The term “all-mountain” is a pretty broad one. So choosing the best all mountain snowboard for you will firstly depend on what type of all mountain rider you are.
Are you an aggressive all-mountain rider or a more playful rider?
This post will cover three types of snowboard that are sometimes just labelled all-mountain but can be quite different.
- All-mountain freestyle
- All-mountain
- Aggressive all-mountain
I looked at the specs of over 100 different all-mountain, all-mountain-freestyle and aggressive-all-mountain snowboards – this post will cover those specs and also look at what will suit your riding style best.
What aspects this post will look at?
- Flex
- Shape
- Camber Profile
- Length
- Width
- Edge-tech
- Base
What is All-Mountain?
For the purposes of this post I will define “all-mountain” so that we are clear on what I consider an all-mountain snowboard to be.
All-mountain, to me, means a snowboard that can do everything you can think of on the mountain. It won’t do certain things as well as a more specialized board will but it should be able to everything reasonably well.
So;
- it should be able to take you into the back country. It won’t do as well in the backcountry as a freeride or powder board would but it will be able to handle the task.
- It should be able to tackle any trail you throw at it from the beginner to expert and everything in between.
- It should also be able to take you into the park, be able to perform freestyle wherever you want to do freestyle riding and into the pipe – it won’t perform as well as a specialist park/freestyle board but it should be able to do the job.
A freestyle-all-mountain board will lean more towards freestyle riding and an aggressive all mountain board will lean more towards freeriding. Check this out for definitions of styles
With that in mind let’s see what specs you should look out for if you are interested in an all-mountain board.
Flex
Whilst freestyle boards usually have a softer flex and freeride boards a stiffer flex, all-mountain boards are usually somewhere in between.
All mountain
If you are really a jack of all trades and like to do a bit of everything, including freeriding and freestyle and everything in between, then you are probably going to want to get a board with a medium flex rating of a 5 or 6 out of 10.
Or if you just like to stick to the trails then an all-mountain board is probably for you too. For a more playful, casual ride then a medium-soft flex (3-4 out of 10) might be your thing.
| Flex | % |
|---|---|
| Stiff (9 or 10 out of 10) | 0% |
| Medium-Stiff (7 or 8 out of 10) | 16% |
| Medium (5 or 6 out of 10) | 50% |
| Medium-soft (3 or 4 out of 10) | 34% |
| Soft (1 or 2 out of 10) | 0% |
All-Mountain-Freestyle
If you lean a bit more towards freestyle riding then an all-mountain-freestyle board might be more for you. This will usually mean a medium flex if you like the pipe or medium-soft flex if you don’t go in the pipe.
| Flex | % |
|---|---|
| Stiff (9 or 10 out of 10) | 0% |
| Medium-Stiff (7 or 8 out of 10) | 10% |
| Medium (5 or 6 out of 10) | 73% |
| Medium-soft (3 or 4 out of 10) | 17% |
| Soft (1 or 2 out of 10) | 0% |
Aggressive-All-Mountain
If you are a more aggressive rider and like things hard and fast then an aggressive all mountain board is probably more your style. If this is the case you probably want a stiffer flexing board – a 6,7, or 8 out of 10 depending on your preference.
| Flex | % |
|---|---|
| Stiff (9 or 10 out of 10) | 4% |
| Medium-Stiff (7 or 8 out of 10) | 88% |
| Medium (5 or 6 out of 10) | 17% |
| Medium-soft (3 or 4 out of 10) | 0% |
| Soft (1 or 2 out of 10) | 0% |
Shape
All mountain
Generally speaking an all-mountain board will have a directional or directional twin shape (with the latter being the most common). This favours riding in one direction slightly more than the other (your dominant direction be it goofy or regular) but still allows switch riding as an option.
The percentage of the shapes of the all-mountain boards I looked at are below. As you can see all-mountin boards are seldomly true twin or tapered directional – as these favour freestyle and freeride riding respectively.
| Shape | % |
|---|---|
| Tapered Directional | 3% |
| Directional | 16% |
| Directional Twin | 76% |
| True Twin | 5% |
All-Mountain-Freestyle
A freestyle-all-mountain board might have a directional twin or a true twin shape so that it is more setup for riding/landing switch.
| Shape | % |
|---|---|
| Tapered Directional | 0% |
| Directional | 0% |
| Directional Twin | 25% |
| True Twin | 75% |
Aggressive-All-Mountain
An aggressive all mountain board is likely to have a directional shape or a directional twin shape – on occasion they might also have a tapered directional shape – but this shape is usually reserved for freeride boards.
