The Top Freeride Snowboards: My Top 10

Board: Burton Family Tree Straight Chuter

Flex: Stiff (8.5/10)

Rating: 85.7/100

   >>See Full Review

Starting off the list at #10 we have Burton's Straight Chuter. Inexplicably on Burton's website they rate this board as a happy medium flex! Must be a typo, because this board is stiff. It's like a Custom X but more directional and with a bit of rocker in the nose. 

Not only is the stiffest in this list, it's also the priciest. In a list of high priced boards, that's saying something. 

But you get a beast of a board for that price. Unfailing stable at high speeds, a carving machine - and pretty darn in good in powder to boot. If you like your board to be take no prisoner's hard charging, and your budget can afford it, the Straight Chuter is worth checking out.  

Learn more about the Straight Chuter in the video below

This video is for the 2021 model, but still relevant to the 2022 model. 

Score Breakdown for the Straight Chuter

Board: Lib Tech Ejack Knife

Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating: 86.3/100

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Next up we have the Lib Tech E-Jack Knife.

The Ejack Knife is a great freeride board - and also one that you can enjoy jumps on - and isn't bad riding switch for a freeride board. 

So, if you're looking for something that's hard charging and freeride oriented but also a little more versatile, the Ejack Knife is worth checking out further. 

Learn more about the E-Jack Knife in the video below

Score Breakdown for the E-Jack Knife

Board: Capita Black Snowboard of Death

Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating: 86.3/100

>>See Full Review

Next up we have the Capita Black Snowboard of Death (BSOD). 

The BSOD is one of those boards that's hard to say if it's all-mountain or freeride. I've chosen to categorize it as a freeride board, but it's a freeride board with a very all-mountain feel. 

But it's a better carver, better at speed and better in powder than the average all-mountain board, so it fits in - and to boot, it's also a great jumper and better than average at riding switch compared to the average freeride board. 

Learn more about the Black Snowboard of Death in the video below

Score Breakdown for the BSOD

Board: Nidecker Alpha

Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating: 86.3/100

>>See Full Review

A late comer to the list for '22 (I didn't test it until the 21-22 winter), the Alpha APX had to be included. 

It has the remarkable ability to be both surfy when you want it to - and carve when you want to lock it into an edge. And it's a really versatile one board quiver for those who don't really have freestyle in their repertoire or have a seperate board for freestyle.  

Learn more about the Alpha APX in the video below

Score Breakdown for the Alpha APX

Board: Rossignol XV Magtek

Flex: Stiff (8/10)

Rating: 86.8/100

  *HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION

Coming in at #7 is the impressive, ever reliable Rossi XV Magtek..

The XV Magtek is quite stiff so not for the faint-hearted!

That stiffness will bring with it some awesome stability but will also be very unforgiving of errors.

This board is definitely a big mountain bomber that will float effortlessly over powder, cut straight through the choppiest conditions and grip even the hardest ice. It is also super fast and super stable at high speeds.

Score Breakdown for the XV

Board: Niche Maelstrom

Flex: Stiff (8/10)

Rating: 86.8/100

>>See Full Review

Next up we have the Maelstrom from Niche. 

The Maelstrom is a stiff, tough, hard charging beast. If you like you're riding aggressive and you want to be able to charge both groomers and powder and smash through crud, the Maelstrom should be on your radar.  

Check out the video for more on the Maelstrom

Score Breakdown for the Maelstrom

Board: GNU Banked Country

Flex: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10)

Rating: 87.4/100

New for the 2022 season, the Banked Country is a beast of a board. Super fun and rewarding when you put in the work. 

It can bomb and carve trenches with the best of them. And has awesome grip in hard and icy conditions. 

And all of that for a really reasonable price, in comparison to most freeride boards - and the least expensive option on this list. 

Score Breakdown for the Banked Country

Board: Capita Kazu Kokubo Pro

Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating: 88.5/100

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The Kazu Kokubo Pro is an awesome option for anyone who wants to be jumping in the backcountry/sidecountry and loves to ride the trees, but at the same time can carve well on groomers, when the powder is tracked. 

Surprisingly nimble at slower speeds, despite how good it is riding fast. And floats really nicely in powder. 

Learn more about the Kazu in the video below

Score Breakdown for the Kazu

Board: Burton Flight Attendant

Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating: 89.0/100

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In the #3 spot, we have Burton’s Flight Attendant.

The Flight Attendant has everything you want out of a freeride board. It floats beautifully in powder, carves hard and is super fast and stable at high speeds.

It's also above average for jumping for a freeride board, so if you're looking to rock some freestyle off those natural hits then the flight attendant is a good way to go. It's got a slightly more forgiving flex than a traditional stiff freeride board, without being so soft as to belong in the surfy freeride list. 

Check out the Video below for more on the Flight Attendant

Score Breakdown for the Flight Attendant

Board: Jones Flagship

Flex: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10)

Rating: 89.6/100

   >>See Full Review

The Flagship underwent a number of changes for the 2020 model - and retains those changes for the 2021 and 2022 models. It's a changed board, but still keeps some of the same character from the 2019 and previous models. 

It's not as hard a charger for straight line bombing as it was, IMO. But it's an improved board for trees, maneuverability and jumps but can still carve and bomb - and for powder, if anything floats even better. 

It's a slightly more mellow flex and overall a slightly more mellow ride, but also super fun (even more so, in this humble rider's opinion) and still a charging freeride machine overall. It's more mellow than it was, but it's still not a mellow ride overall.     

Check out this video for more on the Flagship

Score Breakdown for the Flagship

Board: Yes Pick Your Line

Flex: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10)

Rating: 90.7/100

 *HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION

   >>See Full Review

The YES Pick Your Line is a hard charging, big mountain machine.

A well deserved taker of the # 1 spot in this list.

With equally good float in powder, speed and carving abilities the Pick Your Line can take whatever you throw at it in the backcountry or on the groomers. It has an uncanny ability to switch between hard snow and powder and still be great on both. This is down partly to the unique tapered underbite. 

But besides all of that, the PYL has something that can't be described  - that X factor that you just can't put words on. 

Check out the Video below for some more info on the PYL

Score Breakdown for the PYL