
Hello and welcome to my GNU Riders Choice review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Rider's Choice as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Rider's 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 Rider's Choice
Price: $659
Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 89.9/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 27 men’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Rider's Choice's Specs
Check out the tables for the Rider's Choice's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freestyle |
Price: | $659 |
Ability Level: | ![]() |
Flex: | ![]() |
Feel: | ![]() |
Chattery/Damp: | ![]() |
Smooth/Snappy: | ![]() |
Playful/Aggressive: | ![]() |
Edge-hold: | ![]() |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Rocker (GNU's "C2X") |
Shape: | True Twin (asymmetrical) |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered (GNU's "Eco Sintered Knife-Cut") |
Weight: | Felt normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
---|---|---|---|
151.5 | 251 | 90-180 | 41-82 |
154.5 | 252 | 120-200 | 54-90 |
157.5 | 255 | 130-210 | 59-95 |
159.5 | 256 | 135-230 | 61-104 |
161.5 | 258 | 140-240 | 64-108 |
155W | 265 | 130-210 | 59-95 |
158W | 268 | 130-220 | 59-100 |
162W | 268 | 140-250 | 64-112 |
* the 2023 model gains a 159.5 size but looses the 166W that the 2022 model had.
Who is the Rider's Choice Best Suited To?
The Rider's Choice got a new core for the 2023 model (G Lite 3 core plus new Carbon Power Bands) - and it's made the board stiffer than it has been in the past.
The ride feels a little damper, a little less snappy and you've got to ride it a little more aggressively to get the best out of it compared to previous models. It's still not overly aggressive, but it's just on the aggressive side of the middle of the scale, where before it used to be just on the playful side of that scale.
Also where it used to feel "semi-loose" it now feels more stable.
Whilst it's personality has noticeably changed, it's still the same type of board, well suited to riding freestyle over the whole mountain - just feels a little different doing it.
The Rider's Choice in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Rider's Choice is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: GNU Rider's Choice 2023, 157.5cm (255mm waist width)
Date: April 7, 2022
Conditions
Really warm - as you expect in April. Overhead was a mixture of sun and cloud. No recent fresh snow.
On groomer: Slushy and slow/sticky, as you get on a warm April day. But the boards were well waxed for the conditions, so it was all good.
Off groomer: Similar to groomer.
Set up

Forgot to take a picture on hill, so took this near the carpark - the snow conditions weren't this bad!
Bindings angles: +12/-9
Stance width: 22" (560mm)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 263mm (10.35")
Tester: Fraser
Rider Height: 6'1"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical Lexicon ADV
Bindings Used: Fix Yale: M
Powder
Nothing to speak of on the day, but from past experience with this boards and based on specs, it will do OK. Particularly in shallower powder, it will be fine. In deeper powder, it will be a bit of work. Above average for a twin, but certainly no powder king.
Carving & Turning
Carving: The new core has made this board more carvy than it was previously. You can lay down a decent carve on this board. Though it's no monster carver. Good for shorter sharper carves and more long/drawn out ones.
Ease of Turning/Slashing: Still pretty good for slashing and initiating turns is still fairly easily. But just a little less so than previous iterations.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Felt pretty normal. Not lightning but not sluggish either.
Skids: It's still pretty easy to skid without consequence, but you just have to be a little more weary than you used to with previous models.
Speed
Another area the new core has improved it is with speed. It's damper than it used to be - and it takes more speed now to get a little wobbly than it used to.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: It's not a super crusher, but it does a good job mowing over crud without getting bucked around too easily. When you're riding slower it can get bucked around a little, but pretty easy to correct.
Bumps: It's quick enough edge-to-edge allowing you to weave through bumps without any issues.
Jumps
Really fun on jumps overall.
Pop: Really good pop. Got surprised by how much a couple of times. Most of it is pretty easy to access and when you wind it up, it gives a little more.
Approach: Nice and stable but also forgiving enough to make corrections to line when needed.
Landing: Nice and stable on landings but with enough forgiveness to save a landing when you get it a bit wrong.
Side-hits: Well suited to and fun for sidehits. Preferred frontside over backside.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Excels at every size jump
Switch
About as good as it gets. Transitions well and just feels great with that asymmetry riding switch.
Spins
Spins well. It's got the pop and the energy and sets up and landing switch well too.
Jibbing
Because it's a little more board than it used to be, it's a little harder to hit jibs with - but for an experienced jibber it would be fine for jibs.
Butters
Not quite as easy to press on as it used to be, being a little stiffer, but still nothing too hard. Just got to put a bit more weight into it. The asym felt like it made butters feel a bit different to normal, but I think you'd get used to that pretty quickly.
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 | 3.5 | 7/10 |
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 | 89.9/100 |
The Rider's Choice is a great all-mountain freestyle board that would be suitable as one-board quiver for a lot of riders. It's not super pow friendly or super jib friendly, but it can hold its own for those, if you're not doing them that frequently or if the pow isn't too deep.
For everything else, the Rider's Choice excels and strikes a great balance between many different factors. It leans freestyle, but it can handle everything. A very good all-rounder.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Rider’s 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 all-mountain-freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Rider’s Choice compares to other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
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