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Drake Team 2020-2021 Snowboard Review

  • Price: 600CHF
  • Category: All-Mountain
  • Ability Level: Intermediate, Advanced
  • Size: 150, 153, 156, 159, 160w, 162
  • Flex: 8/10
  • Shape: Directional Twin
  • Profile: Camber
  • Base: Sintered

The longstanding rider and fan favourite Drake Team is back and better than ever. A few choice nips and tucks have streamlined the Team and although it retains much of its classic feel, it now boasts even more versatility than it has previously.

An updated shape blunts the nose and tail reducing the swing weight in those key zones, boosting the Team’s freestyle credentials. This diminishes the pendulum effect that can be found and offers more balance and control when you’re spinning. Also new for 2020/21 are the UR’INSANE urethane sidewalls, these soak up chatter from bombing cat tracks or mottled pistes.

“An updated shape blunts the nose and tail reducing the swing weight in those key zones”

When it comes to pop and power, you can’t beat a classic camber profile. As the board is weighted it powers up the sidecut and always wants to pop and spring back up delivering an aggressive and dynamic ride. It’s not as forgiving as a rockered or flat board but gives far more control and precision in all conditions.

Backing up the lively profile is a carbon Kevlar rod running through the centre of the board from tip to tail. This not only energises the whole length of the Team, but it works to dampen some of the high frequency vibrations when you’re blasting full speed.

“It’s just begging to boost sidehits, bomb hills and pop windlips”

The Drake Team screams all-mountain freestyle, it’s just begging to boost sidehits, bomb hills and pop windlips. Nice and playful torsionally, but response and energetic through the length, you’ve got a best of both worlds approach.

Tester’s Verdict 2019/20

Paul WoolProfessor

“It had been a really long time since I rode anything from Drake, so I was super stoked to get on the pioneering brand’s ‘Drake Team 2020’ board for three days in April. Overall it is a powerful piece of all-mountain kit, but definitely avoid this board if you’re a beginner. It stood up to everything the mountain could throw at it, with standout abilities in technical backcountry lines and simply when going fast as hell around the whole mountain.

In your hand, the board looks solid, clearly well made with a nice finish. I rode a 158 high spec medium flex binding and got a wide variety of terrain to sample.

This board is no joke, and is not to be trifled with. It demands to be ridden hard and fast, and it definitely took me a bit of time getting used to it. The base is very quick and soaks up wax very well. It is, no doubt, a stiff board throughout – I guess about 8 out of 10 – with a directional twin shape that has a classic style camber, right under both feet.

“This board is no joke, and is not to be trifled with”

When carving and charging, the stiffness is evident offering next level response that demands your full attention. The sidecut is on point, with solid contact points that engage turns with confidence. The classic camber combined with a powerful edge give your turns an extremely reliable hold when going fast. ‘Fast’ is the default setting with this board, and stands up well in terms of stability. Chatter is not a consistent problem, and it seems to mow down everything in its path; crud, slush, fresh powder, the Drake Team makes light work of it.

In the park the board felt great to jump. It has serious pop and feels stable in the air. It dampens and absorbs shocks very well, taking strain off sketchy landings. Not a great board for noodling, buttering and low key park jibbing, this board is a sender looking for the big hits.

It feels good in the powder and can take a drop well. It is challenging in the trees and tight powder terrain.

Overall it is a bombproof board that any advanced / expert rider would enjoy. There are more chilled All Mountain rides out there, but the Drake Team is reserved for the heavy hitters and senders who like a powerful rig – one that’s built for abuse.”

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