Ride 2012 Snowboard Reviews

Every year we attend the board test somebody is raving about the Ride Crush. This year Aly tested the Crush for Snowboard-Review.com and after an afternoon spent lapping Kaunertal’s jibs and rails he too was babbling-on about the Crush. Soft, agile and buttery, the Crush is pretty one dimensional as far as versatility goes but this board really is only for those kids who want to ride the park all day, every day or somebody looking to add a jib board to their quiver.

Read full review of the Ride Crush 2012 Snowboard.

It might be Ride’s entry level twin snowboard but our tester Aly Mac really liked it. With a centred stance, subtle Lowrize rocker and forgiving biaxial glass the Ride Agenda is a good choice for snowboarders getting into park riding on a budget but who also like to explore the mountain out of the confines of the terrain park. With the Agenda fun and versatility are the name of the game.

Read full review of the Ride Agenda 2012 Snowboard.

With the DH2 moving to a Hybrid profile this year there was a space for a new board with ProRize rocker, the Buckwild has filled the gap admirably. With a flat profile through most of the board and early rise tips the Prorize give plenty of stability and on edge performance whilst remaining playful for park and urban jib missions. At home killing the park but also no slouch on the rest of the mountain the Buckwild is a safe bet of park riders who like to hit pow when there’s fresh snow on the hill.

Read full review of the Ride Buckwild 2012 Snowboard.

Jake Blauvelt is the man! So by the powers of deduction the Berzerker must be the board! Based on the shape and profile of the Highlife UL, the Berzerker has a softer flex and less fancy construction keeping the Berzerker affordable but still packing plenty of performance. If you need inspiration on how to ride it just watch one of Jake’s many video parts.

Read full review of the Ride Berzerker 2012 Snowboard.

There’s no need to get all-directional for backcountry terrain with the Slackcountry UL. The shape is almost twin with only a ¾ inch setback stance as most of the float comes from the fluid directional HighRize rocker profile which means the tail rises less than the nose to keep it stompy for tail heavy landings and big ol’ slashes. UL construction makes it into the Slackcountry this season to keep it light for monster hikes and nimble shredding.

Read full review of the Ride Slackcountry UL 2012 Snowboard.

Revised for this season the DH2 drops last year’s Prorize profile for the all new Hybrid Twin profile. The addition of camber under the feet increases on-edge performance and ollie pop meaning that hard icy days when you might have previously retired the DH2 to the garage and taken out an old cambered for a shred are all in the past. A versatile twin for park riders who don’t want to be confined to riding kickers, jibs and rails all day.

Read full review of the Ride DH2 2012 Snowboard.

Since triple corking clinical slopestyle surgeon Seb Touts joined the fold at Ride, the DH has been his board. For huge transitions, insanely steep landings and million mph run-ins the DH’s firm flex and camber profile are essential. Slimewalls improve on-rail feel and pop rod 2.0s give ollies a little more ‘je ne sais quoi’. The Ride DH is a great freestyle board for riders who like a firm flexing twin with the benefits of traditional camber.

Read full review of the Ride DH 2012 Snowboard.

For experienced freestylers looking for a fun board that doesn’t demand 100% concentration or intermediates keen for a board that will help them to progress on, the smooth, buttery and catch free Machete is the Ride snowboard that hits the nail on the head. The Machete has Ride’s Lowrize profile which is almost flat/zero camber underfoot which blends into rockered tips about 10cm before the start of the effective edge.

Read full review of the Ride Machete 2012 Snowboard.

Intermediate riders are well catered for in the Ride range. The Machete is the board for the progressing intermediate that wants to focus on the park but still wants to be able to freeride in the sidecountry when the conditions are good. It is the Ride Antic caters for the intermediate snowboarder who wants to develop a more rounded set of skills. If you’re one of those snowboarders who thinks riding handrails only looks cool on a skateboard and would much rather play around in pow than endlessly lap the mini shred, the Antic is worth a look. With a directional shape and directional hybrid LowPro profile the Antic is designed for riders who spend less than a quarter of their time on a snowboard riding switch.

Read full review of the Ride Antic 2012 Snowboard.

Now a veteran board in the Ride portfolio, the Kink has proven itself to deliver park and rail performance at an affordable price point. Ride’s unique Slimewalls and thick Cleave edges mean the Ride Kink is more resistant to edge cracks and dings than a lot of similar snowboards

Read full review of the Ride Kink 2012 Snowboard.

All-mountain snowboards have been dying a bit of a death recently as twin shapes continue rule the roost. The Manic is bringing affordable all-mountain riding back to the masses with a directional shape, a slightly set-back stance and a very directional profile; zero camber through the majority of the board and into the tail and an early rise nose. The Ride Manic is designed for beginner and intermediate snowboarders who want to progress all aspects of their snowboarding from park to powder and need a forgiving board with a little extra float.

Read full review of the Ride Manic 2012 Snowboard.

The Farah is Ride’s new all-mountain snowboard for ladies. The Farah’s directional shape, 20mm set-back stance and early rise Hybrid All-Mountain camber should keep the nose out of the pow on deep days but the designers haven’t made the Farah’s shape so directional that it is unusable in the park or sticking switch powder landings. Carbon Pop Rods and Carbon Array make sure that there’s plenty of life for ollies and ripping through carves and that force from the rider is focused into the edges. A Membrain topsheet keeps the Farah’s construction lightweight.

Read full review of the Ride Farah 2012 Snowboard.

Girls wanting a high performance true twin might have found what they are looking for. Amber runs through the majority of the OMG but the tips rise a little early for easier turn initiation, smooth surfy float in powder and a less catchy feel. At a solid 8/10 the flex on the OMG reflects the kind of snowboarder that’s going to enjoy riding it, strong and aggressive female riders.

Read full review of the Ride OMG 2012 Snowboard.

The Ride Promise’s directional twin shape, 20mm setback stance and directional LowPro camber profile make it a versatile all-mountain snowboard that initiates turns easily and floats with no hassle in the powder. The middle of the road flex means this ride is inclusive of all abilities.

Read full review of the Ride Promise 2012 Snowboard.

The Compact blends freestyle features from Ride’s more expensive boards with an affordable price point for shredders who don’t want to blitz all of their cash in one go. The centred stance, true twin shape, biaxial glass and extruded base are feature’s you’d expect in this price range. The LowRize reverse camber profile, thick Cleave Edges and Urethane Slimewalls are features that make the Compact standout in the circa $350 price range.

Read full review of the Ride Compact 2012 Snowboard.

Ride’s Rapture is a great option for beginner female riders looking to make their first purchase. The rockered shape will inspire confidence by feeling less catchy at speed, initiating turns extremely easily and making the first attempts at riding powder far less frustrating.

Read full review of the Ride Rapture 2012 Snowboard.

It’s a mini DH for kids! The rockered shape and Slimewalls make it the perfect shred for kids who want to emulate their favourite pros in the park. With the same graphics as the standard DH, the board ridden by Seb Toots, kids are going to love this board!

Read full review of the Ride DHK 2012 Snowboard.

The Highlife UL features Ride’s All-Mountain Hybrid shape that was developed with the R&D of Jake Blauvelt. Combining this proven shape with Ride’s lightweight UL construction, Pop Rods 3.0 and dampening urethane Slimewalls the Highlife is a wish list for all-mountain tech geeks who don’t want to switch up their boards when the pow is deep or the groomers are bare and icy. A truly versatile board with a firm flex for hard charging snowboarders who consider every feature on the mountain fair game.

Read full review of the Ride Highlife UL 2012 Snowboard.