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Best Powder Snowboards 2019-2020

Chosen by the Whitelines Test Team

Picking a powder specific snowboard is a bit like turning up to a room full of people for an evening of speed dating. At a glance, you’re a little thrown off by all the weird and wonky shapes around the room. There’s likely to be a few in there that you just want to point and laugh at. There may even be some you feel the need to run away from and erase from your mind altogether. But somewhere, hidden amongst them, you might just find true love. The missing piece in the puzzle. The one that makes you question how you’ve made it this far in life without it.

There’s no single, winning formula when it comes to shape, profile or size for a pow specific deck. They do all have one thing in common though – floating in the deep stuff.

“These are your rocket missile, rhino chasing, bazookas of the deep”

In an effort to categorise them, most powder decks fit into two camps. The first, is your more classic shape, coming in anywhere between 5-20cm longer than a standard, all-mountain deck and usually featuring a large, progressive rocker in the nose and some kind of short, cut out tail. These are your rocket missile, rhino chasing, bazookas of the deep. They’re crying out to be pointed down wide-open faces and lay out roosters the size of a double-decker bus with every turn.

The second, and one that only really came to the fore in more recent years, is the short ’n’ fat breed of pow slasher. These ones can be downsized by as much as 10-15cm compared to your regular daily driver but they still maintain the surface area of the boards in the first category by drastically upping the waist width. The end result is a deck that has all the float of the big boys, with the added bonus of super extra agile and manoeuvrable. From powder fields in Niseko to spinning off pillows in BC, these are the short and stubbies that pack a mean punch.

“These are the short and stubbies that pack a mean punch”

Generally speaking, powder snowboards are designed with one type of riding in mind. Saying that, many of the ones featured below are so good at turning their hand to smashing through slush or railing carves, you’d be mistaken for thinking they were built for it.

But if you’re looking for a board to take on more serious backcountry lines, or deliver power and performance across the rest of the resort, then our choice of this year’s Best Freeride Snowboards might be more to your liking.

There’s no denying it, most of the boards featured in the list below are luxury and/or impulse buys. Justifying the purchase will be a tall order – until you get completely pitted during that first turn in the powder, that is. After that point, you’ll realise it was worth every penny. Happy shopping.

Related: Best All Mountain Snowboards 2019-2020

Top 5: Best Powder Snowboards 2020

  • YES 20/20
  • Borealis Marauder
  • Korua Pencil
  • Nidecker Mosquito
  • YES Hybrid

Scroll down to view all the best powder snowboards, or skip to a particular model using the links below

YES 20/20 | Borealis Marauder | Korua Pencil | Nidecker Mosquito | YES Hybrid | Bataleon CT | Bataleon Magic Carpet | Bataleon Party Wave | Bataleon Surfer | Borealis Koi | Borealis Leviathan | Capita Spring Break Powder Racer | Jones Hovercraft | Jones Lone Wolf | Jones Storm Chaser | Jones Ultracraft | K2 Cool Bean | Korua Stealth | Lobster Aaron Schwartz | Nidecker Gun | Salomon Äsmo | Weston Japow | YES 420 | YES 420 Powder Hull


Yes 20/20 Snowboard 2019-2020

PRICE: £619

Many guys will be thrilled to read that good things sometimes do come in small packages. Case in point being the YES 20/20. Three years since it was first released, Romain, DCP and JP have redesigned that most elusive of things – a true twin powder snowboard. Welcome to the new age of backcountry freestyle.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM YES
  • Selected for the Whitelines 100- take a closer look at the 2019-2020 YES 20/20 here

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    Borealis Marauder Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £499 / €559

    It’s constantly on the hunt for powder. It can probably detect one part in a million, from over two miles away. Get this to the deep stuff, hold on tight, and let the frenzy begin.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for the Whitelines 100- take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Borealis Marauder here

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    Korua Pencil Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: €449

    The Pencil has all the ability to dig a trench, like the meanest camber boards out there, with the added bonus of being a backcountry rocket that delivers as much float and stability to point it fast – and straight – down a wide-open powder face.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM KORUA
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Korua Pencil here

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    Nidecker Mosquito Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £575/ €600

