Best of Test 2011: #1 Ride Machete

September 1

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Austin Hironaka puts the #1 Ride Machete though some rigorous testing in the Mt. Baker backcountry. Photo: Brian Schaefer

SNOWBOARDER’s 2011 Best of Test was full of surprises. With host resorts spanning the entire country–from Vermont to Washington and California to Michigan–the grid of on-snow demos kept us on the road, compiling all pertinent data as to determine which are the best snowboards for 2011. This is SNOWBOARDER Magazine’s 2011 Best of Test Men’s #1, the Ride Machete. See the rest of the results for the top snowboards for 2011.

Low-Rize Rocker

With a relatively flat profile between your feet, Ride’s rocker begins at the blend zones of the board to lift the contact points off the snow just enough to give you a smoother, less edge-catching ride without sacrificing any of the Machete’s carving capabilities.

SlimeWalls

Ride’s Slimewalls absorb impact and vibration, just like your skate wheels. The urethane properties in Slimewalls smoothes the interaction with snow, wood or metal surfaces, making it easier for you to try your hand at different features in and out of the park. Oh, and did we mention that they’re some of the strongest sidewalls in the business?

Pop Rods

Ride’s Pop Rods are made up of flat carbon rods that wrap a urethane slime-core. The rods are strategically placed in the tip and tail for added pop when you need it while the slime-core makes landings more leisurely. In addition, Pop Rods also alleviate the stiffness that is generally associated with snappy sticks.

Bode Merrill, Haines, AK, Photo: Oli Gagnon

This content was pulled from SNOWBOARDER Magazine’s September 2010 issue is on newsstands now. Go to your local snowboard shop, bookstore, or download a copy today from Zinio.