You typically don’t want or wouldn’t find an aggressive all mountain board in a true twin shape (this is usually for freestyle or freestyle-all-mountain boards).
| Shape | % |
|---|---|
| Tapered Directional | 8% |
| Directional | 38% |
| Directional Twin | 54% |
| True Twin | 0% |
You can start to really see how different the range of all-mountain boards can be.
Setback
Freestylers typically like to be centred on their board. Freeriders prefer a good amount of setback (usually more than 20 millimetres (mm)). Naturally all-mountain riders like it somewhere in between.
Again aggressive riders (closer on the spectrum to freeriders) will prefer a larger setback and those that ride a bit more freestyle will prefer it more centred or closer to centred.
All-Mountain
| Setback | % |
|---|---|
| Centred | 0% |
| Between 5mm and 10mm | 16% |
| Between 10mm and 15mm | 32% |
| Between 15mm and 20mm | 47% |
| Greater than 20mm | 5% |
All-Mountain-Freestyle
| Setback | % |
|---|---|
| Centred | 98% |
| Between 5mm and 10mm | 2% |
| Between 10mm and 15mm | 0% |
| Between 15mm and 20mm | 0% |
| Greater than 20mm | 0% |
As you can see all-mountain-freestyle boards are predominantly centred to favour a more freestyle oriented rider.
Aggressive All-Mountain
| Setback | % |
|---|---|
| Centred | 4% |
| Between 5mm and 10mm | 13% |
| Between 10mm and 15mm | 38% |
| Between 15mm and 20mm | 42% |
| Greater than 20mm | 4% |
Camber Profile
All manner of camber profiles can be used for all-mountain riding and the same applies whether you ride all-mountain, all-mountain-freestyle or aggressive all-mountain.
To check out the percentages of each of the different camber profiles and a more detailed discussion on the different camber profiles for different styles of riding check out the link below.
Edge-tech
Generally speaking the more aggressive you will be riding the more important it is for your board to have good edge-hold. If you like things fast and steep then some good edge hold tech like Magne-traction or the likes is a good idea.
This is less important the less aggressive a rider you are.
But edge hold is also dependent on the conditions you ride in. If you often ride in hard or icy conditions then good grippy edges are more important than if you tend to ride in nice soft powder.
Base
The base of your board will depend on a few things. Probably if you are on the aggressive side then a sintered base is more necessary than for your all-mountain-freestyle rider – though a sintered base might be a good thing to have for speed in the pipe.
What base you get will also depend on the price of the board (sintered bases are more expensive than extruded bases) and how willing you are to maintain it (extruded bases require less maintenance than sintered bases).
Length
When you see any length tables or charts or calculations the number they come up with is typically for a an all-mountain rider. Freestylers tend to go with shorter boards and freeriders with longer boards.
As is usually the case, all mountain riders are somewhere in the middle. The more aggressive you are the more you are likely to lean to a longer board and the more playful you want your ride then you will likely lean towards a shorter length.
Width
Finally we come to width.
Freestyle riders prefer a wider width (better stability for landing jumps) and freeriders prefer a narrower width (better response and quicker edge to edge).
You guessed it – all-mountain riders fit somewhere in between!
This is typically the case for all the specs we have talked about because your all-mountain snowboard needs to strike a balance between everything you want to do on the mountain.
Remember with your width that you also want to make sure that it is also right for your foot size.
Over to You…
Thanks for reading. I hope this post has helped you to choose the specs you want on your next snowboard.
If you are looking for a great all-mountain board check out my top 10 list below (lists for the top 10 agreessive all-mountain boards and all-mountain-freestyle boards still in the works).
- Top 10 Men’s All Mountain Snowboards
- Top 6 Women’s All Mountain Snowboards
- Top 5 All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
- Top 6 Aggressive-All-Mountain Snowboards
Wow I learned a lot about snowboards in your post I’m not a snow boarder but want to try it at some point in my life. Never thought there was different snow boards for different things like styles and the stuff you talked about. definitely learnt a thing or two from your site thanks.
