Gallery: Tickets to Ride: 2014's Best Snowboard Gear Tested
01Winter Camp, WIRED, Lake Tahoe
Here in Northern California, we're usually lucky to be able to squeeze a few weekends of riding in before the holidays. And since there are more than a few snowboarders on staff at WIRED, we of course saw it as our solemn duty to use the first healthy mid-December snowfall as an opportunity ride the season's newest planks. It's a tough gig. We headed up to [Heavenly](http://www.skiheavenly.com/) in South Lake Tahoe to test some of 2014's primo hardgoods. We rode a gaggle of boards, plus we put some of the latest advancements in bindings, helmets and goggles to the test. __Above:__ Burton Trick Pony ----------------- Terrain park daredevils and deep-powder adventurers rarely agree on anything. It's two different clans, each claiming their own territory on the same mountain. Burton hopes its [Trick Pony all-mountain board](http://www.burton.com/default/trick-pony-snowboard/W14-10791100.html) will bridge the gap. The company's new $500 board has the pop and flexibility of a park board. The twin shape board is ready for switch riding, 180s, and anything else you can throw down in the park. The area between your feet is flat for stability and grip on groomers and ice. In fact, the board had more bite than the average park board. I had zero difficulty riding it on both early morning corduroy and late afternoon ice sheets. It helped that I paired the Trick Pony with [Flow's NX2-GT bindings](https://flow.com/Products/mens-binding/nx2gt/FI13M1NX2GSTB), which cost $370 and are the most supportive high-back bindings the company makes. The board's extra-long tips also give it all the loft you would require when you take it into the deep, and the flexibility that makes it fun in the park should also transfer to a very floaty pow board. We didn't get the powder conditions we were hoping for, but a few inches of fresh snow on the second day gave me a taste of the board's floatiness. It may take more than an all-mountain board to bring the park rats and powder hounds together. But if you want to play in fluff in the morning, then enjoy a few jumps in the afternoon, the Trick Pony could be your new favorite everything awesome board. *— Roberto Baldwin* 
Jakob Schiller02Winter Camp, WIRED, Lake Tahoe
Ride Buck Up snowboard, Now IPO bindings, K2 Maysis boots --------------------------------------------------------- Designed for park and pipe riding, [Ride's Buck Up snowboard](http://ridesnowboards.com/snowboards/buck-up) ($530) sports a rockered tip and tail for a floaty feel. A cambered zone between the rider's feet provides a good snap when coming off of a kicker. During testing at Heavenly's Groove terrain park, I was impressed with the board's quickness when hopping on and ollie-ing off of the boxes. Ride claims it's saved weight by swapping out traditional plastic topsheets with urethane-infused fabric. I can vouch that the board felt lightweight enough to make rotating off of sidecountry kickers and pulling quick 180s on the flats was super-easy. I rode it with [Now's IPO bindings](http://now-snowboarding.com/products/ipo-black/) ($290). The components are designed to mimic skateboard trucks, utilizing a fulcrum that transfers energy to the base more efficiently than traditional bindings. The result? Faster response time and more control when I carved. [K2's Maysis boots](http://k2snowboarding.com/boots/maysis) ($270) contributed further to the tight control on the mountain — the Maysis' BOA Conda system has a BOA lacing for the outer boot, and a second BOA system for the liner. That second ratchet sucks your heel into the back of the boot and keeps it there while you ride, pretty much eliminating the number one complaint that snowboarders have with their boots. *— Billy Brown* 
03burton-lipstick
Burton Restricted Lip-Stick Snowboard and Restricted Lexa Bindings, Ride Cadence Focus boots -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riders are bound to be attracted to the old-school graphics on this year's version of the [Restricted Lip-Stick](http://www.burton.com/default/lip-stick-snowboard/W14-11546100.html), Burton's classic high-end women's park board ($480). But even the women who come for the looks will stay for the fun, versatile feel of this board. With flat-top construction, riders get a stable base, livened up by an extreme rocker tip and tail that pop up right outside the bindings for a light, catch-free ride. Engineered to all but eliminate the prospect of icy skids and out-of-nowhere edge catches, the Lip-Stick gave me the confidence boost I needed to push each run to the next level. I screwed on the recommended [Restricted Lexa](http://www.burton.com/default/lexa-snowboard-binding/W14-10572100.html) bindings ($230), which were responsive and provided a good amount of cushioning. I also slipped on [Ride's Cadence Focus Boa boots](http://ridesnowboards.com/boots/cadence-focus-boa) ($290), which feature the simplest speed-lace system I've used. Even better, they kept my narrow heels locked comfortably in position with anatomical ankle pockets and built-in J-bars. But wow, those graphics — so good. Whether you're shooping your way down the slopes or shaking your thang at the park, you can always look down to see Cheryl and Sandra rockin' their flyest gear and gold ropes and know what they'd want — no, demand — you to do. *— Kelli Rubin* 
