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Snowboards

Borealis Artefact 2021-2022 Snowboard Review

  • Price: £515 / €599 / $699
  • Category: All-Mountain
  • Sizes: 159, 163W, 166W
  • Flex: 7/10
  • Shape: Directional Twin
  • Profile: Combo
  • 3D: Yes / No
  • Base: Sintered

Compared to some other boards in the Borealis line-up, the Artefact looks relatively normal in terms of shape, stood next to the Koi or the Leviathan, you might even say it looks pretty basic. But if anything, this is the secret strength of the Artefact, the traditional shape gives you complete freedom across varied terrain. This is no fuss, no frills. The Artefact doesn’t employ the smoke and mirrors tactics to dazzle you, it lets the riding do the talking, and in our opinion, this is one eloquent deck.

This award-winning, all-terrain snowboard from Borealis might not look like your typical freeride hog, but rest assured the Artefact has the chops for some seriously technical descents. Just ask Freeride World Tour athlete, Clement Bochatay if you don’t believe us.

“This is no fuss, no frills”

MORE INFO:
BOREALIS-SNOWBOARDS.COM

Who Is The Borealis Artefact For?

Riders who love surfy turns in the deep snow, but want a board that will do for any day of the season, regardless whether it’s be puking or not. You love riding anywhere and everywhere and want one board to do it all, freestyle, freeride and everything in between. The stiffer flex and camber dominant profile mean it’ll handle best with an experienced rider who knows how to get the most out of it.

Shape, Profile and Sidecut

With its extra set of inserts, elongated rocker in the nose and 25mm setback, it’s no wonder that the Artefact excels in the deeper snow, but despite its freeride prowess, unlike some ultra-specific decks, the Artefact can adapt to a multitude of terrain with ease.

The twin outline, milled tips and midbody camber lend themselves to freestyle, be that in the park or backcountry pillows, and the lack of taper plus the shorter rocker in the tail means riding switch is most certainly on the cards. When you take the Artefact on piste, you get the benefits of the dynamic camber profile again, allowing for stability at speed and traction through your turns.

“Riders who love surfy turns in the deep snow, but want a board that will do for any day of the season, regardless whether it’s be puking or not”

Construction and Materials

Sustainability is the name of the game with Borealis, and the Artefact makes the most of their green construction but not to the detriment of the board’s performance. An FSC-Certified dual wood core is reinforced with bamboo for extra rebound and snap, recycled Greenpoxy Eco-Resin is a high-performance alternative to traditional epoxy resins, its kitted out with recycled steel edges and a flip-flop base to reduce wastage. We love to see it.

So those are the nature-friendly eco points, and here’s the lab grown top shelf performance. A Vibragum Topsheet soaks up chatter, working with the carbon and kevlar Powder Paw stringers to dampen the ride whilst the latter offers stability and power through the edges and beefs up the tail. Topped off with Borealis’ most performance-oriented base to bring you up to speed, and responsive triax fibreglass weave to bolster torsional stiffness, the Artefact is a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“The stiffer flex and camber dominant profile mean it’ll handle best with an experienced rider who knows how to get the most out of it”

Roundup

Unassuming on the surface, but like an undercover agent, the Artefact gives away little from its appearance, stealthy to the extreme you wouldn’t know just how technical it is until you strap in.

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