Shape, Profile and Sidecut

The first thing to flag here is that the Drake Battle Rusty is wide – and if you’re big enough, it can be damned wide. The 163cm version has a whopping 279mm waist width, which is roughly one and a half centimetres more than most ‘wide’ boards. Depending on your preference, that can be a very good thing. For example, it’s much easier to dig a trench when you know your toes aren’t going to catch on the snow mid-carve. As for backcountry performance, the floatation advantage provided by the extra surface area should go without saying.

Whatever length you opt for, the nose is slightly wider than the tail. That’ll come in handy when you’re in the deep stuff, allowing the relatively conventional shape to drop the tail and keep you bouyant. You’ll get a more satisfying purchase on groomers, too.

That being said, it’s not a drastic taper, so rails are very much on the table. The blunted nose and tail make those 270s-on much easier, and the flattish sections of profile near the inserts will lock you in and let you press for days. In between the feet you’ve got something resembling standard camber, so there’s no shortage of pop or edge hold when you need them.

“The flattish sections of profile near the inserts will lock you in and let you press for days”

Construction and Materials

Let’s start at the bottom; unusually for a board that is expected to kiss metal on a regular basis, the Drake Battle Rusty has a top-spec sintered base. There’s even carbon in there, so you know it’ll whip along when you want it to. Speaking of the black stuff, the carbon rod introduced last year is back for another go, adding to the profile’s pop power without affecting the torsional flex. Wide boards tend to need less help in that department, so it’s a smart choice.

Dampening comes courtesy of stips of urethane in the core. That’s the same stuff you find in skateboard wheels, and it does a real number on unwanted vibrations when you’re charging. You’ll find it in the sidewalls, too, taking the sting out of every connection with a handrail or box. As for the core itself, Drake favours Aspen wood, which is much the same as poplar; dependable, durable and not too heavy.

“Unusually for a board that is expected to kiss metal on a regular basis, the Drake Battle Rusty has a top-spec sintered base”

Roundup

The Drake Battle Rusty is far from your common-or-garden all-rounder; like we said, it’s designed for the streets and the pow, so riders who like both of those in equal measure may find that this is the deck they’ve been looking for.

At the same time, Drake hasn’t reinvented the wheel (or the toothbrush) with this one, so for those who currently identify as more of a piste-cruising hobbyist, this has everything you need for taking those first steps into a life of jibbing, slashing, or both.

Pros:

• A refreshing take on the do-it-all deck, and one that’s anything but boring
• If you suffer from toe drag, this one will banish it for good

Cons:

• If you’re after a true all-mountain board but aren’t really interested in rails, this may not be your best bet

“Hands down my favourite board that I tested that day, and probably in my top 3 of the test week. As far as an all-mountain board goes, this is it.
It toes the line perfectly between being buttery when you want to press and snappy when you want to pop while still being responsive and stiff enough to get a carve on and charge at speed.

The second I strapped into this board it just felt “light” and I hadn’t even moved yet, it just imbued a desire to get off the floor which made it so damn fun and playful when I did start sliding down a hill on it.
It’s slightly volume shifted which makes it a great option for taller guys with bigger feet like myself to enjoy snowboards the way other, regularly sized humans enjoy snowboards. I rode this slightly smaller than my normal range of 158-161 which put it in the all-mountain /freestyle category.

And I’m certain that should I have sized up to the 158 it would have had the extra stability to make it more of a freeride monster.

A couple of us tried this board that morning, and at the end of the first run there was always a guaranteed ear-ear grin. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know then maybe you should start telemarking or something.”

“The Battle Rusty is a board that re-joined the collection when myself and the rest of the Rusty toothbrush team joined Drake. Drake did have a free-ride orientated board under the name of “The Battle” some years back but it’s rebirth in collaboration with our crew has been a bit of a game changer.

The big dream while designing this board was to bridge the gap between street and BC riding and while at first glance it does look like a pure free ride board don’t be fooled because we made sure to keep it just flexy enough for those deep presses and with the addition of the ‘carbon bar’ last year it’s now even poppier and more responsive for when you really want to send it. It’s the board we all ride anywhere, any day and in any conditions.”