This list represents what I consider to be the best surfy freeride snowboards for the 2021/22 season.
What's the difference between this and our "non-surfy" freeride list? See explanation at bottom of the post.
As is tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com each board is given a score out of 100.
Some Quick Stats
Of the 30 Surfy Freeride boards I looked at:
O.k. let’s get into the top 10!
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #10
Board: Arbor Single
- CAN
- UK
Flex: Medium (6/10)
Rating: 85.0/100
Feel: Stable
Starting the list at #10, 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 | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 6/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 1.5 | 1.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.0/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #9
Board: Jones Mind Expander
- CAN
- UK
Flex: Medium (5/10)
Rating: 85.6/100
Feel: Surfy
At #9, we have the Jones Mind Expander.
The Mind Expander is more of a powder specialist. A great addition to your quiver as your go-to powder board.
That said, it's still a fun board to slash around on groomers and through trees when the powder's tracked.
Learn more about the Mind Expander in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Mind Expander
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 5.0 | 30/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 2.5 | 5/10 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 6/10 |
JUMPS | 2.0 | 2/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.6/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #8
Board: Lib Tech BRD
- CAN
- UK
Flex: Medium (6/10)
Rating: 85.6/100
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, but doesn't want anything too stiff.
Learn more about the BRD in the video below
Score Breakdown for the BRD
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 3.5 | 14/20 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.6/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #7
Board: GNU Hyper
- CAN
- UK
Flex: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating: 86.7/100
Feel: Surfy
The Hyperkyarve (renamed the Hyper for the 2022 model) 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 it's really quite versatile as well.
Learn more about the The Hyperkyarve in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Hyperkyarve
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.0 | 24/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86.7/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #6
Board: Capita Ultralight Powder Displacement Snowcraft
- CAN
Flex: Medium (5/10)
Rating: 86.7/100
Feel: Surfy
Coming in at #6 is the Capita Spring Break Ultralight Powder Displacement Snowcraft - 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.
It's a quiver board - 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! - but a great addition to any quiver, if you're looking for a board to surf powder or something super nimble to weave through the trees.
Trees on 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 | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 5.0 | 30/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 6/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 1.0 | 1/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86.7/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #5
Board: Endeavor Scout
Flex: Medium (4.5/10)
Rating: 87.8/100
Feel: Stable
In the #5 spot, we have Endeavor’s Scout.
This is the kind of board you would think would be more powder specialist than it is. Yes, it is very good for riding powder - but surprisingly good on a carve too, especially for its flex.
This is a board you size down for, so it's a great option for riding trees too - and it's really nimble - so it's not just a "look I'm small so I can ride trees", which doesn't always work out so well.
Check out the Video below for more on the Scout
Score Breakdown for the Scout
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.8/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #4
Board: Burton Skeleton Key
- CAN
Flex: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating: 90.0/100
Feel: Semi-locked in/precise
Coming in at #4, we have the Burton Skeleton Key.
The Skeleton Key is a great option for someone who still 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.
Learn more about the Skeleton Key in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Skeleton Key
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 4.5 | 9/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
SWITCH | 1.5 | 1.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.0/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #3
Board: Capita Navigator
- CAN
Flex: Medium (6/10)
Rating: 90.0/100
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 | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.0/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #2
Board: Yes Hybrid
- CAN
- UK
Flex: Medium (6/10)
Rating: 90.6/100
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 | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 4.0 | 4/5 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.6/100 |
MELLOW FREERIDE BOARD #1
Board: Burton Show Stopper
- CAN
Flex: Medium (6.5/10)
Rating: 91.1/100
Feel: Stable to Semi-Locked in
And finally the #1 spot goes to the Burton Show Stopper.
New for 2022, the Showstopper is just a really fun board that strikes that perfect balance between being a good carver, but still being mellow enough to have effortless turns and at the same time floats really well in powder.
It possesses the elusive quality of being stable at high speed but also easy to maneuver at slow speeds. It can tackle a wide open bowl and tight trees with equal prowess.
It's aggressive enough when you want it to be, but it's not so aggressive that you can't slow it down and be more casual with it.
Score Breakdown for the Showstopper
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.1/100 |
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 "surfy", aka softer flexing, 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 "surfy freeride" category represents freeride boards that are in that softer flex range - 6.5/10 or less. They're not necessarily "surfy" feeling boards as such. "Slightly softer flexing freeride" just didn't have the same ring as a category name!
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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