Hello and welcome to my Ride Machete GT snowboard review.
In this review I will take a look at the Machete GT as an aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Machete GT a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
NOTE: The 2019 model was the last model of the Machete GT
Overall Rating
Board: RIDE Machete GT
Price: $579 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 84.5/100
Compared to other Men’s Aggressive All-mountain-freestyle Boards
Out of the 19 men’s aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
- The average score was 85.1/100
- The highest score was 90.8/100 (see below)
- The lowest score was 76.4/100
- The average price was $513
- The Machete GT ranked 12th out of 19
Overview of the Machete GT’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Machete GT’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
| Style | Aggressive-All-Mountain-Freestyle | Flex | Medium (5 out of 10) |
| Ability Level | Intermediate to Expert | Feel | Semi Locked-In |
| Weight | Normal | Turn Initiation | Medium |
| Camber Profile | Hybrid Camber | Shape | True Twin |
| Stance Setback | Centered | Edge-hold | Medium snow |
| Price | $579 (USD) | Base | Sintered |
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 151 | 154 | 157 | 161 | 164 |
| Waist Width (mm) | 248 | 251 | 255 | 260 | 266 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 75-135 | 100-150 | 130-180 | 140-190 | 150-220+ |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 34-60 | 45-69 | 59-82 | 64-86 | 68-91+ |
Who is the Machete GT Most Suited to?
The Machete GT is geared towards anyone who wants that true twin, centered set up for riding switch and for spins – but also wants to be able to lay down carves and ride at speed, in between the freestyle tricks.
Not a great jibber – it’s more suited to the jump line in the park and generally hitting natural hits around the resort. Not great in the powder – it’s a stick to the resort kind of plank.
Not a board for the beginner – it’s a bit aggressive for that – but fine for anyone intermediate or above that is after this kind of deck.
The Machete GT in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Machete GT is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Ride Machete GT 2017, 157cm (255mm waist width)
Date: April 16, 2016
Conditions: Hard conditions with some icy spots early on, then softened up a bit and a got a little bit slushy in the afternoon but still mostly firm. Sun and clouds in the morning then light snow in the afternoon.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Powder
Not what this board is made for. It’s a true twin with a centered stance. You’ll have to work to keep the nose above deep snow. It does have rocker in the tips and tails and that does help and is enough to make this board average in powder.
Carving & Turning
A really decent carver. I had fun getting up on an edge. It wasn’t un-washable but it took a bit to get to that stage where it started to feel like it could wash out.
Turn initiation wasn’t hard but it wasn’t super easy either. Edge-to-edge it wasn’t lightning fast but it was ok.
Speed
Pretty stable at speed. Could carve at pretty good speeds with minimal chatter. Only really felt like it was bordering on washing out when at good speed on some of the harder snow patches.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Uneven Terrain
This board was pretty easy to maneuver through uneven terrain. It’s on par with boards of similar flex and camber profile.
Jumps
Really liked the feel on landing jumps on this board and felt comfortable on small jumps and larger jumps a-like and really nice on natural kickers .
I’ve heard some say this board is poppy and others say it’s dead! I disagree with both!
To me it had a decent amount of pop but wasn’t the springiest either. You could definitely generate pop out of it but I’ve ridden boards in this category that you could get the same amount of pop with less effort. But it also pops better than some others in this and other categories.
Switch
It’s a true twin and a centered stance – so it feels pretty much the same in either direction. The only thing that would have given this better switch marks would be if it had an asymmetrical shape.
Jibbing
You can definitely jib on it and butter on it – but you have to work a little harder. Even though this category of board is a freestyle oriented all-mountain kind of ride – I never expect too much out of them in terms of jibs – so this board was typical for the category.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score for the Machete GT in the table below.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Switch: | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Jumps: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Carving: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Speed: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Pipe: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Powder: | 2.0 | 2/5 |
| Jibbing: | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 84.5/100 |
Overall the Machete GT is a good board but not a great board. It’s about average for this category. Which is fine, and the average in this category is of quite high quality (certainly out the boards I rated).
And if I went on an oversees snowboarding trip and didn’t have a board with me and my mate had a Machete GT in my size that I could use – then I’d be like sweet!. Nice board to ride.
But, and there is a but, I wouldn’t buy it. Not for $579. If you can get it for around $500, then I’d say it’s worth getting.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in the Machete GT and want to learn more, research prices, research availability or are ready to buy, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other aggressive all-mountain-freestyle decks or want to see how the Machete GT compared to others, check out the next link.
>>My Top 5 Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
