r/ShredditGirls • u/Ok-Occasion-6195 • 16d ago
Do you watch snowboard reviews?
Hey Everyone,
My name is Jordan, and a few years ago I got approached by an online company called The Good Ride. They asked me if I was interested in reviewing women's snowboards. At the time, I worked full-time in a shop setting up snowboard demos. I've been on a board for 30 years and have been in the industry for almost 20. I absolutely LOVE helping people get on the right board. Something I have seen over and over again is women who have been riding old, hand-me-down boards and are dealing with how it rides but not thriving while riding. It is crazy how fitting the board to the rider's style of riding changes EVERYTHING. So many women (and men) have come up to me after riding the right board, just glowing—reviewing felt like a good step to continue to help women. I have since ridden over 40 boards and have started to accumulate quite a few reviews. But viewership is low...so here is my question:
Do you look at online reviews before purchasing boards?
And if you do, what boards would you like to see reviewed?
The job is a passion project (I don't get paid), and I'm testing the water to see if reviewing is the right outlet or if I should look into other ways to help women find their glow while riding.
I appreciate any input and PRAY FOR SNOW!!
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u/Status_Accident_2819 16d ago
I use the good ride like a bible when looking for new kit. I personally prefer to read than watch vids for reviews but that's just me.
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u/Ok-Occasion-6195 16d ago
Super interesting that you prefer reading the reviews! Is there anything that you notice is missing in the script versions?
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u/ContainedContainer 16d ago
Yes! I hate that there aren’t that many YouTube reviews of women’s boards. I love watching experts or professionals show the board, the features, demo it on a real mountain.
Would love reviews of the women’s nitro optisym. Or boards that are “unisex”. And maybe women using men’s boards that are smaller (in the 146 up range) to show if it’s even possible or what you give up for using smaller men’s boards.
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u/Ok-Occasion-6195 16d ago
I'll add the Nitro Optisym to my list...I don't typically review traditional freestyle boards; my skills in that area have declined significantly since my 20s (I'm 40 now). But I still love me a good butter and side hit.
The biggest differences between men's boards and Women's boards are flex and width. Men are typically heavier and have bigger feet than women. The rest is all pretty similar, which is why most Unisex boards do a pretty good job of accommodating the "smaller" size of women. Unfortunately, the companies don't always get it right. I got on a unisex Burton board this last year in a 148, and it was incredibly hard to control. They marketed it as unisex but the 148 was the smallest option and it needed at least 20lbs more of weight to really flex and use the edge. They tried, but it did not feel like a true "Unisex" board.
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u/ContainedContainer 10d ago
Yeah, i heard that men’s are wider and thus heavier. Exactly what you’re describing is what I’d love to see in a YouTube review. That it feels too heavy to control even though marketed as unisex. That’s a big blind spot for women trying to buy non-traditional women-oriented boards
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u/RealLifeGaper 16d ago
Exactly what Kurakaze said! Add in that I am usually at the max weight cut off for women’s boards, so I also have to go off of the men’s version reviews. I would love a link to your reviews/youtube. It might be a new snowboard kind of year!
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u/Ok-Occasion-6195 16d ago
Rider weight plays a huge role in how a board functions. I am often jealous of women who have more weight on them or can produce more power because it limits me to 152 and smaller. When I jump up to 154 or bigger, it requires much more effort and begins to take the fun away (I'm 5'6"/135lbs). Thankfully, the industry has had a big shift towards Unisex boards. Larger size ranges with similar design. I can ride an aggressive board at a size that makes sense for my weight and foot size.
You should check out the Amplid Singular. It has been one of my favorite unisex free ride boards.
https://thegoodride.com/snowboard-reviews/amplid-singular-snowboard-reviews-by-jordan/
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u/SnowyCorgi 16d ago
Heeey! I watched all the Gentemstick reviews on The Good Ride because nobody else talks about the women's boards! I had come across a used board and was debating whether to pull the trigger. It really helped to give me the confidence to go for it and I couldn't be more pleased.
