New on the scene this season is UK Snowboard brand Striding Edge Snowboards. Entering into a dwindling yet competitive market, Striding Edge have a Eco-friendly MO that can be seen from the material that their snowboards are constructed with, right through to the core foundations of the company. With a realistic target of being carbon neutral by 2016, the Striding Edge Snowboards office is even powered by renewable energy.
The snowboards are sandwich constructed with a Bamboo core and also a Bamboo topsheet. With the benefits of being very light, waterproof, yet extremely durable, Bamboo is the environments BFF because it absorbs far more carbon dioxide than any other wood.
This is all well and good, but how do they ride? I put the Striding Edge signature board to the test out on the slopes of Meribel.
The first thing that I noticed was the striking graphics of a Golden Eagle on the board, which was inspired by the last remaining Golden Eagle in the UK, which can be found in the Lake District of where the brand was founded (Striding Edge is the name of a ledge at Helvellyn Peak).
The Striding Edge has a true twin shap, has a subtle Rocker profile and is well constructed using a IS7500 sintered base. With the options of 150, 155 or 160 for sizes, I opted for the 155. I am usually 156, so I was dubious of how it would handle in powder.
I had great fun cruising the resort runs and found the board to be responsive yet stable at speed, but being a Rocker, it can slow up on the flats. But, as you would expect from a Rocker, it was almost impossible to catch an edge and was very playful, generating a powerful pop for Ollies. For these reasons you can have fun throwing tricks in the park or off natural kickers and really experiment.
The real test for me was the powder, and despite having a shorter board than usual, it surfed the POW like a dream. The Striding Edge floats effortlessly while remaining responsive.
Despite getting a battering from going over rocks off-piste and also from those pesky skiers in the ski lift lines with their sticks, the board proved to be as tough as nails with hardly a scratch on it.
Overall, I was really impressed with the Striding Edge and considering how well made it is, I can’t believe that it is selling for only £250!
If you are used to bombing it around the mountain on a Camber board then it may take an hour or two to get used to the Rocker (reverse camber) profile, but once you do it will be so worth it.
A snowboard with a Rocker profile is ideal for beginners because it is harder to catch an edge and easier to learn tricks. Because of the natural lift at the ends of the board, For more experienced riders, rocker’s are perfect for shredding the POW, but not so good for speed and the flats, although I found the Striding Edge to handle these well.
Summary
Rating 9/10
Brand: Striding Edge Snowboards
Make: Striding Edge
Price: £250
Profile: Rocker
Flex: Medium
Shape: True Twin
Sizes: 150,155,160 (155 tested)
Check out Striding Edge Snowboards and buy one at: stridingedgesnowboards.com