Hello and welcome to my list of what I consider the top freeride snowboards for the 2020/21 season.
There has been a resurgence of directional/freeride boards recently, and there were just too many to have all in once category. So, this year I have split my freeride lists between this one, loosely termed "carvy freeride" and a new "surfy freeride list". This list is for freeride boards with a flex of 7/10 or more and the "surfy" list for flex less than 7/10.
The likes of the Skeleton Key & Hybrid that were on this list last year, will be on the Top 10 "Surfy Freeride" list, when I publish that.
As is tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com each board is given a score out of 100.
Some Quick Stats
Of the 36 Freeride boards I looked at:
O.k. let’s get straight into it!
FREERIDE BOARD #10=
Board: Capita Black Snowboard of Death
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 85.3/100
To start the list at #10= 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
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
POWDER | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
JUMPS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SWITCH | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.3/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #10=
Board: Lib Tech Ejack Knife
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 85.3/100
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
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SWITCH | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.3/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #9
Board: Niche Maelstrom
- CANADA
Flex: Stiff (8/10)
Rating: 85.9/100
Another new freeride board for 2020 is from Niche - the Maelstrom.
Now this is a more traditional freeride board. It's 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.
Score Breakdown for the Maelstrom
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
POWDER | 4.5 | 18/20 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
JUMPS | 2.5 | 5/10 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.9/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #8
Board: Never Summer Chairman
- CANADA
Flex: Stiff (8/10)
Rating: 86.4/100
In at #8, we have the Never Summer Chairman.
This board is a bomber and made to charge the mountain hard, whether on the groomers or in the deep stuff.
It's stiff and has plenty of camber and loves to carve - loves to be railing that edge - but at the same time finds a way to float really well in powder. And it's not half bad on a jump - or riding switch, for a freeride board.
Learn more about the Chairman in the video below
This video is a couple of years old now – but the Chairman hasn’t really changed for a good few years, apart from the graphic.
Score Breakdown for the Chairman
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SWITCH | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86.4/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #7
Board: GNU Essential Service
- CANADA
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10)
Rating: 86.4/100
*HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION
The Essential Service (formerly called the Mullair) is 1 of 4 boards in this list that has rocker between the feet - though the Essential Service has GNUs C3 camber profile, which is pretty much all camber with just a touch of rocker between the feet.
Whilst this profile doesn't suit powder quite as well as something with rocker in the nose, the Essential Service floats surprisingly well in powder.
But where it really shines is on a carve. This board can really lay down a carve. But it's also something that you can actually maneuver quite easily at slower speeds and is very agile - so you can happily take this through the trees.
All this plus it's ability to bomb at speed, make this a great freeride option.
Learn more about the Essential Service (Mullair) in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Essential Service
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 5.0 | 20/20 |
TURNING | 4.5 | 9/10 |
POWDER | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.0 | 9/15 |
JUMPS | 2.5 | 5/10 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86.4/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #6
Board: Rossignol XV Magtek
- CANADA
Flex: Stiff (8/10)
Rating: 87.0/100
*HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION
Coming in at #6 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 responsiveness 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 (due largely to its magne-traction edges). It is also super fast and super stable at high speeds.
Check out the video for more
Score Breakdown for the XV
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 5.0 | 20/20 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.0 | 9/15 |
JUMPS | 2.5 | 5/10 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.0/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #5
Board: Capita Kazu Kokubo Pro
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 87.5/100
The 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
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 4.5 | 18/20 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 12/15 |
JUMPS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.5/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #4
Board: Burton Flight Attendant
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 88.0/100
In the #4 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 without even the hint of even getting close to washing out and is super fast and super 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. This is more the trend these days, but the FA has been doing it for a long time now.
Check out the Video below for more on the Flight Attendant
Score Breakdown for the Flight Attendant
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 4.5 | 18/20 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 88.0/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #3
Board: Jones Flagship
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10)
Rating: 88.6/100
The Flagship underwent a number of changes for the 2020 model - and retains those changes for the 2021 model. 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 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
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 5.0 | 20/20 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 12/15 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 88.6/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #2
Board: Never Summer West Bound
- CANADA
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 90.2/100
And coming in the #2 spot, we have the Never Summer West Bound.
The Westbound is a great mid-stiff, super smooth/damp freeride crusher. This thing absorbs the bumps better than most - and all round has the balance just right between being hard charging and forgiving. It's more forgiving than you're average freeride board when you're riding it slow, but can bomb when you need it too.
It also achieves an allusive combination of being lively yet damp at the same time.
Learn more about the West Bound in the video below
Score Breakdown for the West Bound
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.5 | 9/10 |
POWDER | 4.5 | 18/20 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.2/100 |
FREERIDE BOARD #1
Board: Yes Pick Your Line
- CANADA
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10)
Rating: 91.8/100
*HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION
The YES Pick Your Line is a hard charging, big mountain machine, that is also agile & maneuverable.
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 just made me a better rider.
My carves were better, I had more confidence bombing at speed, whether out in the open or through the trees (where it is surprisingly agile). That, and the fact it can handle all terrain well, makes this a very versatile and super-fun freeride deck.
Check out the Video below for some more info on the PYL
Score Breakdown for the PYL
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.5 | 9/10 |
POWDER | 4.5 | 18/20 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 12/15 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.8/100 |
Over to You
Even though I’ve scored these boards and put them in order, what you consider to be the best of this list will depend on your preferences. And this isn't an exact science, but hopefully this gives you some options and perspective on some great freeride boards and what might suit you the best.
Thanks for reading and I hope this post has helped you find your perfect 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.
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