This list represents what I consider to be the best mellow freeride snowboards for the 2022/23 season.
What's the difference between this and our "non-mellow" freeride list? See explanation at bottom of the post. Note that this category has been renamed "mellow freeride" where it was previously "surfy freeride". This is to better reflect that not all boards in this list have a surfy feel - but they are all fairly mellow in terms of flex.
As is tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com each board is given a score out of 100.
Some Quick Stats
Of the 32 Surfy Freeride boards I looked at:
O.k. let’s get into the top 10!
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #10
Board: Bataleon Cruiser
- CA
- UK/EU
Flex: Medium (6/10)
Rating: 87.5/100
Feel: Stable
Starting the list off at #10 is Bataleon's Cruiser.
The Cruiser is a great tool for surfing the powder and weaving through trees. It's also got a nice easy going feeling when cruising the groomers and is easy to turn and slash with.
But it can also hold down a decent carve and feels good at moderately fast speeds too.
Score Breakdown for the Cruiser
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.5/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #9
Board: Arbor Single
- CA
Flex: Medium (5/10)
Rating: 87.5/100
Feel: Stable
Next up we have Arbor's Single.
The Single is a short/wide and excels in powder. But it holds it's own on groomers too - so when there's no pow to be had, it's still a fun ride.
It's awesome for riding in the trees pow or not (though of course, more fun when there is pow!)
Learn more about the Single in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Single
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 6/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.5/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #8
Board: GNU Hyper
- CA
- UK/EU
Flex: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating: 87.5/100
Feel: Surfy
The Hyper is a great option for those looking for a surfy option that goes well in the powder but also really nice on the groomers, if you like a really easy turning board that feels like it's surfing powder even on hard pack! OK maybe not quite, but it has that looser more easy going feel even on groomers, and just really good in tight spaces too.
But in spite of all of that, it can still carve and handles a bit of speed well too - and not bad for jumping. So overall quite versatile as well.
Learn more about the The Hyper in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Hyper
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.0 | 24/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 4.0 | 4/5 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.5/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #7
Board: Lib Tech BRD
- CA
- UK/EU
Flex: Medium (6/10)
Rating: 87.5/100
Feel: Stable
In at #8 we have the Lib Tech BRD.
The BRD is a versatile board that could easily be your daily driver if you don't really ride switch. It excels in powder - as it should to belong in this list - but it's a super fun board on groomers too.
Great for anyone looking for that really directional ride, that's camber dominant, but doesn't want anything too stiff.
Learn more about the BRD in the video below
Score Breakdown for the BRD
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.5/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #6
Board: Burton Family Tree Pow Wrench
- CA
- UK/EU
Flex: Medium (5/10)
Rating: 88.1/100
Feel: Surfy
The first of the more powder specialists on this list, Burton's Family Tree Pow Wrench isn't a daily driver. But as part of a quiver it's an awesome tool for surfing powder and exploring trees - and anywhere else off groomer for that matter.
Learn more about the Pow Wrench in the video below
The Pow Wrench starts at around 4:35 in this video.
Score Breakdown for the Pow Wrench
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 5.0 | 30/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 2.5 | 5/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 6/10 |
JUMPS | 2.0 | 2/5 |
SWITCH | 1.0 | 1/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 88.1/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #5
Board: Jones Mind Expander
- CA
- UK/EU
Flex: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating: 88.1/100
Feel: Stable
At #5, we have the Jones Mind Expander.
Like the Pow Wrench above the Mind Expander used to be more of a powder specialist, but it got a new profile for 2023 and is now a more well rounded board. And whilst it's not quite the same in powder as it was, it's still really good in powder.
But now it's a bit better at speed, better on a carve and has a more stable, rather than surfy, overall feel compared to previous iterations.
Score Breakdown for the Mind Expander
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 88.1/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #4
Board: Capita Ultralight Powder Displacement Snowcraft (Diamond Tail)
- CA
Flex: Medium (5/10)
Rating: 89.8/100
Feel: Surfy
Coming in at #6 is the Capita Spring Break Ultralight Powder Displacement Snowcraft Diamond Tail - say that 10 times fast!
Apart from the interesting name, the UPDS, for short, is a super fun, surfy ride that is predominantly a powder/tree board.
But a great addition to any quiver - one you get for powder days, or those whiteout days when you just want to spend the day in the trees, so you can actually see!
Trees AND a powder day - a match made in heaven for this board!
Note that there are multiple varieties of the UPDS. This is more specifically referring to the Diamond Tail (154) model. See full review at the full review link above for more details.
Check out the video below for more
Score Breakdown for the Powder Displacement Snowcraft
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 5.0 | 30/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 3.0 | 6/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 5.0 | 15/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 6/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 1.0 | 1/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.8/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #3
Board: Capita Navigator
- CA
Flex: Medium (6/10)
Rating: 89.8/100
Feel: Stable
The Navigator is a nice softer freeride board that is at it's best in powder and in the trees, but it's also surprisingly stable at speed for its flex.
And as an added bonus it's also quite easy on the wallet!
Check out this video for more on the Navigator
Score Breakdown for the Navigator
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.8/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #2
Board: Yes Hybrid
- CA
Flex: Medium (6/10)
Rating: 90.3/100
Feel: Stable
And in the #2 spot we have the YES Hybrid.
The Hybrid is the love child of YES' Pick Your Line and 420 - and it's a super fun ride.
It sits perfectly in that middle ground between surfy and precise and is really versatile - you can slash it up, float the pow or carve and bomb, and it's even really nice for jumps too.
The Hybrid is rather wide - so another one that you want to size down for in terms of length (depending on boot size).
Check out the Video below for some more info on the Hybrid
Score Breakdown for the Hybrid
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.3/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #1
Board: Burton Skeleton Key
- CA
- UK/EU
Flex: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating: 90.3/100
Feel: Semi-locked in/precise
Finally coming in at #1, we have the Burton Skeleton Key.
The Skeleton Key is a great option for someone who wants a freeride board that has that locked in/precise feel, rather than a looser/surfier feel, but wants a more forgiving, softer flex.
Great in pow, but also equally at home carving up the groomers and a nice easy going mid flex, so you can just cruise on it as well and slash around, when you want to.
Learn more about the Skeleton Key in the video below
The Skeleton Key starts at 3:32 in the video.
Score Breakdown for the Skeleton Key
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.3/100 |
Over to You
This is quite a diverse category, so even though this list is in order, what suits you best will depend on what you're looking for.
Everything thing here is at least above average in powder, but some are more powder specialists, some have a surfy feel, whilst some have a more precise, more locked-in feel (for those just looking for a softer freeride board, but still want a more carvy/precise feel).
Thanks for reading and I hope this post has helped you find your perfect mellow freeride board.
If you want to learn more about any of these boards or check out current prices/availability, check out the links at the top of each board description above.
This List versus the Top 10 Freeride Snowboards list
Compared to the other freeride list, the ratings for this list give a higher importance to powder, uneven terrain & agility and less importance to carving and speed.
Note that the "mellow freeride" category represents freeride boards that are in that softer flex range - 6.5/10 or less.
To be eligible for this list the board had to:
- Be 6.5/10 or less for flex; and
- Have a freeride shape
Some boards might be more powder specialized, some might have a more surfy feel and some a more precise feel.
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