As someone who owns a Stealth, has spent quite a bit of time riding the Pencil and even managed a few power laps on the Tranny Finder +, I’m quite familiar with the Korua line. So queuing for first lifts with the Dart strapped to my foot felt a bit like a busman’s holiday. That feeling instantly vanished after the first turn.

This is a completely different snowboard. That’s obvious enough from looking at it, but I’d failed to appreciate just how fun and surfy the back-end is with so little board behind your back foot. It’s not a snowboard I’d probably opt for on those big bootpack days when I’m facing any kind of uncertainty to the snow conditions, but for inbounds resort riding, pow slashing, piste lapping days it’s an absolute blinder.

“Queuing for first lifts with the Dart strapped to my foot felt a bit like a busman’s holiday. That feeling instantly vanished after the first turn”

Obviously, you need to be a little more reactive back on the pistes than you do with something like the Pencil. It’s quite easy to over-cook some of those butt-scraping, knuckle-dragging heelside carves, but that’s not surprising given the relatively easygoing flex and stumpy pocket-rocket size of the Dart.

That’s kind of what I loved about it though. It’s wide enough with enough camber to feel stable on and off-piste, but there’s a real fire-cracker feeling underfoot with this one. Bang! Into the white room. Bam! Boost a pillow. Boosh! Slice a carve and ping right into the next one. That said, I rode the 156. I reckon if I sized up one I’d have found it much more aggressive in carves, but possibly at the expense that more lively feel.

Comparing the pros and cons of various Korua Shapes decks doesn’t really achieve a lot. Despite the matching red and white colourways, most of the snowboards in the Classic Series ride very differently from one another. There’s a better litmus test on offer here, and it’s one I’m loathed to be the test patient for:

Do I prefer it to my Stealth?

Yes. 100%. Absolutely.

Looks like my all-time favourite board’s just been pipped by its little brother.”

“This is a quick-turning, nimble little arrow of a board. Edge-to-edge it was rapid, and with a mellow flex you can tell that this is built for old school snow surfing in powder or on hardpack.

As you’d expect, given its stubby, deep swallow tail, there’s not a ton of pop in the Dart, but if you’re considering this board then that shouldn’t be your prime concern anyway – it’s built for riders who want to chuck buckets and throw shakas.

“It carved well and felt stable at most speeds – only becoming a bit too loose when you tried to dig the edge in at full pelt”

I took the shortest version out for a summer day lapping Les Deux Alpes and it was super fun. It carved well and felt stable at most speeds – only becoming a bit too loose when you tried to dig the edge in at full pelt. It was certainly too short, but even if I’d had the 160 there are certainly harder carvers and harder chargers out there from KORUA themselves, not to mention other brands.

But if you’re just after a board that will bring the mellow goodtimes to trees, pow, hardpack and slush, this would be an excellent – and eye-catching – choice. I’d love to take tree laps on this thing.”