    The Nidecker Mosquito is a short, powerful, carving weapon that loves to set sail towards the backcountry. With a blunt-nosed rocker, fishtail and directional shape here you have yourself something resembling an ideal powder board. The rocker will keep you afloat in the deep while the fishtail makes turning a piece of piss.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Nidecker Mosquito here

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    YES Hybrid Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £489

    What happens when two of YES Snowboard’s most prolific freeride decks bump uglies? You get the Hybrid. On the YES 420 side of the family, the board gets its short and fat genes which paved the way for a revolution in powder specific shapes. Then, from its YES PYL heritage, it has that extra kick up the arse for charging harder, steeper lines. An unlikely romance, for sure, but the by-product has the look and feel of a modern-day classic.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM YES
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 YES Hybrid here

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    Bataleon CT Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £429 / €500

    Once known as the Camel Toe, the Bataleon CT may have been more aptly named the Moose Knuckle. That gaping wide, crescent-shaped cut out from the tail is prime for pushing into the powder. The maximum uplift in the nose side bases allows the snowboard to skim along the surface and spew all the snow out from underfoot. Ride it as centred at you like, the CT sticks its nose up to everything it comes into contact with.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Bataleon CT here

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    Bataleon Magic Carpet Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £499 / €580

    The Magic Carpet might just be Bataleon’s secret weapon for the last few out there remaining to convert Triple Base. It’s a bona fide beast for smashing powder laps around your home resort, though a quick glance at its spec could deceive the untrained eye.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Bataleon Magic Carpet here

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    Bataleon Party Wave Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £349 / €400

    Last year’s 100 winner and unchanged for this season, the Bataleon Party Wave is viagra for the soul. This is the short ’n’ stubby that defies the odds and delivers riding pleasure all day long.

    What is lacks in length, it makes up for in girth. The Party Wave has a thumping 28 centimetres across the waist. This means it still has all the surface area of the bigger freeride decks and, as a result, floats effortlessly in powder, too.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Bataleon Party Wave here


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    Bataleon Surfer Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £699/ €800

    No, it doesn’t come cheap, and these days the market is abundant with more affordable powder and carving specific snowboards. But who brings a knife to a gunfight? This is the weapon you want to be wielding when it comes to slaying pow.

    With a name like Surfer, there are no prizes for guessing how it’s designed to ride. And boy, does it deliver…

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Bataleon Surfer here

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    Borealis Koi Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £465/ €519

    In the same vein as legendary snow surf shapers, Gentemstick, the Frenchies at Borealis are paying homage to Hokkaido’s world-class powder. This is their answer to tight turns in the trees and open lines in the backcountry. This kind of shape has become synonymous with floating over the top of big, deep powder fields. The stubby, crescent-shaped tail drives down and takes most of the effort out of the ride, while that elongated nose rocker handles the rest.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Borealis Koi here

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    Borealis Leviathan Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £619/ €700

    Taking its name and inspiration from a “Monster of the Deep”, this a proper backcountry behemoth. A powder man’s powder board. Its shape alone tells most of the story: A gigantic, progressive nose rocker; 27mm taper; and a tail that looks eager to sink its teeth into the snow. Effortless float on the deepest of days is the Leviathan’s raison d’être.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Borealis Leviathan here

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    Capita Spring Break Powder Racer Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £450/ €499

    As the latest edition to the Capita Spring Break collection, the Powder Racer will keep you afloat even on the deepest of days and guarantees that smooth surfy feel on every turn.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Capita Spring Break Powder Racer here

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    Jones Hovercraft Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £490 / €550

    The 3D 4.0 Base Contours mimic the underside of a spoon, bevelling out the sides of the base in the nose and tail. There’s also an additional speed channel, shaped into the centre of the tail. All this combines to not only create incredible float – where the back of the board leaves a trail of white smoke after every turn while the nose bounds along the surface – but also a really smooth and predictable transition between the turns.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM JONES
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Jones Hovercraft here

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    Jones Lone Wolf Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £625/ €700

    Who needs a riding pack when you can be a Lone Wolf? The turning torpedo from Jones Snowboards is back on the hunt this season. This is the board for sniffing out the deepest powder.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM JONES
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Jones Lone Wolf here