04rossi-board2
Rossignol Templar Magtek ------------------------ Let's get this out of the way: I'm not a particularly skilled snowboarder. I'm happy on mellow blues, but chances are I'll be getting a faceful of snow on the way down. For that very reason, I'm wary of boards that are marketed toward intermediate/advanced riders. Somehow, though, [Rossignol's Templar board](http://www.rossignol.com/SL/SI/templar-magtek_RE2WC05_product_snowboard-men-boards.html) ($400) manages to pack a good bit of aggression into a package I can work with. Its flex is right down the middle — it's stiffer under the back foot, which adds stability, while a little more softness under the front foot allowed me to initiate turns waaaay more quickly than I thought myself able to do. (Which, I have to say, feels gratifying.) Like so many of Rossignol's other boards, it uses the AmpTek profile, which is rocker in the nose and tail and camber under the bindings. That camber gives good stability in hard snow (like the crap we were riding) while the flex of the rocker ends would allow for great turns in the powder we kept hearing about but never saw. It's not a board that I would expect could handle icy early-season conditions well, but it did so with aplomb. One difference the Templar has from other Rossi boards is that the company took away two points of contact from their traditional seven, leaving the Templar with fewer places to catch an edge and pitch you headlong. (Don't worry, I still managed.) I rode it with Ride's [EX bindings](http://ridesnowboards.com/bindings/ex) ($180) and the super-comfortable [Burton Moto boot](http://www.burton.com/default/moto-snowboard-boot/W14-10436100.html) ($160) — both of which qualify for "value-oriented pick" on price alone, but performed well beyond that particular backhanded compliment. Look, I know we don't like to admit being duffers, but for the vast majority of us, buyer's guides are full of top-tier stuff with benefits that are lost on us. We're not all Shaun White. Did I take the Templar to the terrain park? Nope. Could it handle that mission? No question. Most importantly, though, I trust it not just to take me to the edge of my comfort zone, but to stop short of being too much board for my skillset. *— Peter Rubin* 
Jakob Schiller05Winter Camp, WIRED, Lake Tahoe
Smith Vantage helmet, Smith goggles, Outdoor Tech Chips Bluetooth Earpieces --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's a setup that'll get your head right. Smith's dual-vented [Vantage ski/snowboard helmet](http://www.smithoptics.com/products/#/Helmets/Adult+Helmets/Vantage/view/) was one of my favorites last year, but the company clearly wasn't happy to leave things alone. Hence this year's upgrade: Smith filled the previously open vents with Aerocore, a honeycomb-like material made up of Koroyd (imagine a series of super-strong plastic straws lined up side-by-side). The Aerocore-bolstered vents allow air to pass freely through the vents, but block potential hazards like an errant branch during a tree run. I rode the Vantage with vents wide open during an unseasonably warm day at Heavenly, and the vents were just as effective as the previous models. Paired with Smith's [Vice goggles](http://www.smithoptics.com/products/#/Snow+Goggles/Snow+Goggles+View+All/VICE/view/) ($170), the airflow through both pieces kept my head cool and my lens fog-free, even while hiking up the terrain park. The Smith helmet also has an audio liner around the ears, so I dropped in [Outdoor Technology's new Chips wireless audio system](http://www.outdoortechnology.com/Shop/Chips/). The $130 headphones connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth, so you can use them for both music and phone calls. Bonus: The Chips are controlled by two large buttons, so you can adjust volume and skip tracks without taking your gloves off. *— Billy Brown*
06poc
POC Fornix Backcountry MIPS helmet and Retina Big goggles --------------------------------------------------------- The [POC Fornix Backcountry MIPS helmet](http://www.pocsports.com/en/product/1650/fornix-backcountry-mips) ($200) is all business. No fancy Bluetooth headphone inserts, no style gimmicks. Instead every piece of this helmet is optimized for safety. Aramid fibers reinforce the structure, and it's one of a handful of brain buckets on the market that uses MIPS technology, or the "Multi-directional Impact Protection System". Conventional helmets have traditionally been designed to deal with vertical falls, but MIPS technology also deals with oblique impacts like the ones you'll take if you're flying down the hill and hit the ground at an angle. The shell and the liner are separated by a low friction layer, which gives a little when your noggin hits and works to reduce the rotational forces. No helmet is going to save you if you take a hard enough banger, but the POC Fornix Backcountry MIPS is about as good as it gets. It's plenty comfy, super light and paired with the company's [Retina Big goggles](http://www.pocsports.com/en/product/1865/retina-big) ($140), you have as solid a head kit as they come. *— Jakob Schiller*
