2002

Note: Review text has been added here as the links have started to stop working on the TWS website
Original Article

Companies whose products aren't shown on this page would like you to think that board tests don't matter. But the Buyer's Guide isn't just another catalog to push products on the uninformed, and no one can buy their entrance into the Good Wood club. No, TransWorld hasn't partnered with Callaway, or Vivid Video for that matter. We came up with the Good Wood (even though some of the boards have composite cores) label as a way to recognize boards that passed our test—the ten best freestyle, and five best women's specific freestyle boards for 2002. These are the boards we'll be tellin' our friends to check out. It took eight riders, five men and three women, and a week of punishment to break it down. Because they were looking for the best freestyle boards, the testers spent every waking hour battering the rides of more than 30 companies in Mammoth's park and halftube.

The "team" was made up of the best pros we could locate who didn't have a board sponsor that week, and two editors from the mag who "used" to ride pretty well. They spun through the torturous grind of ten boards a day, dedicating their all to your cause, and rated each board from one to ten in six categories.

The goal of the test was to make it easier for you to decide which board to buy this year. All of the boards in the Top Ten and Top Five are sure things, but one or two of them will definitely suit your particular style of slayin' better than the others, so check the write-ups and specs that follow.

Of course, there are a lot of other killer boards out there this season, but of the 60-something snowboards we rode, the ones that carry the Good Wood mark are the ones we can honestly say don't suck.

2002 Capita Black Snowboard Of Death 158
2002 Airwalk A-1 158 2002 Allian Sommers 157 2002 Burton Dragon 158 2002 Forum Jones 157 2002 M3 Sidewall 158 2002 Nitro Supernaturals 160 2002 Option Signature 157 2002 Random Icon 159 2002 Type A Jim Moran 159

Manufacturer Web Links:
Airwalk
Allian
Burton
Capita
Forum
M3
Nitro
Option
Random
Type A

Present:
Colin - Cannondale Boing
Ben - Specialized HT
Matt - Giant HT
Mikky - Trek HT (The man lives!)
Tim - Learsport HT (No Golf!)

So I was late as usual. Ben appears to have the seat collar fixed, so no
silly riding like last time. We set off and decide to try out the yet
unexplored, by us, sections of Red Hill closer to Lady Penrhyn Drv.
Lotsa cool drops and much fun was had by at least me, but I think all.
The loggers loop seams way over grown, and plenty of scratches are
scored in the often fast and tight single track. I had a quick OTB, and
jamed my left shin in between the handlebar and top tube. ouch. Just
sore though, no big deal.

A democratic desion is made to exit at the Retirement village, and try
to hook up with the close 4wd track back into Red Hill. Looking at the
above map, we can't have missed it by much, but we didn't locate it. A
bit of backyard riding, and an explore up to a fortress house in the
bush, and we managed ot find a trail connecting back in at the top of
cromer heights. I was taken here about 6 or 7 years ago by a mate from
Dee Why cycles and was riding quite a bit from memory. Worked out in the
end. Cruised up to the sand pit for a longish break.

Set off to do drop zone. weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Another OTB by me trying to pass some newbies trying to ride up the
trail. sily silly silly. Smashed my bad knee. Ouch. Had a go at the main
bit of drop zone at speed. Cleared the first two drops easy, but had the
wrong line into the last big one, and the bike ends up in the bushes.
Lucky the flats are on, and I end up standing next to the bike. Many,
many spectators, with a general concensus of "That could have been
good".

Off to the dam, with Mikky performing one of the biggest nose manuals I
have ever seen, so much so that I forgot to brake and almost ran into
him.

Out onto the Wakehurst parkway, and one of the nastiest uphill climbs I
have ever seen. Big rest at the top, and a ride all the way up the 4wd
trail to the top of the xc trail. On the way Mikky performs a superman....
execelently executed by all accounts, and takes the rocky downhill
section on his sholder. Brushes it off, and we continue.

A quick lap of the xc course is in order, and a decison is made due to
the fading light conditions to skip little moab.
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Ride back out to the top of
Oxford Falls, for my forst trip down the downhill track. A more
experience guide is needed as I ended out on the road far tooo early and
a little backtracking is required. 3 of us make it outto the bottom in
fairly quick time, but nothing like the record of around 2.5 mins. Ben
and Matt take much longer. This is apparently due to a huge stack by
Matt. Another superman according to Ben. (Watch those brakes Matt). We
tar it back to the bottom of 100m hill, and slog up there. A quick ride
back up the main trail to the starting point at Red Hill.

Lights are rquired to drive off in the cars.

As Tim has mentioned the first beer went down like water.

Distance: ~25km
Time: Around 3.5 hrs I think. We started around 2hours and it was pretty
damn dark when we were done.
Mechanicals: 1 - minor brake lever bendage
Flats: 0 - Frigging hell, how the fark did this happen.
Injuries: Hard to say. No breakages, but maybe 3 minors.
Crashes: Many. 2 big ones.