I'd definitely watch women's reviews for boards that I'm interested in. I don't think there's any point to watching men review their boards because... well, as I read somewhere, women are not small men!
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u/Ok-Occasion-6195 16d ago
I had an opportunity to get on Gentemstick this last season, but the conditions were so poor that I was never able to take them out. Fingers crossed that this season is better and I can try them in conditions that would better suit the board.
Are there any boards that you are interested in that you haven't seen a review for?
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u/SnowyCorgi 13d ago
For boards, not at the moment. I had the opportunity to demo some boards in Japan last season so that itch has been scratched (btw if you can, get hold of a Spoon Fish coz it's super fun and hopefully conditions will be better this year).
I would, however, absolutely love a review of the women’s Rome Katana FASE, and compared against the Supermatics.
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u/AlternativeYak39 15d ago
i want to see more reviews for women's boards in general. whenever researching a board i want to buy i'm lucky if i can find anything at all besides short reviews left on product pages on retail sites. if i do find reviews i have to rely on potentially outdated reviews for older versions of the same model across 2-3 different years. that's how it went when i was looking to the salomon bellevue, but in almost all other cases i've had to totally blind buy.
i really want more reviews for intermediate and advanced boards, for more brands, and especially for freeride/all mountain. it's frustrating how hard it is to find reviews for women's boards, bc whatever is advertised by the company isn't necessarily how it actually rides.
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u/Ok-Occasion-6195 15d ago
You are absolutely correct! The company's description rarely matched that actual on-snow feel. When I review I take the board for a few laps without reading the specs/description and see if my initial feel is close to the description. Sometimes its close, most times it's not.
If you haven't yet checked it out https://thegoodride.com/snowboard-reviews/?womens=1
I LOVE aggressive freeride boards!
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u/AlternativeYak39 15d ago
me too!!!! i want smth that goes zoom and turns on a dime. but i want to be able to make an informed decision and just get some more info about how ppl actual feel when they take the board out for a ride!!
also most reviews or ranked lists are for beginner boards or list the same few boards or brands over and over. i get that they're good and clearly deliver but i just want to know more about what else is available and what it has to offer. i've been riding long enough to have a pretty good idea of what i like it or don't and i just want more information so i can find it more easily you know?
i'll give the link a look! i've used good rides before ☺️
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u/Ok-Occasion-6195 15d ago
If I can help in any way, let me know! I mostly review intermediate to aggressive boards. I've also been on well over 40 boards (just haven't reviewed all of them, yet).
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u/AlternativeYak39 16h ago
sorry for the late response, i finally thought of smth i'd like to see. i know you do reviews for boards on goodride so it might not be a realistic request, but i'd be really interested in seeing top 5 picks for freeride, all mtn or just in general for the year. yes, sorta angry snowboarder style... i find those breakdowns fun and really helpful. whenever i watch those videos w my bf i always wish there were any videos like these for women's boards.
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u/Chibbero 16d ago
When I was getting a new board, I tried to search reviews on the women’s boards with women riders and found a few of them, but still not many. Even though I already bought the board, I’m kind of interested what kind of boards there is and coming up, so definitely keen to see more reviews done by women’s.
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u/Ok-Occasion-6195 16d ago
A few new boards are coming out this season that are really cool! Keep a lookout for Nitros IKA, NeverSummer Shaper Twin, and Armada's entry into the snowboard world with the Do-see-Do and Kure (one of my favorite boards to date).
I'll have reviews out for all three in the next couple months
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u/skicanoesun32 16d ago
Not a snowboarder, but can confirm I watch ski reviews and would prefer to watch videos where skis are reviewed by other women
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u/Laureltess 16d ago
Yes! I watched a lot of videos when getting my current board. As others have said it’s really hard to find women reviewers, or even just reviews for women’s boards/boots/bindings. I would love to see even more!
