2010 - The Year of the Fish?

Overshadowed by the huge boom in reverse camber snowboards, heavily tapered powder snowboards or Fish shapes as they’re known to most, are rising steeply in popularity. 5 years ago Fish shapes were confined to the Burton Fish a legendary piece of snowboard design courtesy of JG and Terje. Spurred on by snowboarder’s insatiable appetite for new technology and specialist equipment, Fish stocks are booming and now feature in most manufacturers’ line-ups. The iconic Fish shape is discernable from other snowboard designs because of its heavy taper (more surface area in-front of the front foot), a short tail and a multi-radii sidecut which usually features a tighter radius at the tail of the board. Fish boards offer tons of float in powder and a responsive edge-to-edge feel, perfect for picking lines between tight trees and slashing lips on epic powder days. With Stepchild, Capita, Option and Nitro joining the party for 2010, Snowboard Review had a look at some of the finest specimens for the 2009/10 season.

Lib Tech - Snow Mullet: Yes hands up, shamefully I forgot the Lib Tech Snow Mullet. But with all of Mervin’s freestyle snowboard success over the last couple of years, it easy to forget that Mervin have always made some pretty tasty freeride boards… remember the Dough Boy? Well the Snow Mullet is based on 1980s tapered shapes with a progressive sidecut and Banana reverse camber between the inserts to ensure unreal float in deep snow. Not to miss a trick, the folks at Lib Tech have thrown in Magne-Traction edges so that you’ll have the grip you need for icy traverses and windblown couloirs.

Stepchild – OG Powder: The tapered shape and shallow 2mm camber offer loads of float on heavy powder days. Quadraxial glass should provide plenty of edge grip when the powder proves less bountiful than first inspection suggested.

Arbor – Abacus: A Fish shape in it’s purest form. The Abacus has a heavily tapered shape with Arbor’s Progressive Kinked tri-radial sidecut, the rocket sintered base for increased acceleration and effortless glide and a tapered core and biaxial glass for more board feel. The Abacus also features Arbor’s classic Ravenswood structural wood topsheet with cool Spinal Tap style graphics.

Capita – Charlie Slasher: Capita’s mission statement for the Charlie Slasher was to create a powder board that doesn’t look like a ‘penis or a surfboard’, that ‘rides effortlessly in powder whilst maintaining the ability to ride switch’, has a ‘tail to stomp landings and power out of turns’, is ‘affordable’ and has ‘graphics that are gnarly’. Looks like they’ve struck gold with good ol’ Charlie!

Never Summer – Summit: A directional flex, Never Summer’s RC (rocker/camber hybrid) profile and a powder specific custom nose and tail shape, the Summit is Never Summer’s offering for deep days. Knowing Never Summer boards, the Summit will be damp underfoot, extremely capable on an edge with a much firmer flex than its competitors. Available split for backcountry touring, all Never Summer boards have a 3 year warranty.

Nitro – Slash: 09/10’s Slash is unrecognisable from 09/08’s. This year the Slash’s shape almost mirrors the Burton Fish’s. The 166 has a rounded tail and the 171 a little swallow for extra rooster spray, both have the distinctive pointed nose. Softer Bi-Lite glass and the reduced core profile between the bindings will help to make the Slash feel like surfing an endless wave.

Option – North Shore: Option’s ode to Hawaii’s legendary big wave Mecca, the North Shore not only looks like a big wave gun, it’ll make you feel like Laird Hamilton too! With cosmetic details like faux fins and Bamboo rails a powder rocker and a supersonic 7700 grade sintered base, there’s no doubt the North Shore is going to be a popular choice up and down the Pacific coast of North America, Surf’s up dude!

Burton – Fish Ltd: The original and still the best? This year’s Fish hasn’t changed much from last years, the evolved shape includes a sly swallow tail for a loose slashy feel and the bulbous nose with Burton’s freeride S-Rocker to make sure there’s no danger of going over the handlebars no matter how deep the snow gets. Check out the No-Fish if you find snowboarding with bindings too easy.

Rome – Notch: Rome have gone all hippy with the release of the Notch. Not lacking on technology the Notch packs triaxial carbon reinforced glass and Centreline Stringer technology to provide a lively snappy feel in turns without making the torsional stiffness too firm. The Notch is available with conventional camber or S-Camber an elliptical nose camber profile that starts just after the front foot, Rome also offer the Notch with a swallow tail on the 164 & 172.

Salomon – Sick Stick: Not strictly a Fish, the Sick Stick is a result of Salomon’s hard work and Austrian powder guru Wolle Nyvelt’s day dreaming. The Sick Stick has a twin shape with a centred stance which screams freestyle snowboard, but Salomon have turned design on its head and added a directional pointed nose. Perfect for throwing down crazy freestyle trickery in waist deep pow pow.

Venture – Euphoria: Serious about the environment but don’t want to compromise on performance? The Venture Euphoria has a new rockered shape, serious taper and a softer wider nose, this deck is virtually unsinkable, the setback 75mm stance should help to eradicate any back leg burn. Venture boards are made in a 100% wind powered factory and include a 2 year factory warranty.

Posted by Rich Ewbank in Features.