Hey Joyce
Thanks for stopping by. Glad you liked the post. I think you should definitely take up snowboarding – haven’t met anyone that’s regretted it so far!
But I would start with a snowboard that is specifically good for a beginner – same applies for bindings and boots. Check out the posts below to get off to a great start with the right gear for getting going.
>>How to choose a beginner snowboard
>>How to choose beginner snowboard boots
>>How to choose beginner snowboard bindings
Also check out some of the posts in the gear advice menu above for more tips for beginners and getting setup.
Thank you for this most informative blog on snowboarding.. You sure cover a lot, its a very comprehensive and beneficial site for people interested in this sport. I particularly liked your reminder to wear waterproof clothing. Its something many people forget about and it is such a basic need when out in the snow. And when did Butt pads become popular? I didn’t really know about these. I do now and I think its great…
ha ha! You must have been reading my safety equipment post – i don’t know if butt pads are popular as such but they do exist. Never tried one myself but I do know a guy who wore one when he was just starting out snowboarding.
If your someone who thinks that falling on your butt a lot would put you off or hinder your learning process then definitely go for the butt pad but not an essential piece of equipment.
Thanks for visiting and I’m glad you like the site. Oh yeah and waterproof clothing def super important as you say.
Hi Nate,
Thanks for your amazing blog! I’m looking for advise and was hoping for your help. I’m now riding the all mountain Nitro Mystique 146, but it is time to step up the game. I’m looking for a new board and can’t pick between the Jones Twin Sister and the Yes Hel Yes (size around 150). I’m in my fifth year (6 weeks) of snowboarding now and being lucky to have good snowboarders around me teaching me the fine arts of riding. The guys are snowboarding for years and love to go as fast.
Naturally I think I am more the type of snowboarder who plays around, learning switch and doing technical stuf/little tricks (just started with ollies). But I still have to learn basically everything in this field. During the holidays I’m always the slowest in the group, which means I spend most of my time improving my speed and carving. They don’t mind waiting for me, but improving my skills on speed would be nice.
Naturally I’m a very technical sporter , enthusiastically puzzeling my way through tougher situations. With speed I can get scared, mainly when there is ice.
To finish the story, there is just one thing for sure. When there is fresh pow you will always find me between the pistes, the guys can wait!
I have the feeling the 2 boards are very similar where the Jones Twin Sister is slightly more freestyle and the Yes Hell Yes is slightly better on ice. Feeling more confident on the ice would help me a lot in confidence in speed, but I would also love to start developing myself slowly in the freestyle area. Where there is fresh snow I forget everything and just go for the pow.
Do you have any advise on which board to choose and what size would be good? (I am 1.68 high and have a very thin light build). You would help me a lot!
Hi Ankie
Thanks for your message.
I would say that the Hel Yes is a little stiffer flexing and a little more of an “aggressive ride” overall. It’s going to be a little better in terms of carving but both will be very similar in powder – probably the Hel Yes slightly better for speed and a little bit better in icy conditions too – the Twin Sister is pretty good there, but not quite as good as the Hel Yes.
The Twin Sister will be a better option overall for freestyle stuff. But the Hel Yes isn’t bad for riding switch or for jumps – the equal of the Twin Sister there – except that the Twin Sister will be easier for learning jumps and better for small jumps, where the Hel Yes is better for larger jumps. The Twin Sister would be an easier board to butter with and better for jibs.
So for developing your freestyle game, the Twin Sister will be easier to do that on – and it’s not far behind the Hel Yes in terms of carving and speed. And though not quite as good in icy conditions, is still not bad.
For the Powder, I would say they are very similar so you can’t really go wrong there.
In terms of size, I would say, if you have a light build then probably sticking to around that 146 size would be a good idea, but it’s hard to say without an exact figure in terms of weight. Both boards have a 149, and if you really wanted to go longer that’s an option – and it would give you more float in powder, and a little more stability at speed going longer – but you will have better agility at slower speeds on the 146, and it’ll also be easier in general for learning freestyle type stuff on the 146.
But if you can give me a more exact figure in terms of your weight, I can give a more accurate size recommendation – but my feeling is to go with 146 – with 149 an option if you really wanted to go longer – then 149 but I wouldn’t go longer than that.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the quick reply! You definitely helped me a lot!
