They say experience counts. We've had 4 years experience now riding the United Shapes snowboards, and can personally say they are unquestionably the best boards you can ride if turning is your thing.
The boards can be grouped together in the Freeride category, that is, they work best in mountain-focused terrain including powder, trees & groomers. Here we break down why they work, and which shape is best for what type of terrain...
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POW: All United Shapes snowboards float in powder. This is their main duty as a board. Their directional, tapered shapes (narrower tail, wider nose) combined with backseat camber + nose rocker (on all bar the Horizon) let you fly through the deep stuff with ease. Best shape for POW: US Explorer
See James riding the US Explorer here: https://youtu.be/K5WKTar8Nlo?t=80
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CARVING: Their powerful wood cores loaded with carbon stringers and sexy sidecut curves mean that locked in pencil thin carves are an everyday thing. Best shape for carving: US Orbit
See James riding the US Orbit here: https://youtu.be/K5WKTar8Nlo?t=131
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STEEPS: If you are a thrill seeker / adrenaline junky / mad person and seek out only the steepest, gnarliest terrain, including chutes and couloirs, a stiffer board will give you the stability you need when popping from one edge to the other. Best shape for experts: US Cadet
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BACKCOUNTRY: While you can strap any of these boards to your back and have a ball out in the backcountry hiking in snowshoes, it makes sense to let the board do the work on the way up too... Luckily they make a Splitboard, with a tough, knock resistant top sheet and easy peasy to transition Karakoram clips. Best shape for the Backcountry: US Covert Splitboard
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FREESTYLE: Bet you didn't think you'd be seeing 'freestyle' in this little run-down did you? Well, there is one particular board that does cross over to the park/freestyle realm... While still a directional shape, the US Horizon has a twin flex, meaning that switch riding feels more natural. Best board for park rats that ride powder too: US Horizon
See Tom riding the US Horizon here: https://youtu.be/K5WKTar8Nlo?t=25
The solid boards range from $769 to $949 and there might just be a sneaky 1 or 2 left from last season on sale.
Find Your Shape HERE