Present:
Ben - Specialized HT
Matt - Giant HT
Tarlo - Shogun HT
PhilM - Shogun Rigid (Ow Ow Ow)
Colin - Cannondale Boing

An early mechanical was had by Ben, snapping the seat collar getting his
bike out fo the car. A quick look for replacement parts saw nothing, and
the idea was to pick up a hose clamp at the hardware store, which was
going to fix everything.

Most met at Central station for the 9:02 train, and then met Phil at Blacktown.
Plenty of bikes about, and just managed to jam all the bikes in the end of the
carrage. A couple of people tried to get past, the first Tarlo politely
told to fuck off and wait for the next station, while the other looked
like he was goiing for a hurdling record.

Got to the Wentworth Falls hardware store, and attenpted the repair.
Ben's bike proves to strong, and we need to resort to some zip ties to
maybe improve things.... off we go... 11:30am. Andersons is only newly opened
from the bush fires and newely grading, so the going is different. A call is
made to mikey to see if he knows the way in a fork in the road, but it
sounds unlikely that he will meet us at Woodford. Tarlo recons the
hangover sounds worse.

Cruise along, and then down the steep bits to the creek. I score the
first flat of the day, and the others go onto the creek. Lunch stop at
the creek, then its off for the big climb. In attempting a photo shot of
the creek crossing, I notice the other wheel has a slow leak, so I score
the second flat for the day. Stupid new tyres they were meant to help
stop this.

Tarlo and Ben attempt to grind up the hill, but both stop at one of the
pinches about half way up. Into Woodfood around 2:45, for a very slow
running of Andersons.

Set off on the Oaks just after 3pm and after the forst small ascent
everyone looks pretty tired, and Tarla and Ben are thinky they probably
shouldn't have attempted the ride out of Bedford Creek. Up and down with
many stops all the way to the helipad, where we all lay about for a bit.
An XC wippet flies by, looking very fresh, I'm sure he got a kick out of
cycling past us on that hill.

Then down the smooth hill to the gate. Much slipstreaming was had, most
fun. Phil avoids the front wheel flat of last time, and doesn't through
his bike in the bushes. The singletrack is now marked, so we took off
on this section. I was being silly, taking "interesting" lines, and very
quickly, scored the thrid flat of the day. While stopping to fix this,
noticed I had managed to pull a spoke out of its nipple. Explains the
slight wobble in the wheel. Quick tighten seems to have the spoke
holding, so its off for more ST. Everyone is dragging by now, especially
Phil on the rigid. Somewhere along the line Tarlo flats and then flats
again, just as we come out onto the road near the causeway.

On the final grind up the hill to Glenbrook, we are passed by someone
actually riding the hill, and a few people riding in, maybe looking to
ride up to Woodford and back in the dark. Fools. Glenbrook station is
made around 6pm, and the next train is only 15min away. No-one risks a
run to the shops, and we sit hungry on the station.

Plenty of room for the bikes, and seats for all on the way home. Whoot.

Distance: ~65km
Time: A slow 6.5 hours, about 2 hours slower than my aim.
Mechanicals: 2 (Ben' seat collar, plus my spoke)
Flats: 5
Injuries: none

2002 M3 Sidewall 158

Our testers aren’t trying to confuse y’all, but they picked the M3 Sidewall 158 as yet another board that you can strap into and have fun on in any kind of terrain. Not a jib-specific board, nor a pure freeriding gun, this board has skills for big jumps, handrails, backcountry lines, and good old-fashioned face shots.

With a flex profile in the middle of the range, Durst thought that the Sidewall 158 was stiff enough to land big jumps, but not too stiff to just cruise around the mountain on a lazy, buttery afternoon. Kramer backs him up: "You can toss this thing around."

A directional shape with a twin-tip flex pattern, the Sidewall 158 also features a tip-to-tail woodcore and a tight radial sidecut. Low nose and tail heights make for some fun surfing when it dumps a couple feet of the light stuff. As is obvious in the name, this board is built with slantwall construction—a first-ever trick from M3. [specs]
Length (cm): 158
Effective edge (cm): 125
Sidecut Radius (m): 8.33
Waist Width (cm): 25.1
Price: US$450

2002 Nitro Supernaturals 160

While most of the top-performing boards in our test killed it in the freestyle department, the Nitro Supernaturals is the one with balls big enough to destroy big-mountain terrain, from Western B.C. to the heart of the Chugach.

Plenty versatile to let you have fun in the park off big jumps, this board is definitely "not your dink-around jib alley board," according to Ami. It’s probably not the best choice for some East Coast pipe kid who rarely rides the lifts, either. Designed to ride, the Supernaturals would be much happier busting a high-speed powder slash and finding a big cliff to drop off.

