The best powder Skis & Snowboards for 2017
Freeride, off-piste, sidecountry, backcountry – whatever you want to call it – make the most of the amazing snow conditions with our pick of the best powder skis and snowboards available as we head into Spring 2017.
2017 has been an amazing season in terms of snow records – especially in the USA. It doesn’t matter if you’re a skier or boarder, if you’re headed to one of the resorts in North America – or you’re from that side of the pond and about to take a trip – you want to make sure you’ve got the right gear to make the most of the unprecedented levels of pow.
So here are our picks of the top powder-friendly weapons of choice on sale right now from our friends at Freeze Pro Shop.
For powder that’s a few days old
We’ve all been there. The powder came on Thursday and you’re in the lift line Saturday morning. That’s all right, because you know there’s still some leftover snow in a few secret spots and the conditions are still soft. For mixed conditions, check out these rides…
Faction CT. 3.0
This ski is probably the most popular of the famous Candide Thovex series from Faction. Running at 108mm underfoot, it provides more than enough float on even the deepest of days while being versatile all over the mountain. These skis would be perfect for riding fast to the stash spot in the trees where the deep snow’s hidden and ripping the chop on other runs in-between.
The CT 3.0’s have rocker in the tip and tail, to help you bounce off crud, and low camber underfoot to add for some stability in the more hard packed conditions. Faction built the ski with a sandwiched balsa wood core in combination with reinforced flax-fibers and fiberglass laminates, for extra torsional stability and pop all over the mountain, while allowing you to sit back and ride when it’s deep. [technical specs and prices]
Rome Blur
The Rome Blur is just a straight up good time on any snow pack, but it really excels in the powder. The Blur is super light, and has an incredible amount of pop from the carbon-stringer enforced core. It’s set back nicely in the stance, and it’s directional shape with a modest swallowtail, is perfect for floating turns in the deep snow.
Even though this board was designed with the deeper snow in mind, it comes with a good amount of sidecut and an extended amount of effective edge, that’ll help you rail turns through packed powder. It’s also torsionally stiff, being enhanced with a combination of Rome’s premium core patterns and materials, to comfortably hold up on any type of snow conditions. [read more]
When it’s between your ankle and your calf
It isn’t blower conditions, but it’s pretty damn good. Call it 3-4 inches or 10cm of fresh snow – either way it’s a powder – and you’d like to rip on something all day, while not losing performance as the conditions get tracked out. Look no further than these guys…
K2 Turbo Dream
This deck is designed to be an all-mountain quiver-killer, but really excels in deep snow. The Turbo Dream is twin shaped, with a nicely set back stance and almost flat base, but with a little stretched rocker in the nose and tail. It features K2 Tweekends tech that extends the rocker to the very tips of the board, giving it a forgiving and buttery flex pattern, to help you lean back in the deep snow or stomp pow landings riding either direction.
The Turbo Dream comes with a Biax glass reinforcements and Carbon Web additive channels that work with an ultra-light wood core, that help the deck stiffen up beneath the bindings while offering a poppy and responsive ride when you’re shredding fast. This board absolutely rips in the soft snow when you’re leaning back – riding regular or switch – and letting the board do the work for you. [read more]
Line Mordecai
Sitting at 114mm underfoot and somewhere in the middle of Eric Pollard’s collection of signature skis with LINE, the Mordecai is the perfect ski for the ankle deep conditions. With a moderate amount of camber underfoot and a powerful full wood core, this ski is comfortable on the hard pack but it’s designed to rip in the off-piste like snow conditions.
The Mordecai features LINE’s fivecut sidecut, which blends the best of all edge profiles into one ski, and has a consistent flex pattern in the boot region, to maintain maximum control when you’re skiing fast or stomping pow landings. This ski is Eric Pollard’s go-to ride on Whistler-Blackcomb, and judging by the snow that region has had the last few seasons, the ski should be more than enough for any fresh snow day you get on your trip. [read more]
For the days that it’s really, really deep
So you’ve lucked out. You’re heading to a big North American resort and it’s just dumped close to a foot of snow and another 30cm is on its way tomorrow night. Here’s what we got for you – you lucky, lucky… Check these out!
Rome Powder Division Moon Tail (MT)
The Rome Powder Division Moon Tail just screams ‘ride me in deep snow, and only deep snow.’ It’s shorter, it’s wider, it’s shaped for cutting through powder and it comes with a profile that displaces the snow away from you to allow for extra float, along with some extra sidecut and tapering that’ll let you turn quickly in the trees.
The MT also has a pronounced 3D rocker in the nose, and positive camber between the bindings and a little bit of up-tick rocker in the tail. It’s reinforced with powder specific core flex pattern and a fiberglass rod, to allow for a surfy but responsive ride. This board is meant for those who are lucky to enough to shred the deep snow, and if you choose to buy the Rome Powder Division MT, you’ll have it for those lucky days in years to come. [read more]
Black Crows Nocta
146mm wide in the shovel, 122mm underfoot and 134mm in the tail. The Nocta is fat. It’s built for the lucky powder hound that gets deep days on the regular, like they used to where Black Crows designed the ski in Chamonix, France.
It’s also light – like 2 pounds lighter than the previous incarnation – with a paulownia-poplar wood core, and heavily rockered tips and tails for a floaty and carve friendly ride on any face with deep snow. Black Crows reinforced the Nocta with a lightweight carbon webbing that’s enhanced under the bindings, and gave the ski a bit of camber underfoot, so it’ll respond when it hits chop or needs to carve on the groomers back to the lift.
Overall the Nocta’s meant for the deepest pow and has been tested by the worlds best skiers on some of the craziest lines in existence. It should be more than enough ski for your lucky powder days at the resort, or while skiing in any off-piste conditions where the conditions are blower. [read more]
Don’t see your favourites on the list? Let us know what your picks are for the best powder skis and snowboards 2017 in the comments below.