Your comment on the difference in big or small jumps or big or small turns made me decide to go for the Jones. As a girl I think I’m allowed to say that for the Yes Hell Yes it breaks my hard to not go riding the prettiest snowboard I’ve ever seen :p. But the Jones will suit me better.
I found a scale so I got all information for you now:
Length: 168 (cm)
Weight: 54,7 (kg)
Foot size: 39 (eu size)
I checked out your article about snowboard length compared to weight and length. Since Jones does not offer advice on this. You have a good feeling, the table said to for a 146. I wanted to size up to get a better flow in powder and better hold on ice. But forgot that the turns will be easier with a shorter board. With this extra information. Do you still advice to go for the 146? (Just to be a 100% sure).
Thanks to your help I will have my new snowboard in time for the next holiday. Thanks a lot!
Hi Ankie
Yeah sometimes it’s hard to not buy the best looking option! But usually it’s a good decision if something else is more suitable.
I think the 146 is the best option for you. You’ll get a little more float in powder and stability at speed from the 149, but on balance I think the 146 is better for you overall. And just based on the Mystique’s specs (Nitro isn’t a brand I test so just based on specs) – I’d say that the Twin Sister will have better float even in the same length – and it’s a little wider overall too, which will help with float.
You wouldn’t be completely wrong with the 149, but I think the 146 is the better option overall.
Hi Nate
I would love some of your expert advice on a Never Summer board size for my next purchase.
I am definitely going to get the NS Snowtrooper as it seems to be the perfect all mountain board for me, and I did my initial beginner learning on a NS Evo (which was back in 2011) I was a proper beginner at the time, so I couldn’t tell you how I found the board, other than the fact that it was easy to manoeuvre and I didn’t catch my edges after I started riding it! Not even sure what size I had! I was just starting to get the hang of some buttering and I’d like to have a playful board where I could develop those skills.
I’m 5’10 and 85kg and US9.5 … the Snowtrooper 159 board seems like it would be the right size for my weight but would the 156 be a better option in your opinion? also there is the width to consider
I’m not a good enough rider that I would be bombing down the hills at max speed, just want something easy to progress from beginner to intermediate and something really cruisy and playful
I know that the 159 will have slightly more stability at speeds (as I progress) but I’m completely torn between which size would be suitable for my stats…if you say 156, that’s the one I will get!
Your help is really appreciated on this!
Thanks
Hi Kial
I agree that the Snowtrooper is a good option for you, based on what you’re describing.
In terms of size, it’s a close call between the 156 and the 159. I think either size would work for you, but I’m leaning towards the 156. At an advanced level, I would say that the 159 would be the best length for you for sure – but as a beginner going on intermediate, I think the 156 would work just that little bit better, especially given that you want to develop things like buttering.
I think the 156 will be a slightly better width for 9.5s too – though there’s not too much difference in the width between the 2 sizes, but it’s another small thing leaning towards the 156.
The last thing that leans me slightly towards the 156 is that the effective edge on the Snowtrooper 156 is reasonably long for a 156. So the 156cm has a 120cm effective edge, which is longer than the average 156 – so it will feel a little longer because of that.
Pros and cons to both – the 159 will be better in powder, better when riding fast and when putting in big carves. But the 156 will be better for butters, jibs, more agile (especially at slower speeds) and more playful generally. The 159 would still be quite playful, as this is quite a playful board but you’d get just a bit more in terms of playfulness out of the 156. The 156 will be easier to ride overall.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
I came across this article whilst researching my next board. I’m a solid intermediate rider that loves carving turns and hitting the pow when mother nature turns it on but also have to live with hard pack and ice. I’m not a park rat, too old for that, so from what I’ve looked at I have a short list. They are the Capita Mercury, Jones Explorer, Rossi Templar or do I go more aggressive and get a Rossi One LF or Jones Mountain twin?
I’m 5’10 and 168lbs and I wear size 10 boots. I have my existing 2 year old Burton Cartel bindings to use also. This board will probably have to last 3-4 seasons. I’d like to know your thoughts?
Hi Dan
Thanks for your message.
