesn't have oodles of pop. And that's the one thing that really stops this board from getting 5/5 for jumps. But what pop is there is easy to extract. But if you really try to wind it up, it doesn't give back much more than when you give it a more casual push.
Approach: Easy to speed check and find a good line to the takeoff - and make any adjustments as necessary. Decently stable for most approaches. Perhaps only really big jumps where you need more speed, it could get a little wobbly.
Landing: Really nice landings on this board. Felt like it has the perfect balance between being stable on landings but also forgiving of less-than-perfect landings. Also easy to adjust in the air.
Side-hits: Was easy to maneuver to control to get to the side-hits - and that easy pop was nice and forgiving landings for those less-than-perfect landing spots. Could have had a little more overall pop, but overall, really fun board for side-hits.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Medium is the sweet spot for this board but still really good for smaller jumps and bigger jumps.
Switch
Perfect! Switching into switch, riding in switch, landing switch, setting up switch. Everything about this board in the unnatural direction was really good.
Spins
As just mentioned, the Ladies Choice is great for setting up and taking off switch for those 1s and 5s. And feels natural to spin and get the spin around. It's not the lightest, but still felt fine getting the spin around. For bigger spins could use slightly more pop.
Jibbing
It's not a jib master, but for doing anything simple on boxes/rails, it's fine. If you're doing a lot of jibbing, then you might want to go for something more jib friendly, but if you're only hitting them now and then, it's perfectly capable for sure. And a more experienced jibber would have no problem's with more creative jib tricks too.
Butters
It's not super soft in the tip and tail, but it's also not that stiff. It's easy to butter without being ultra easy and gives some decent spring out of the press.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 4.5 | 18/20 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SWITCH | 5.0 | 10/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SPINS | 4.5 | 9/10 |
BUTTERS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JIBBING | 3.0 | 3/5 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 4/5 |
POWDER | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.0/100 |
Overall, the Ladies Choice is a really fun board to ride, can ride in every condition and do whatever you want to on it. It's especially good for jumps, switch and spins, but it doesn't have any major weaknesses in other areas.
It's a do-it-all, but a do-it-all that's more freestyle focused than freeride focused.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Ladies Choice, 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 women's all-mountain-freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare the Ladies Choice to other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
Would the Union Legacy bindings be recommended for this board, or too stiff? Thanks for your help these days!
Hi Maria
I think the Legacy would be a really good match for the Ladies Choice. Flex-wise, the ideal range, IMO, for the Ladies Choice is 5/10 to 6/10, so not too stiff, IMO.
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the review! First of all, sorry for my english, this isn’t my native language. I have a question similar to Rosie’s.
I am a short guy : 171cm, 62kg (5’7”, 135 lbs). Men’s boot size around 8. I have been riding for a while and I’m looking for a board that I can enjoy on the groomers (fun carving capabilities, good hold on hard/icy snow, but not necessarily super fast), but that I can also use for small freestyles tricks on the slopes (180s/360s, butters, press, etc). Mostly on natural features, side hits, etc. Maybe good as well for small/mid jumps in the park (but nothing too big).
Because I’m rather short, I figured that women’s board offer more possibilities to me. I currently own a 2021 Rossignol Diva 152cm, which is great for carving, and have a great edge hold. But I found it a bit hard to spin (but this might only be related to my ability, or is the size a bit too big?).
The point is : My girlfriend would like to use the Diva so that’s an occasion for me to find a new board for myself. Goal : more pop/ollie/butter abilities while keeping the good carving feeling and edge hold)
I was considering to either simply go for the Diva 2022 (maybe 148cm instead?), or buy another woman’s allmountain/freestyle board. As Rosie, I was hesitating between the ProtoSynthesis and the Lady’s Choice.
I was also looking at the GNU RCC3 which interested me, but the shortest size is 154.5, which I feel is much too big for me.
How do you think those different choices compare with the Diva? Or do you have another model to suggest (men or women’s) ? Which size should I pick (I’m afraid getting a shorter board than the 152 I own will lead to reduced carving/hold capabilities?)
Sorry about the long message 🙂 Thanks a lot for your help!
Hi Matthieu
Thanks for your message.
Firstly, in terms of size, I think you could size down a little bit, but not far off with that 152 size. I would say your “standard all-mountain” size would be around 151. Sizing down a little from that isn’t a bad idea if you wanted to focus a little more on freestyle stuff, but I think it’s a pretty good all-round size for you.
Compared to the Diva, you’d probably lose a little in terms of carves on the Ladies Choice, size-for-size but not that much. i.e. if you went 151.5cm in the Ladies Choice. The 148.5 would allow you to do the Freestyle stuff better though – but then you do lose a little more in terms of carving. The Proto Synthesis is a better carver, IMO, so if you went with that one, you could size down to the 148 without loosing too much in terms of carving. The 151 would also work in that one. The biggest question mark with the women’s proto Synthesis is whether it’s bordering on being too narrow in the 148 (238mm waist). I think you’d be OK if you were riding with binding angles like +15/-15 or similar and had low profile boots, but otherwise it could be pushing it. The 151 should be fine, but might still want some angle on those bindings and/or low profile boots.
