Welcome to the Ride Crook review.
This review will look at the Crook both as a freestyle snowboard option and as a beginner snowboard option.
We will take a look at:
- The overall rating
- How the Crook compares to other similar boards
- Who the Crook is most suitable for
- An in depth look at the Crook’s qualities
- Final Verdict
Overall Rating
Board: Ride Crook
Price: $399 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freestyle
Flex: Medium-Soft (3/10 on Ride’s Scale)
Freestyle Rating Score: 76.9/100
Beginner Rating Score: 90.5/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Boards
I looked at 42 men’s freestyle/jib boards and:
- The average score was 79.6/100
- The highest score was 92.3/100 (see below)
- The lowest score was 69.8/100
- The average price was $439
- The Crook ranked 32nd out of 42
Compared to other Men’s Beginner Boards
I looked at 47 men’s beginner boards and:
- The average score was 85.7/100
- The highest score was 96.5/100
- The lowest score was 58.5/100
- The average price was $437
- The Crook ranked 16th out of 47
Overview of the Crook’s Specs
Check out the specs and sizing options for the crook below.
Specs
| Style: | Freestyle/Beginner | Flex: | Medium-soft (3/10) | |
| Ability Level: | Beginner to Advanced | Weight: | Feels light | |
| Shape: | True Twin | Camber Profile: | Flat to Rocker | |
| Stance: | Centered | Turn Initiation | Very Easy | |
| Feel: | Stable | Edge-hold: | Up to Medium Snow Conditions |
Sizing Options
| Size (Length) | 149 | 152 | 155 | 158 | 154W | 159W |
| Waist Width (mm) | 243 | 245 | 247 | 249 | 260 | 261 |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 34 – 60 | 45 – 68 | 52 – 75 | 57 – 80 | 57 – 80 | 68 – 91+ |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 75 – 135 | 100 – 150 | 115 – 165 | 125 – 175 | 125 – 175 | 150 – 200+ |
Who is the Crook Most Suited to?
This board will suit anyone who is just starting out on the slopes, who enjoys riding freestyle (particularly in the park) and anyone who likes to hit the groomers but is more of a casual rider than an aggressive rider.
As a freestyle board it is good and will do a great job compared to other boards not made for freestyle but there are better freestyle decks for a similar price – though it is pretty good for the price given that it’s under the average price of men’s freestyle decks.
As a beginner board it’s a really good option. Or a great option for anyone who knows how to ride but who is just starting out in the park.
The Crook in more Detail
Let’s take a look first at the Crook as a freesstyle deck and then we’ll take a look at it as a beginner deck.
As a Freestyle Snowboard
The Crook’s greatest strength as a freestyle deck is in jibbing. It’s nice soft flex and flat profile under foot really helps it to jib well.
It’s also great at riding switch which is pretty natural for a true twin board with a centered stance.
It’s not the best on jumps though.
If you’re big into jibs and aren’t too concerned with jumps then the Crook would be an awesome choice as a freestyle board.
As A Beginner Board
As a beginner board the Crook is a great choice.
A beginner board should feel stable underfoot, be easy to maneuver, make it easy to turn and in general easier to ride the slopes.
The Crook’s flat to rocker profile gives a stable base under foot with a lot of edge contact – and then the rocker sections towards the tip and tail makes making turns easier by making it harder to catch and edge.
The medium-soft flex makes the Crook forgiving and easy to maneuver.
The centered stance and true twin shape also makes it easier for beginners to find their balance and for learning to ride switch.
The Final Verdict
As a freestyle deck which it is first and foremost designed to be it isn’t bad but there are better options out there, in my opinion.
If you’re looking for more freestyle snowboard options check out my list of what I think are the top freestyle snowboards on the market today.
As a beginner deck it’s a great option and was only one off from making my top 15 beginner snowboards.
Check out the score breakdowns for the Crook below.
Score Breakdown as a Freestyle Board
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Switch: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| Jumps: | 3.0 | 15/25 |
| Jibbing: | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 2.5 | 5/10 |
| Powder: | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
| Carving/Turns: | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
| Speed: | 2.0 | 2/5 |
| Pipe: | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 76.9/100 |
Score Breakdown as a Beginner Board
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Stability: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Turning Ease: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| Price: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Versatility: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Shape & Stance: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Base: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL | 90.5/100 |
Thanks for reading and I hope you have found this review helpful. Feel free to leave any comments or questions in the comments section below.
Hi Nate, thanks for your time reading this. Would you suggest a 152cm or 155cm for a 5″11 tall and 152lbs weight guy? i know both fits and longer boards is good for carrying speed and carving but im just a beginner so i just want a board that is easy to control and build up that confidence also my boot size is 9-9.5 so what do you think?
Hi Jason
Thanks for your message.
In this case I would go 152. Like you say both options would work for your specs/ability level, but the Crook has quite a lot of effective vs overall length, so the 152 is going to feel a little longer than a typical 152 (and the 155 feel a little longer than a typical 155) – so to me that puts the 152 right in the perfect range for you.
The only thing is the width – but I think you should be fine with 9s – and even 9.5s, assuming you’re not going to be riding too aggressively, as a beginner. If you go with binding angles like +15/-15, that gives you more leeway to go narrower too, so that would help if you’re worried about the width.