Like any all-mountain board worthy of passing through the gauntlet of our rigorous testing process, the Supernaturals handles high speeds like a champ. Out of the five testers, just about every one of them mentioned that this board lays down bomber edge hold. For a bigger board, it also has enough pop and a surprisingly lively feel.

[specs]
Length (cm): 160
Effective edge (cm): 124
Sidecut Radius (m): 8.0
Waist Width (cm): 25.2
Price: US$599

2002 Option Signature 157

Canadians as a breed are known for a few things—drinking inhuman volumes of alcoholic beverages, McSorely-style violence in the hockey rink, and ill moves with those special brooms and slippery shoes at the Curling World Championships. From what our testers said at Mammoth, they should also be recognized as the makers of some very fine freestyle snowboards.

The Signature from Option is a solid all-around freestyle board. Most testers in the crew thought it stepped up performance off jumps, in the pipe, on rails, and all over the mountain. As Ami said, "This was a fun board to ride. It had a nice snappy flex and landed well."

Spec-wise, the Signature’s stiff flex profile and tight sidecut radius result in a board that can land anything, loves to carve, and is quick on its feet. The only downside of this board’s flex is that the nose is a little too stiff for pressing on funboxes. So if you like to take your freestyle all over the mountain, this board rips. But if you are only focused on being a jib-monkey, it’s probably not the best choice.

[specs]
Length (cm): 157
Effective edge (cm): 123
Sidecut Radius (m): 7.7
Waist Width (cm): 24.7
Price: US$429

2002 Random Icon 159

If there’s one area where this board steps it up, it’s in the halfpipe. After a few runs in Mammoth’s well-shaped superpipe, the Icon had our testers coming back smiling. As Dresser commented, "This board rides pipe effortlessly."

While Kramer thought the Icon initiated turns a little slowly for freeriding, Jenke was so amped on it that you’d think he’s on the take from the marketing folks back at Random’s headquarters. "This board rips. There is nothing I could suggest to improve its performance," he said. Of course Jenke is an honest guy who would never take a bribe.

At a little over 25 cm in waist width, the Icon is ideal for riders with size nine or ten feet who prefer slantwall construction to cap. Stiff in the tail, it also loves to pop big ollies and stomp landings in pow.

[specs]
Random
Icon
Length (cm): 159
Effective edge (cm): 124
Sidecut Radius (m): 8
Waist Width (cm): 25.2
Price: US$425

2002 Type A Jim Moran 159

A rider who likes to consume large quantities of frosty malted beverages, Jim Moran was obviously stone-cold sober when he designed his latest pro model from Type A. After hours of diligent testing and compiling the reams of data, our results were as clear as a shot of chilled vodka—this board rocks.

Not a board to get pigeonholed into one style of riding, Moran’s design stepped it up anywhere the testers took it. Park, pipe, rails, natural terrain—this board ruled it all. As Ami said, "I loved this sucker on all terrain."

But it seems our test crew likes their boards the way they like the ladies—skinny in the waist like anorexic supermodels. Even though the Moran features a waist width of 24.9 centimeters (fairly narrow compared to other models), a couple testers thought it was a little wide for their style and not quite quick enough.

[specs]
Type A
Jim Moran
Length (cm) 159
Effective edge (cm): 124
Sidecut Radius (m): 8.3
Waist Width (cm): 24.9
Price: US$389

2002 Airwalk A-1 158

One of just two sans-sidwall boards in the top ten, the A-1 stood out with traditional cap characteristics--shitloads of pop. This year's A-1 is kitted with a sintered base and just the right number of four-by-to ("machine gun") inserts to get you dialed. For guts, it's got a somcposit, Airex core that supplies what Ami called a "Nice, still flex."

The lively flex and pop were on top of every tester's scorecard, but some riders noticed a slighte delay in turns--probably because the A-1 comes with a belt size (waist width) of 25.5 cms. It's laid out for size-nine to ten-and-a-half botts; if you're not as large-toed, try the 155 length. The A-1 is pure, directional dopeness, and it's far from limited to the park or halftube.

Length: (cm): 158
Effective edge (cm): 122.8
Sidecut Radius (m):8.1
Waist width (cm): 25.55
Price: US$450

2002 Allian Sommers 157

This deck is a finely crafted all-around freestyle weapon. From laps in the park and pipe to high-speed freeriding, the test crew agreed that the Allian Sommers is a fully legit contender. When it comes to stomping tricks, Durst couldn’t have said it any better: "This board likes to land shit."

Sommers designed this board for snappy, quick responsiveness—perfect for his technical pipe riding. Built to his specs, a narrow waist (24.1 cm) and a stiff flex profile deliver the goods for riders who want a twitchy, lively feel under their feet.

But if you’ve got size-ten dogs like Jenke, it’s probably a good idea to look for a wider board—this board is designed for riders with size eight or nine boots.

[specs]
Length (cm): 157
Effective edge (cm): 117
Sidecut radius (m): 7.3
Waist width (cm): 24.1
Price: US$425