As the newest addition to the Slash family, the Vertical snowboard has jumped straight in at the deep end (quite literally), becoming Gigi’s go-to companion for days out in the backcountry. Not surprising then, that Slash have also produced a split version of this one. Even so, there’s a whole bunch of features that make the Vertical a stand-up choice for in-bounds charging, too.

Since moving construction to a new facility in Poland, Slash are able to make ground on some more advanced shaping designs. The rockered nose also features a 3D bevel, with 3mm of lift flanking either side of the nose beyond the contact points. The double benefits of this are increased float and reduced friction up at the front end, without slowing down the edge-to-edge response between turns.

“There’s a whole bunch of features that make the Vertical a stand-up choice for in-bounds charging, too”

It’s this ‘two sides of the same coin’ approach that makes the Vertical a solid option for riders who live for deep days but don’t want to be sat on the sidelines waiting for the next reset. There’s a mellow section of camber running through the body of the board, as well as a progressive sidecut and additional traction ‘bump’ in the centre of the sidecut. All of which significantly improves grip and performance on piste.

Similarly, the tapered outline and setback stance (as well as an extra set of inserts positioned even further towards the tail) obviously bolster the Vertical’s credentials on those ‘bring your snorkel’ kind of powder days, but this also keeps it agile and reactive for laying out some carves on early morning corduroy. Providing you’re not planning too many laps in the park anytime soon, you’ll find this one can hold its own across the entire all-mountain freeride spectrum.

Its flex rating sits towards the stiffer end of the spectrum at a 7/10, positioning itself right in between the more powerful all-mountain ATV snowboard and the slightly softer, Brainstorm. The same goes for its price point.

Gigi and the team at Slash don’t yet seem to have been swayed by the increasing trend towards volume shifted snowboards. Although a snowboard like the Vertical might make you wonder why you’d ever consider anything other than the tried, trusted and quality freeride design on offer here. You wouldn’t trade in a prize-winning thoroughbred for a Shetland pony, now, would you?