Hope this helps with your decision
I am looking into a 2017 crook, I am 5’11, 150lbs, size 10-10.5 boot, and I am a beginner. what size would you recommend?
Hi Shane
Thanks for your message.
As a beginner, with your specs, I would say that the 152, 154W and 155 are all options, depending on a couple of things. The 152 would be a little more playful and easy going, but the 154W and 155 would likely be more suited to your height. But you could certainly ride the 152 still – you just might want to widen your stance a little from the 533mm reference stance.
In terms of waist:
If wearing size 10s, then you should be fine on the width of both the 152 and 155 IF you ride with a reasonable angle on your back foot (e.g. 12-15 degrees). If you ride with a straight back binding angle (e.g. 0-3 degrees), then both the 152 and 155 are getting a bit narrow. In which case the 154W would be the best option.
If you end up in 10.5s, then the 154W would be the best, ragardless of binding angles – unless you were in low profile boots (Adidas, Burton, Vans and Ride are the boots with the lowest profile that I know of). In which case, what I said about the above 10s would apply to low profile 10.5s.
So yeah most likely 155 or 154W for this board, I would say, depending on what boot size you end up in and what angles you adopt. You could get away with the 152 as well, but I would widen up the stance a little and also only if you end up with 10s and a reasonable angle on your back binding.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate
Thanks for reply, ended up buying the Crook with Burton Custom bindings, just finished our season down here in NZ & man what confidence this board gives you, i would definitely recommend this board to beginners or above, it really catapults your boarding, had a couple of seasons going nowhere now i’m intermediate looking to progress further, so many thanks Nate & thanks to the best info on the net.
Was just wandering if i’m pushing my luck but was thinking about trading up to maybe the Capita doa, Slash brainstorm or Bataleon Goliath as a do it all board or maybe stick with the Crook, just got a real taste for it now & want to get into carving but still tackle everything else.
I’m 175 lbs, us 12 & my Crook is a 157 W
Cheers
Phil
Hey Phil
Sounds like you’re having a blast on the Crook! Love that feeling when you’re able to progress like that.
If I was you I would stick with the Crook for the start of your next season. Get riding on it again and get your confidence going again, then once your feeling good and feel the need to upgrade then go for something else. You could always buy in the off season and have it ready or you could buy once you get going again next season.
I definitely rate both the DOA and the Brainstorm highly – two of my favorites that I demoed last season. But they are quite different boards. The DOA is quite aggressive but still freestyle oriented. It’s what I would categorize as aggressive-all-mountain-freestyle. The brainstorm on the other hand I would classify as all-mountain. Bataleon isn’t a brand that I currently deal with (there’s too many brands to cover them all!) so I couldn’t tell you much about the Goliath.
The Brainstorm would likely be the easier transition from the Crook in terms of the way it rides. Though you’d have to size up to 159W to get it in a wide version. This would be better in harder snow conditions than the DOA and a better board for powder too.
Check out my review of the Brainstorm to learn more about it.
The DOA is a really fun board. But a step up for sure, but super-fun when you can tame it – you can check out my review on the DOA too. That comes in a 158W.
Either board will be a step up in flex and performance from the Crook but will also allow you to do more.
But yeah like i say, I’d definitely stick with the Crook to start with next season to get back into it and once you’re feeling really solid on that, take the step up.
Awesome cheers Nate
So maybe there is a better transition board before going with the likes of the Slash Brainstorm ? Bit relieved about the DOA as that chick scares the hell out of me.
Any recommendations for a fun do it all board that will allow me to get into carving, I’ll do some research but in the meantime i’ll carry on enjoying, pushing the Crook & keep an eye out for a bargain in the off season, have a great season!
Cheers again
Phil
Thanks Phil – definitely getting stoked for the upcoming season now.
I think the Slash Brainstorm would be a good transition for your next board but you could also check out some of the boards at the links below.
>>Top 5 All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
>>Top 10 All-Mountain Boards
I think there would be some good choices in there if you want to check those out.
Enjoy your summer!
Hey Nate
Tried to stay away from looking at boards over summer but it got the better of me & i have found a great price on a Never Summer proto Type 2 was just wandering if it would be a good transition from the Ride Crook ? Also whether to go for the 155 Wide or 158 Wide ? 5’11” US 12 & 176 lbs
Cheers again
Phil
Hey Phil
It’s hard to resist the urge to look at boards!
I absolutely loved the Proto Type Two when I demoed it. In fact it’s become my favorite all-mountain-freestyle deck.
Looking back over your previous comments, I think that this would be a great next board for you.
In terms of width either board would be fine. In terms of length I’d go for the 158W (or 158X in Never Summer’s terms) if I was you.
Hey Nate, great reviews. As a beginner having done a couple of seasons , i was wandering how the 2016 Ride Crook stacked up against the 2016 Burton Ripcord ? After a real fun playful board to progress on, just cruising all over but caught between the two, cheers
Hey Phil
Thanks for the message.
I think either will work well as beginner boards but I think I would slightly favor the Crook – just because it will have a more stable feel compared to the ripcord which might feel a bit too loose for a beginner. Also I prefer a beginner board to have a centered stance and twin shape – not big things but that and the more stable feel of the crook would put it just ahead, in my opinion.
But if your sold on the Ripcord it will definitely do the job well.
Let me know if you want me to recommend what I think would be the best size for you.