Another option is the GNU Pro Choice (the women’s equivalent of the RC C3), which will give you a bit more carvability and would probably be a better bet, if you were looking to size down to something like the 148.5. The 154.5 RC C3 would be too big for you, IMO. But the 148.5 or 151.5 Pro Choice could certainly work.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks a lot for your answer!
That’s a lot of really interesting insights. I’ll definitively look for a shorter board than 152, now! I’m riding with a -15/+15 angle, but my current boots (nitro venture pro) aren’t low profile, so I’ll be careful with the waist size.
Maybe a last question : I just saw your review of the Yes Greats Uninc. which now has a 149cm model. So this might fit, no? How does it compare to the Pro Choice or the PS?
(but in the end, it might all depend on the model and size availability at the retailers anyway… 🙁 )
PS : your website is great, and getting personalized advices from you is amazing! is there a way to support you (like patreon donation or stuff like that) ?
(I only found the yes greats in 151cm until now… Would this be too big? Specially considering that it’s pretty wide, from what I understood)
Hi Matthieu
Yeah, too big overall, IMO, given the width (see previous reply above)
Hi Matthieu
The Greats is a little stiffer and a little more of a stable feel (which is typical of hybrid camber versus hybrid rocker) but it’s the same style of board – that all-mountain-freestyle feel – and one of the better carvers for a twin that I’ve ridden. And it’s certainly not hugely stiffer (5/10 PC, 5.5/10 PS, 6/10 Greats). Definitely an option. Note though that it’s a wider board. Even though the waist of the 149 is 245mm which is only 1mm more than the 151.5 PC, for example, it’s quite a bit wider overall. It’s around 257mm at the inserts and 297mm at the tip and tail (versus the PC 151.5, for example, which is 252mm at inserts and 285mm at the tip and tail – or the 148.5 which is 250mm at inserts and 280mm at tip and tail).
So, it’s going to be on the wide side for your boots, even in the 149, but it’s still doable in that size, just note the width. I wouldn’t ride the Greats any longer than 149 for your specs though, because of that width.
We do have a way you can support the site, through paypal here. Definitely not expected but always appreciated.
Thanks a lot for all the details! The PC seems indeed the most interesting option then! Is there a difference between the 2020 and 2022 models? I found some older ones with a discount.
I’ll see which size I can find online. Whatever board I end up buying, I’ll make sure to come back and drop a comment 🙂
Thanks again for all the help! 🙂
Hi Matthieu
Apart from getting new sizes, the PC hasn’t changed significantly from the 2020 model, so if you can get 2020 at a discount, I say go for it.
Look forward to hearing what you go with and how you get on, once you get it out on snow. Happy riding!
Hi, I am debating between the GNU Ladies Choice and the Never Summer Womens Proto Synthesis. I am 5’6″, 130lbs, women’s size 8 boots. I’m an intermediate rider, normally ride groomers and often in hard conditions with ice present (but almost never all ice), and I lean more towards the freestyle side of all-mountain.
I am mostly conflicted because the Ladies Choice seems to be the better board for ice conditions, but reading reviews of the Proto Synthesis and its predecessors, people talk about how much fun they have carving, and I don’t see that as much with the Ladies Choice. I am not strong in my carving turns but I would like to learn to be.
I am worried that if I pick the Ladies Choice, I will miss out on fun carving, but if I pick the Proto Synthesis, I don’t get as good of edge hold for icy conditions. Any advice? Thanks.k
Hi Rosie
Thanks for your message.
I agree that the Proto Synthesis (PS) is better for carving and the Ladies Choice (LC) is better in icy conditions. So, I think it does depend on which of those you want to maximize. The PS isn’t bad in icy conditions or anything like that, so it’s not like you’d be getting a board that would be awful in those icy patches. And the LC isn’t atrocious at carving or anything either.
My instinct says PS, because it sounds like you really want to get your carving going and it’s not going to suck in ice or anything. The other thing you could do is look at the GNU Pro Choice – which is a more camber dominant version of the LC essentially and would give you better carving than the LC – close to the level of the PS, IMO.
Hope this helps and let me know if you’d like any sizing help
Yeah, sizing advice would be appreciated. I’ve seen that LC rides shorter than other boards. Currently I’m on a Burton Rewind 149, and it stands out to me that the PS is a bit narrower than what I currently have, and narrower than the LC. I imagine I’d be somewhere around a 145 for either? Possibly 148 for the PS. Does that sound right to you?
Hi Rosie
Yeah, that sounds right to me. For these boards, I would say look at the 145.5 for the LC and 145 for the PS. They are boards you can ride a little shorter. The 148 and 148.5 aren’t out of your range, but I would be leaning 145.5/145.