Below is my list of the best all mountain freestyle snowboards for men, what I consider to be the top 5 on the market today. This list has now been updated for the 2016-17 season.
As is tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com the boards will each be given a rating out of 100.
To give some perspective of the ratings:
- I looked at 28 different all-mountain freestyle boards
- The average score was 79.9/100
- The highest score was 94.4/100 (see below)
- The lowest score was 69.7/100
- The average price was $509
O.k. so here’s the top 5.
All Mountain Freestyle Board #5
Board: YES Basic
Price: $399
Flex: Medium-Soft
Rating: 84.3/100
I also rate this as a great beginner deck but as an all-mountain-freestyle deck it’s also up there amongst the best.
Whilst not the numeber 1 on this list, it is the cheapest option on this list and at this price it really is an amazing deck if you like to ride freestyle over the whole mountain but don’t want to pay too much.
It is also the softest flexing deck on this list so if you like your riding nice and mellow, you can’t go wrong. But don’t think that stops you from riding this deck if you encounter a lot of ice. It’s also great in icy conditions. Check out the score breakdown below for its particular strengths and weaknesses.
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 146 | 149 | 152 | 155 | 156W | 158 | 159W | 161 | 163W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waist Width (mm) | 247 | 248 | 250 | 251 | 259 | 253 | 261 | 254 | 263 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 105-145 | 110-150 | 125-165 | 135-175 | 145-185 | 150-190 | 160-200 | 170-210 | 180-220+ |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 48-66 | 50-68 | 57-75 | 61-79 | 66-84 | 68-86 | 73-91 | 77-95 | 81-100+ |
Learn more about the Basic in the Video Below
Score Breakdown for the Basic
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Switch: | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Jumps: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Jibbing: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Carving/Turning: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Powder: | 2.5 | 5/10 |
| Speed: | 2.5 | 5/10 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Pipe: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 84.3/100 |
All Mountain Freestyle Board #4
Board: Lib Tech TRS
Price: $599
Flex: Medium (5-7 out of 10 depending on the size you get)
Rating: 86.5/100
This board has won numerous awards, is packed full of tech and is backed by some seriously good pros. But is it worthy of all this praise?
Absolutely. If you had to be picky about a weakness you might say it wouldn’t be the first choice in powder. But in every other category this board will excel.
And of course with the magne-traction tech this board will be awesome in hard and icy snow conditions.
The TRS was 2nd on this list last year. It’s not that it’s a worse board this year – to even make this list it has to be an outstanding snowboard – it’s just that there were some seriously good decks for 2017 that I liked just that bit more.
The TRS comes in the standard version (which is now a HP (horsepower) version) and an FP (firepower) version. The FP version is lighter and better but also costs significantly more.
Check out the full review at the link above, the video below and score breakdown below for more details.
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 148N | 151N | 154 | 157 | 157MW | 159 | 159MW | 162 | 165MW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waist Width (mm) | 237 | 247 | 253 | 253 | 260 | 253 | 260 | 256 | 263 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 90+ | 100+ | 120+ | 130+ | 130+ | 140+ | 140+ | 150+ | 155+ |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 41+ | 45+ | 55+ | 59+ | 59+ | 64+ | 64+ | 68+ | 70+ |
| Flex Rating | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
Check out the video below for more details on the TRS
Score Breakdown for the TRS
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Switch: | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Jumps: | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Jibbing: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Carving/Turning: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Powder: | 2.0 | 4/10 |
| Speed: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Pipe: | 5.0 | 10/10 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 86.5/100 |
All Mountain Freestyle Board #3
Board: GNU Eco Choice
Price: $579
Flex: Medium
Rating: 88.8/100
Or to use it’s full name, the Eco Choice Asym C2 BTX!
The Eco Choice is the Eco-ized (is that a word? It is now!) version of the GNU Rider’s Choice. Both the Eco Choice and Rider’s Choice are awesome decks for riding freestyle and can hack it all over the mountain too.
Like the two boards above (#4 and #5), the Eco Choice is also excellent in hard and icy snow conditions, thanks in part to the magne-traction edges.