In my experience the Mercury and Explorer feel more aggressive (though still not super-aggressive) than the Rossi One & Jones MT. But any of those options would be suitable for what you’re describing, IMO. The Templar is a little more playful than the rest, IMO. But still stable and all-mountain oriented.
If you haven’t already, check out:
>>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards
>>Top 6 Aggressive All Mountain Snowboards
For hard/icy conditions, I would say:
Capita Mercury: 4/5
Jones Explorer: 4/5
Jones MT: 4/5
Rossi Templar: 5/5
Rossi One: 5/5
In terms of length, I would say something around 157 to 159 would be a good length to go with. But what you’re used to riding and personal preference plays a part there too.
Width-wise, for your boot size I would say to look at something in the range of 247mm to 257mm in terms of waist width, if you ride with a reasonably angled back binding (i.e. 12-15 degrees) and between 254mm to 259mm at the waist, if you ride with a fairly straight back binding angle (i.e. 0-3 degrees). Add a couple of mms if you like to carve deep and take off a couple off mm if you have low profile boots (e.g. recent Adidas, Burton, Ride and Vans).
Hope this helps
Thanks heaps Nate.
I’m leaning towards the Templar or Mountain Twin. Probably the Templar seeing as it’s a little more forgiving and slightly better on the hard pack. I’ll be in North America in January so I’ll be keen to pick up a board then. I’ll be interested in what the reviews of the 2019 models are like before that time.
You’re very welcome Dan.
Let me know if you have any more questions before your trip and watch this space for some 2019 reviews.
Hi again Nate,
Plans have changed and I’m looking to get a board this Australian season. The Rossignol boards are hard to find at the moment but there is plenty of 2019 Jones and Yes boards. So my question is if I had to pull the trigger what would be best, the MT or the Typo or the Basic. Is the Standard too much board for intermediate? Also, what size do you think would be good in those boards? I was looking at a 156 in the One LF.
Cheers,
Dan.
Hi again Nate.
My plans have changed and it looks like I’ll be getting my board before I go. There aren’t many places that stock the Rossi boards here in Australia. There are many that stock the 2019 Jones and Yes. With that in mind I’m thinking of going the Yes Typo in a 155 or 158? The other choices are the Standard (maybe too aggressive for me) or the Jones MT which I mentioned before. I have also looked at the Capita DOA instead of the Mercury. What do you think?
Hi Dan
Thanks for your message.
Looking at your past messages and what you’re after, I don’t think the DOA would be that suitable for what you want. It’s more freestyle oriented and isn’t great for powder. Also not great in hard/icy conditions. Not as good as the Mercury, IMO. And though it’s softer flexing than the Mercury, it’s still quite aggressive – quite an aggressive camber profile. I think the Outerspace Living would be a better alternative if you wanted to go Capita (more like the Mercury but softer, a true twin and a centered stance) but again, it’s not the greatest in hard/icy and more freestyle oriented than all-mountain, IMO.
>>Capita DOA Review
I wouldn’t say that the Standard was too aggressive. I would describe it as lively, but not necessarily aggressive. I would call it intermediate suitable too. Probably would want to be solid intermediate, which it sounds like you are. You can read more about my 2018 review at the link below:
>>YES Standard Review
Size-wise, it would be a weigh up between the 156 or the 153. I would be leaning towards 153 for you. It’s the kind of board that I find is good to size down a bit for. You’d also be fine with the 156 though. I prefer the 156 (6’0″, 185lbs, size 10).
The Typo would also work, IMO. It’s a more traditionally shaped board, so size-wise, I would say 158cm would be the best choice, but if you think you prefer shorter boards, then the 155 is definitely still an option. The 155 would be the more easy going length, but would also lose a little in terms of powder and stability at speed. But the Typo is more easy going in general than the Standard.
>>YES Typo Review
The Mountain Twin is also still a good option. A board that’s very consistent across all terrain, IMO. Size-wise, I think the 157 would be the best option for you. You could also ride the 154, you would certainly get away with that, IMO, but I think the 157 would be slightly more suitable, taking everything into account.
>>Jones Mountain Twin Review
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks for all of that. You’re a legend. After looking into it I really like the Typo. I’m thinking of going the 155 to keep it a little playful.
Hi Dan
You’re very welcome. Yeah certainly if you want to keep things playful, then 155 is a good bet. If you think of it once your season starts, let me know how you get on.