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    Jones Storm Chaser 2019-2020

    PRICE: £529/ €600

    About the same size as a shot of tequila, it works in much the same way: things start off just fine, but before you know it you’ve lost your friends, have powder all over your face and the last four hours have become one huge blur. Regardless, you’re having the time of your life.
    The outline gives enough of a clue as to what the Storm Chaser was made for, but closer inspection from a few other angles reveals just how well it was made to float.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM JONES
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Jones Storm Chaser here

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    Jones Ultracraft Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £585/ €650

    The Ultra takes on the same shape and directional rocker profile of the Jones Hovercraft so it will be drawn to the same terrain and perform in very similar ways. The 3D Base contour 4.0 has been brought over so, like its predecessor, the nose has the same mind-blowing float while the speed channel-shaped into the tail sinks into the deep and sprays snow out the back like a jetski. Read between the lines, though, and an entirely different board reveals itself.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM JONES
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Jones Ultracraft here

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    K2 Cool Bean Snowboard 2019-2020

    PRICE: £370

    The Cool Bean is a board with a weird and wonderful shape, but it’s not just done to catch eyes in the lift queue, every part is specifically thought out and purposefully designed.

    It uses K2’s Volume Shift, which takes volume out of the length of the board and instead puts it in the width. You’re able to ride a much shorter board, but it will retain the stability and float of one far longer.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 K2 Cool bean here

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    Korua Stealth 2019-2020

    PRICE: €449

    On those extra deep days, onlookers will only catch flashes of red, as the boards’ tail chucks up plumes of white on every turn. Due to its exaggerated nose rocker, you can more or less ride this thing with your weight centred even when there’s bottomless pow.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM KORUA
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Korua Stealth here

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    Lobster Aaron Schwartz 2019-2020

    PRICE: £379/ €430

    The Aaron Schwartz will skim across the top of the snow with ease and has the powder riding capabilities of a board much bigger due to the sheer width and the big spoony schnozz. Pow 3BT dramatically lifts the sidebases in the nose and slightly in the tail to keep you surfing with no dramas.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Lobster Aaron Schwartz here

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    Nidecker Gun 2019-2020

    PRICE: £575/ €600

    As you would imagine it is amazing in powder, the board turns really well and doesn’t feel like the barrel of a shotgun but more like a revolver packing a big punch. Powder slashes on steep terrain can be done with ease as it is so lightweight for a board you would predict to be heavy.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Nidecker Gun here

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    Salomon Äsmo 2019-2020

    PRICE: £600

    It’s designed by none other than Wolle Nyvelt, the founder of ÄSMO Pow Surfers and a proud member of the Salomon snowboard team. The outcome of this alliance is an absolute powder machine, designed to ride with the same mentality as the ÄSMO Snow Surf – just with, you know, bindings.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Salomon Äsmo here

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    Weston Japow 2019-2020

    PRICE: £480/€540/$600

    The Japow is one of those mystical boards that gained a reputation so quickly you could be mistaken for thinking that it had been around since records began. Truly a weapon in the backcountry, Weston’s Japanese inspired deck will be a dream for any rider looking to get lost in the woods.

  • Buy Direct From Weston
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Weston Japow here

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    YES 420 2019-2020

    PRICE: £449

    The theory is simple, but the results are sublime. By drastically reducing the surface area of the snowboard, and replacing that volume across the width, the 420 has all the float you’d find in a board 10+ centimetres its size but also has the edge when it comes to manoeuvrability. Maybe not your best option for charging a no-fall-zone line in Alaska, but for just about every other kind of powder riding – tree runs, pillow drops, and big ol’ wind lip smacks – the 420 is your number.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM YES
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 YES 420 here

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    YES 420PH 2019-2020

    PRICE: £619

    Over ten years in, YES Snowboards are well recognised as one of the most established and authentic brands in the industry. That’s in no small part down to the success of the stumpy, pow specific YES 420 and YES 20/20 decks. The 420 Powder Hull fuses the shape and technology from each and delivers a floater that just won’t flush.

  • BUY DIRECT FROM YES
  • Take a closer look at the 2019-2020 YES 420PH here

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