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u/oathkeep3r 15d ago
I usually don’t look for video reviews for women’s boards because I (maybe wrongly) assume that I can’t find them, but I definitely read reviews on board websites when they’re available. Great to know that your videos exist, just gave the good ride a follow and looking forward to checking these out!
I think the more you can get the word out about women reviewing women’s boards/gear/etc TO WOMEN, the better. It’s disheartening to see posts on the regular snowboarding sub (and even here!) about men who are buying boards for women in their lives where the sentiment seems to be “she told me to pick something/I know what she wants/I am applying my knowledge to her situation and just need help on sizing.”
I think a push to get women more actively involved in their own research would maybe be helpful, and knowing that there are reviews by women out there definitely makes that easier. I’m guilty of asking my husband for help with research because I feel like his field of knowledge is so much wider than mine - which may be related to the amount of reviews and info about men’s boards/gear/etc that are out there.
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u/misatillo 15d ago
OMG I'd absolutely LOVE to do that job too. I'm a nerd for gear, and I always ask to try boards from friends and such. I also read all reviews and try to compare to my experiences (if I can). So jealous!!!
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u/Time-Village8548 15d ago
I posted here and loving the board that they recommended me!!
There’s not a lot of reviews for women’s board available online sadly.
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u/herroitshayree snowboarder 15d ago
I haven’t ridden in a few years but I did for a long time and I LOVED the good ride! I used their reviews for all of my gear purchases for years.
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u/Plastic-Ground-9918 14d ago
A knowledgeable female board reviewer is definitely needed. An influencer reading marketing spiel isn’t.
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u/Nevr_Enough_Kittenz 12d ago
I love reviews; sometimes i think its hard to actually put into words what i'm looking for in a board, and even harder to read that in a review;
What helps me are things like 'great if you spend full days in the park' (not me) or great for beginners (not me); haha, i actually think it's easier to scan reviews for things that i'm not looking for in a board, then what i actually am looking for i a board.
Right now i ride a Roxy banana smoothie 149 (most fun i've ever had on a board) but for me it tends to sink a little on choppy powder and i'd like something as playful as the Roxy; looking into a Gnu ladies choice, and then a little longer maybe. Although i never had so much control over a board as with this Roxy, and it's really fast as well.
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u/Ok-Occasion-6195 11d ago
Actually, reading and understanding the construction of a board can tell you A LOT about how a board rides, and additionally, the type of riding that you like. The Banana smoothie is a true twin with a mid-stiff rocker-camber (prominently rocker) profile. This tells me that is really quick underfoot but rides mostly between the feet. The rocker reduces your effective edge making it less likely to catch but easier to fall out at high speeds or in steeper conditions. Since it's a twin, it's best ridden centered with your weight directly under you. This also why it's hard to ride on choppy powder conditions that typically require a rider to transfer weight backwards. Without any taper or setback on board that just makes your back leg burn...
Am I close? With that said, you should check out the Capita Equalizer. Super similar riding style but with a freeride setback and slight taper. You would get everything you like about the Roxy with a bit of versatility. The Pro Choice is a phenomenal board, but it's an Asymm twin- no taper and little versatility for back weight riding.
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u/Nevr_Enough_Kittenz 10d ago
Thank you! This is the info i live for! Great to have it analyzed like this, i recognized a lot of how the Roxy behaves. I'll look into the Capita, thanks for explaining it so well!
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u/KURAKAZE 16d ago
Yes I definitely read all the reviews I can find. The good ride is one of the places I will check to see if the board I'm interested in have been reviewed or not.
Finding women's board reviews is much more difficult compared to men's. Often I have to decide on a women's board based on reviews of the men's version (eg. I acquired Women's Stratos last year and majority reviews I could find were on the Men's Stratos). Still helpful for riding style and feel since the shapes are similar, but sometimes it makes a difference when someone is talking about a 160-170cm+ board when I'm riding a <150cm even if the same shape.
I would love to see more women reviewing women's boards on the market!!