07niche
Niche Aether Snowboard ---------------------- There will always be a place for terrain park boards, big mountain boards, and boards designed for specific conditions. But for snowboarders who can't afford a large quiver, the [Aether](http://nichesnowboards.com/products/aether-2014/) ($500) is built to be a versatile, multi-use board. The multi-camber Aether sports a reverse camber under the rider's feet for controlled carving and solid pop off of jumps, while the traditional camber areas that extend to the end of the board provide bit of float when carving on softer snow. If you look at the board's edges, you'll notice that they're wavy instead of straight. That's visual evidence of what Niche calls "Magnetraction edges." It sounds like so much jibber jabber, but it's actually my favorite feature on the Aether. The wavy edges act like a serrated blade, cutting into snow and helping the board keep its traction during hard carves, giving a consistent feel whether I'm riding soft groomers or sparse, icy runs. *— Billy Brown*
08K2-Slayblade
K2 Slayblade ------------ All-mountain boards are designed to cut through powder, ice, and crud without hesitation. Because of this, they tend to run heavy, and riding one can often feel like you've got a tank strapped to your feet — especially if you have to get a wide board to accommodate your feet like I do. The [K2 Slayblade](http://k2snowboarding.com/snowboards/slayblade-wide) ($560), with its slightly violent name, is capable of fulfilling the duties of an all-mountain board, but it does so while keeping a lighter feel. K2 has lifted the baseline (the area between the rise of the tail and front) off the ground, giving the board an extra bit of poppiness. It still has the stiffness associated with an all-mountain board, but ollies require less effort. Plus, when driving through the mid-morning crud that follows the first few powder runs of the morning, that stiffness kept me from bouncing all over the mountain. While the Slayblade will work in the park, its true home is blasting through the trees, powder underfoot, using buried logs as ramps. It's a monster on the mountain, but one that's easy enough to tame if you know where to point it. *— Roberto Baldwin*
09apo-board
APO Iconic Snowboard and Dual 2.0 Caviar Bindings ------------------------------------------------- Built more for the park than the pow, the [Iconic board](http://www.apo-snow.com/en/buy-snowboards/8-iconic.html) by the Swiss snowboard company APO ($585) is a precision piece. Every bit of the board is engineered to give you more air: the regular camber helps the edges bite into the snow for a quick responsive carve, making it ideal for dialing down a jump approach, and the carbon fiber strips in the tip and tail gave the board a bit of "oomph" every time I ollied. The wood core is reinforced by two strips of beechwood, which gives the board a snappy rebound off of jumps. I rode it with [APO's Dual 2.0 Caviar bindings](http://www.apo-snow.com/en/buy-snowboards/33-dual-20.html) ($310), which is the company's answer to FLOW rear-entry bindings. The Dual 2.0's highback is connected to the top strap by a steel cable that runs through the binding's frame, so when you lock in the highback, the topstrap locks your heel firmly into the binding. The step-in is quick and convenient, but it's a pain to engage when you're in the sitting position. Fortunately, the Dual 2.0 can also be used as a traditional binding for just that situation. *— Billy Brown*
10multi-tool
Leatherman Hail snowboard tool ------------------------------ Most on-mountain multi-tools last two, maybe three seasons; the Phillips head gets stripped, rusts, or both. The $25 [Leatherman Hail multi-tool](http://www.leatherman.com/831781.html) has a 25-year warranty, so this is the tool you'll hand down to your children. The Hail is a stainless steel carabiner that can be clipped to your pack, jacket, or pants. It has the essentials: #2 flathead/phillips screwdriver, bottle opener, scraper, 10mm wrench, and lace assist. It can also be used as a spindle for coiling up your earbud cables. On top of all that, it's TSA-friendly. While the screwdriver (it's a flathead with angled edges that allow it to be used as a Phillips head in a pinch) shouldn't be used to mount your bindings, on the mountain it can mean the difference between riding safe and riding with janky bindings that are about to fall off. Though the Hail ended up being all I needed while I was riding, it can be combined the more traditional [Leatherman Style PS](http://www.leatherman.com/831488.html) for tool-within-a-tool versatility. *— Roberto Baldwin*
