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Shay’s take on the 09 Good Wood

So when I started hearing some of the winners back in May when the companies found out, I wasn’t surprised by the results. Usually there’s a couple boards in the Good Wood List that I’m surprised by, like how the hell did that board make it to the top of the lists? I don’t always agree on the list. But this year the list to me was actually very predictable. These boards in the 09 Good Wood are some of the most sought after, talked about on forums and popular boards. 

I’ve rode 9 of the men’s boards and 2 of the women’s boards in this test. Some of the boards haven’t changed construction so they might be older models. Of those 11 models I have rode, they were all fine boards…each suited a purpose, a riding style and something to offer a rider. Personally for me some of the boards in this list, definitely don’t suit me as a rider. I’m not the biggest fan of magne traction or really noodly soft boards but others love them. Even if someone asked me to pick one board that I liked, it would be determined by riding style and conditions.

There are winners beyond this list. Snowboards might have different model names but can be the same board. It cuts costs to create another model using a new topsheet but the same construction as another one. So in this case, the Capita Scaremaster which is the same as the stairmaster can be added to that list. Also the Roxy Eminence BTX was actually a GNU B-street with an extra cm on the nose and tail, same board different graphics. These are just 2 examples, but there are more out there by companies that make multiple boards or even companies that are interlinked together creating the same board.
In the end this is a list, not every board out there was included in this test but it does give you a look at a limited selection of some boards coming out next year and what the testers found to be the best boards for park and pipe. 

There is no perfect snowboard…but as a rider, you can try boards to find what suits you. No list can tell you what you will like on snow.

The 2009 Good Wood Results List: 

Top 10 Men’s Boards over $400

1. K2 Believer
2. Nitro Wiig
3. Burton Uninc
4. Nitro Team
5. Ride DH
6. Lib Tech Skate Banana
7. Salomon Official
8. DC MLF
9. GNU Riders Choice BTX
10. Rome Mod

Top 10 Men’s boards under $400

1. Burton Hero
2. GNU Carbon High Beam MTX
3. K2 Darkstar
4. Capita Stairmaster
5. Nitro T1
6. Stepchild Powder Sucks
7. Forum Substance
8. Salomon Drift
9. Technine Team Gooner
10. Rossignol Retox

Top 5 Men’s Pipe Boards

1. Burton Vapor
2. Gnu Danny Kass
3. Capita FCG
4. Forum Seeker
5. Flow WX

Top 10 Women’s Boards over $400

1. GNU B-pro BTX
2. Rossignol Diva Mag
3. Rome Lo-Fi
4. Roxy Eminence BTX
5. K2 Fling
6. Forum Craft
7. Lib Tech TRS BTX
8. Burton Stria
9. Ride Canvas
10. Flow Myriad

Top 10 Women’s Boards under $400

1. Technine Women’s Jib
2. Forum Spinster
3. Capita Saturnia
4. Roxy Ollie Pop
5. GNU B-nice MTX
6. K2 VaVaVoom Rocker
7. Atomic Fallen Angel
8. Burton Blender
9. Salomon Lily
10. Rome Detail

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  • Anonymous
    September 7, 2008 at 1:31 pm

    just looked at the testers bio’s on tws.com….. those are not the guys i want telling me what to ride.

  • Lou G.
    September 8, 2008 at 3:40 am

    @anonymous. Wow, that’s a pretty harsh opinion. I know a few of the testers and each of them kills it, and they definitely know their stuff.

    Shay, I really like your view on the Buyer’s Guide. I agree that it is a really good *starting point* for those who aren’t sure exactly what they are looking for.

    You also have a good point about trying boards. People are always looking for the simple answer, “which board is best”… but the best thing about snowboarding is how personal it is;

    Anybody out to buy should take full advantage of the countless demos offered at their resort. You could try 3 or 13, but when the right board comes along, you will know it.

  • Pink Monkey
    September 8, 2008 at 3:38 pm

    “There is no perfect snowboard…but as a rider, you can try boards to find what suits you. No list can tell you what you will like on snow. “

    Perfect! I always enjoy reading the new ‘buyers’ guides that some people think are the ‘golden’ rule for the gear of the upcoming year.

  • Anonymous
    November 20, 2008 at 3:14 pm

    do you happen to know the results for the 2009 FSMVP board test? I know the ’09 k2 duchess made it on there…

  • Shayboarder
    November 21, 2008 at 9:33 am

    I knew some of the results which I put in this post.
    http://www.shayboarder.com/2008/05/2008-2009-futuregood-wood-snowboard.html

    Unfortunately the magazine went under and never released the full list of winners.

  • Shayboarder.com - The World of Snowboarding Through Fembot Eyes » Blog Archive » 2008-2009 TWS Good Wood/Future Snowboarding Boards Tests
    June 15, 2009 at 8:16 pm

    […] you…you might interpret boards differently than a pro rider or test rider. Here’s my take on the list for […]