Tested
Burton Custom X 156 ($699) Key Feature: Infinite Channel System (ICS) Pros: One pro is being able to micro-adjust width, toe to heel, and angles on your board. Kyle also loved the “incredible response, feel, and comfort.” He says, “These bindings almost eliminate the feel of being strapped to a board at all.” Cons: According [...]
Volcom Doppler Pro Shell Jacket ($500) Key Feature: Gore-Tex® 3 Layer Pro Shell Fabric and fully taped seams. Pros: Alex says, “I rode this outerwear hard almost all season and it’s still as waterproof as the first day I rode in it.” In addition to the breathable Gore-Tex®, the Recco Avalanche Recovery System and Ziptech [...]
FourSquare Vern Jacket ($320–330) Key Feature: Battery-operated, removable, heated liner. Pros: Caroline’s first impression: “The jacket has a flattering and cute style.” She adds, “The heated panels are really very warm, just expect to spend a couple minutes figuring out how the battery pack and the control pad work, after that it’s a snap.” Cons: [...]
R.E.D. Trace Helmet ($60) Key feature: Snow/skate/bike crossover helmet. Pros: Dave thought the Trace was great for snowboarding. He says, “I like the removable earflaps for changing conditions, and it works well with goggles.” He added, “The lower profile feels and looks sleek, and it’s not too bulky.” Cons: “The one downside is that it’s [...]
Spy Apollo Goggles ($185–220) Key feature: Dual radius lens for improved peripheral vision. Pros: First impressions are everything in goggles. Sandra says, “I liked how these goggles looked right out of the bag.” She adds, “The ventilation system was great, I did a lot of hiking in warm conditions when fogging can definitely be a [...]
Skullcandy Hydropack ($139) Key features: External speakers, MP3 player, and Bluetooth phone compatible hydration pack. Pros: Adam says, “First off, this pack has a great fit. It has a zipper to expand the space of the pack or to make it smaller. All your electronics are operated from the strap of the pack, which was [...]
The Good Wood test is a men's and women's freestyle board test performed in the park at Copper Mountain, Colorado.
We separated the best from the rest - check out the top-ranking womens freestyle park boards of the 2007 season.
TransWorld puts its name behind the best mens freestyle boards of the year in the sixth annual board test.
For the sixth season, TWS has organized and executed the most thorough, unbiased, freestyle board test in existence.
The results are in! Five years ago TransWorld SNOWboarding created the Good Wood Board Test out of necessity. At the time, many park boards stunk-there was a real need to distinguish gems from the junk.
Know what the subject of countless high-powered snowboard-company design meetings is every year? You. That's right, board brands around the world put tons of energy and cash into trying to figure out exactly what it is you want out of a board-and of course, some pull it off better than others.
What's new with women's snowboards? This year we're looking at a new round of big-name brands on the Board Test podium, with more of an emphasis on all-around action than strictly freestyle. The top-five winning boards all have deep roots in snowboard history-a sure sign that practice makes perfect when it comes to board construction. The big ol' crew of female pro riders behind the development of this year's boards allows women to be discriminating consumers and ride away with an awesome stick.
Last spring TransWorld testers took 50 of the freshest boards of '04, and rode them all until they found the top-ten men's boards. We've got the results right here. Before you buy a new snowboard be sure to read this.
