When it comes to snowboard tests, the Good Wood is the longest running and most well known test that defines a list of boards to consider for the upcoming season. I’ve been able to go behind the scenes with the Good Wood Test in the past to check out how they try and test each snowboard. With fall just around the corner, the 2011 Good Wood results have hit the newstands and here’s the list in case you haven’t seen what boards made the cut for this season.
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For 2011, the Pipe and Mountain options are missing from the test which means that the Good Wood is straight up Park Boards once again. Over the years I’ve reviewed a good amount of the boards in this list but this list also features boards that I haven’t had the opportunity to take out yet. The women’s list has the majority of boards I’ve ridden and favorites like the Eco Pop, Vixen, Eminence and Lipstick made the list. It’s interesting to see that boards like the TRS and Jib Stick are crossing over into mens and womens and I totally agree on the slim version of men’s boards being fine for women riders. The men’s list have a lot of consistently popular boards in the running from the Darkstar/Parkstar to Carbon Credit (CHB) to Stairmaster Extreme which goes to show that the type of rocker/camber/reverse camber under your foot is favorable to many different riders. I was very happy to see the YES optimistic make the list and it’s the only directional board that made the cut for men.
The biggest thing to remember with any test or review is that these boards rode favorable for these people. The Good Wood has a variety of testers with a focus on park riding and what rides good for them might not ride good for you. The best way to interpret this list is see what works for you and try it for yourself…your own personal test matters more than anything else.
Top Ten Men’s Boards Under $399
Burton Nug $399
DC Tone $399
Forum Youngblood Chillydog $399
GNU Carbon Credit $399
K2 Darkstar $399
K2 WWW $379
K2 Raygun $349
Nitro T1 $399
Ride Crush $379
Rossignol Taipan $349
Top Ten Men’s Boards Over $400
Capita Stairmaster Extreme $429
DC Devun Walsh $500
Forum Destroyer Chillydog $429
GNU Park Pickle $469
K2 Parkstar $429
Lib Tech Travis Rice C2 $539
Ride Machete $429
Stepchild Jib Stick $425
Salomon Official $559
YES Optimistic $479
Top Ten Womens Boards Under $399
Burton Social $349
DC Biddy $350
Forum Sauce $319
GNU B-Nice $399
Rome Detail $360
Rossignol Justice Amptek $399
Roxy Ally $399
Salomon Lily $399
Signal Vita Park $349
Technine One Love $349
Top Ten Womens Boards Over $400
Burton Lipstick $469
GNU Park Pickle $469
K2 EcoPop $449
Lib Tech TRS Slim $559
Nitro Cheryl Mass Pro $479
Rome Lo-Fi Rocker $450
Roxy Eminence $539
Smokin Vixen $459
Stepchild JIb Stick slim $400
Technine Nines $400
Phil
August 27, 2010 at 12:28 pmIt is sad to see how the breadth and quality of this test has deteriorated right along with the printed magazine business, our economy, and the board industry in general.
Believe it or not many of the manufacturers I talk to who make high end boards aren’t pressing any more than 100 boards or what they took orders for this summer. And they obviously aren’t sending product to Good Wood.
Now more than ever rider blogs like this one and others are the best way to hear about the best boards that you won’t find at your local store. It’s hard to support your local shop when they are so broke all they can get in is a Gnu Park Pickle or a Burton Twin.
JT
August 27, 2010 at 12:40 pmPhil, I agree, it’s definitely a tough time for everyone involved in the industry. Hopefully things will get better as time moves us through this nasty economical situation.
Shay, I definitely agree, everyone should do their own testing, and see what works for them. I also am happy/stoked to see the Yes Optimistic there as well. Yes makes such fun boards, and for being such a young company, are making huge strides.
Shay what were your thoughts on the Snowboard Mag Platinum Picks this year? I’m sure there’s a write-up/entry coming 🙂
DDR
August 27, 2010 at 12:55 pmThese Good Wood awards (not just this year) have surprised me that the boards an manufacturers that are generally raved about by word of mouth or on blogs (eg Never Summer or Bataleon) not listing. Due to the glowing comments over the last years for the Evo/Revolver, SL or Evil Twin and this year’s slant towards park-boards, I’m surprised there’s no mention of any of them. I’m fully aware that everyone likes different things (otherwise it would be a boring world) but it just confuses me a little. Or is it as Phil’s suggested – these companies simply aren’t supplying boards to Good Wood? (tbh, also surprised no Fastplant)
Also, seems a shame (as mentioned) that the slant seems to be towards park instead of all-mountain. I can understand dropping the pipe boards as they’re possibly a niche market (no harm reviewing pipe-boards for all-mountain use, as I use a Danny Kass as such), but surely there’s more people around the world wanting all-mountain boards instead of park. Could make sense changing pipe for park so a generic “all-mountain/good board” award and then a specific “park-rat” section, dunno…
e
August 27, 2010 at 1:14 pmThere were a lot of board companies invited & i’m sure they sent there stuff in. Some things to take note, is that the top 10 is not the best. Graphics are a factor as well…so are personal opinions. A board can ride great, kick ass on jumps but doesn’t press well then it can be over for that board. Also a board can just have decent scores, so no real high marks but no real low marks. It’s by no means a perfect test, you can ride a board that you would normally love but the previous board you rode was a noodle so anything right after might feel stiff. Look at the mag tests, some of the blog tests that you respect & if possible demo it yourself. Everybody rides differently, so focus on what’s good for you.
gags
August 30, 2010 at 5:48 amDDR…wanted to let you know Never Summer did not supply boards to the good wood test. We do a lot of consumer demos and feel that is the best way for someone to find out if a board works for them personally.
Like JT and Shay remark: “Everyone should do their own testing, and see what works for them.”
Rico
September 11, 2010 at 3:50 pmThis is a BS test to say the least.
155 lb emo dudes riding 155 noodles at breck?
Suburban white kids, who listen to bad rap music, wear tall T’s, and for some ungodly reason ride rails on Powder days??? Then their mom comes and picks them up in a mini-van at 5 o’clock?
How is that helping anyone on the planet 175lbs+ find an all mountain, freeride or powder deck?
A consumer who is going to throw down $500+ on a board based on Good Wood should be fed to lions.
Ridiculous, biased, overhyped, worthless, and a huge waste of time to any serious rider.