It can lay down a carve, it can jib and it’s not too slow – but where this board really stands out – riding the other direction (aka switch) and on jumps (whether those jumps be of the man made or nature made variety).
It has also been awarded a 2017 Good Wood award from Transworld Snowboarding.
Learn more in the video below and check out the strengths of the Eco Choice in the table below.
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 154.5 | 157.5 | 161.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waist Width (mm) | 252 | 255 | 258 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 120 - 200+ | 130 - 210+ | 140 - 240+ |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 54-91+ | 59-95+ | 64-109+ |
Learn more about the Eco Choice in the Video below
Eco Choice Score Breakdown
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Switch: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Jumps: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Jibbing: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Carving/Turning: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Powder: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Speed: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Pipe: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 88.8/100 |
All Mountain Freestyle Board #2
Board: Yes The Greats
Price: $549
Flex: Medium
Rating: 94.4/100
And at #2 (well 1st equal really), is the YES Greats – or as it’s called in 2016-17 year – the YES Greats Uninc.
A board this fast and with the kind of carving ability it displays, has no right being so good at riding switch and hitting the jumps. But it does just that.
Not a powder hound, but if you’re looking for a deck you can carve up the whole mountain with, at pace, hitting every natural hit you can find and then taking a detour through the park, then you might have found your match in the YES Greats.
Learn more about this killer all-mountain-freestyle deck in the video below and the score breakdown in the table below that.
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 152 | 154 | 156 | 158 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waist Width (mm) | 247 | 249 | 251 | 253 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 125-165 | 135-175 | 135-175 | 145-185 |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 57-75 | 61-80 | 61-80 | 66-84 |
Learn more about the Greats in the Video Below
Score Breakdown
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Switch: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Jumps: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Jibbing: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Carving/Turning: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Powder: | 2.5 | 5/10 |
| Speed: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Pipe: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 94.4/100 |
All Mountain Freestyle Board #1
Board: Never Summer Proto Type Two
Price: $569
Flex: Medium
Rating: 94.4/100
And the #1 board for the 2016-17 is…. the Never Summer Proto Type Two.
It’s predecessor, the Proto HD made the 2015-16 list but it was at number 4. The upgrades to the type two have turned this board into a near perfect all-mountain-freestyle machine.
I had the privilege to ride this deck all over Whistler – and man, this is one killer deck. So much fun!
Never Summer’s Proto Type Two is the perfect board for riding freestyle over the whole mountain. It holds it’s own in the powder, when carving and on jibs. And it really comes to life on jumps and rides switch like it was born to.
And if you also want to venture into the pipe, the Proto will be a wicked tool to climb the walls with – a characteristic any all-mountain-freestyle board worth its salt should have.
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 152 | 154 | 157 | 160 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waist Width (mm) | 248 | 250 | 252 | 254 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 110-160 | 120-170 | 125-175 | 145-195 |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 50-73 | 54-77 | 57-79 | 66-89 |
| Size (Length) | 153X | 155X | 158X | 161X | 164X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waist Width (mm) | 259 | 261 | 263 | 265 | 267 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 120-170 | 130-180 | 140-190 | 145-195 | 150-200+ |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 54-77 | 59-82 | 64-86 | 66-88 | 68-91+ |
Learn more about the Proto Type Two in the Video Below
Score Breakdown for the Proto Type Two
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Switch: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Jumps: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Jibbing: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Carving/Turning: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Powder: | 2.5 | 5/10 |
| Speed: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Pipe: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 94.4/100 |
Over to You
Thanks for reading and I hope this post has helped to narrow down some options if you’re looking for an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard. Check out the link below for the list of the latest season’s top 5 all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
>>My Top 5 All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
Where to Buy, Current Prices and More Info
If you can find one of these boards in the 2016-17 model, you should be able to get them at a considerably cheaper price than their MSRP. This is the nature of past season boards.
Check out the links below to see if you can find the board you’re after in a past model.
US STORES
CANADA STORES
NEW ZEALAND STORES
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