Just when you think Signal can’t get any more creative they blow your mind. Working with NAMM the guys down in Huntington Beach created a Xylophone snowboard that actually played music then took it up to Superpark where Hamish Martin their New Zealand rider sent some jumps on it.

The SL is the longest running deck in Never Summers line up. Known for their damp stable ride and R.C. Tech the SL lives up to the hype of being their best selling model. I personally haven’t ridden the SL in years but here’s how it stacked up.

Board: Never Summer SL

Size: 155

Camber Option: R.C. Technology. A mix of camber under foot and reverse camber between the feet.

Bindings: Raiden Phantoms

Stance: 22.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 UFO Size 10

My Weight: 165

Resort: Breckenridge

Conditions: Sunny bluebird skies, firmer slush, a little bit of sticky snow in spots, and what was left of the best park in North America and in my opinion the world.

Flex: Little softer in the nose stiffening up in between the feet, and then just a hair stiffer in the tail. Over all I’d call it as being just a bit above mid flex for an all mountain deck.

Stability: If you know Never Summer then you can bank on the fact that the board will be damp and smooth in any kind of terrain. This board lives up to that as it was push mound heaven and

Ollies: There’s pop but nothing that stands out as being outstanding. It’s enough to get the job done while crusing around the mountain.

Pop On Jumps: It’s enough to load the tip up and pop medium to larger kickers with ease.

Butterability: Just put a bit more effort into it for maximum margarine goodness otherwise you can cheat it if you want due to the R.C. Tech.

Jibbing: The board locks in really well for presses and the sweet spot isn’t as good as the blunted shape on the Proto or Evo.

Carving: The Vario Power Grip locks in for hard carves as well as minor set up turns. It gives great control under foot.

Rider in Mind: The all mountain guy that dabbles in the park occasionally and still plays around in the powder when it happens.

Personal Thoughts: If you’re looking for better pop go with a Proto or Evo that blunt shape just has better initiation. Over all though there’s a reason this board is a staple in the Never Summer line. If you’re doing more all mountain than park this might be the deck for you.

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Theodus one of our contributing writers invited me over for dinner at his luxury bachelor pad basement dungeon suite a while back. During this dungeon meal I met Dan and made a promise that I would probably host his edit or rape his grandmother, either way it looks like the edit won out. Here’s what Breck and Keystone have to offer. And just for the record Breck is the best park on earth.

If you were too busy snowboarding to catch this contest now Red Bull has put it up for everyone to see. So being like every other media site we’re adding it as well for you to enjoy.

The first time I ever set foot on an Arbor it was this exact model and with that maiden voyage on that years Coda I saw everything Arbor had to offer. Their combination of reverse camber and grip tech makes all the difference in the world with how these boards ride. In all those seasons that have past this board still doesn’t disappoint.

Board: Arbor Coda

Size: 157

Camber Option: All mountain system. Center reverse with grip tech under foot.

Bindings: Raiden Phantoms

Stance: 22.5 Wide 18 negative 15 goofy.

Boots: K2 UFO Size 10

My Weight: 165

Resort: A Basin

Conditions: Sunny bluebird slightly firmer snow.

Flex: Softer in the nose then stiffening up under foot and in the tail. Little bit of give torsionally to allow for center twisting when initiating turns.

Stability: The nose had a bit of chatter but over all this board is stable but lively.

Ollies: You can load up the tips and snap. Granted the tail will have more snap than the nose due to the flex.

Pop On Jumps: You can send a jump on this board without a problem.

Butterability: The nose being softer lets you play around on that a bit better than the tail.

Jibbing: It’ll get the job done but you have to put a bit more effort into it.

Carving: You can rail a turn underfoot due to the griptech. This board is at home laying carves all the way down the mountain.

Rider in Mind: Someone that doesn’t want a twin and will ride the whole mountain.

Personal Thoughts: This board really hasn’t changed since the last time I reviewed it. It’s still a consistently solid ride that can handle it all. If anything I would say it’s a slightly directional Westmark or Blacklist in how it rides albeit with just a bit more give in the nose.

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For 10 years now Endeavor has been building boards in the great white north to the hype of many Canadians. I was finally able to get them to send me two of their decks and the Color Series was one of them. Here’s how it stacked up.

Board: Endeavor Color

Size: 152

Camber Option: Center reverse camber

Bindings: Raiden Phantoms

Stance: 22.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 UFO Size 10

My Weight: 165

Resort: Breckenridge

Conditions: Slightly over cast with intermittent sunshine causing a mix of slush to chunder snow.

Flex: Softer in the tips slightly stiffer between the feet. There was also a good amount of torsional give.

Stability: The boards tips get chatter at speed but under foot it’s actually stable.

Ollies: This board had pop which is nice for a jib stick. Loading the tips up it would snap.

Pop On Jumps: It can handle small to medium sized jumps with ease anything more and you might want to look at another board.

Butterability: The softer tips and the reverse camber really allow you to play around.

Jibbing: This board had a big sweet spot that allowed it to lock in for presses. It’s one of those jib boards that has a lot of pop which makes snapping off a features a huge plus.

Carving: You can carve on it but it’s not overly aggressive. Small set up turns are optimal but long hard drawn out carves the board will buckle.

Rider in Mind: Jib kid that wants some snap.

Personal Thoughts: It’s always good to get on a jib board that has some pop and allows you to play around in the whole park. For all mountain use I would want something a bit stiffer.

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Tow ropes and hot laps it’s what the Midwest is all about. Have to give a full movie credit when it utilizes Good Bye Horses as the intro song then follows it up with The Chronic.

Ah yes the first teaser filled with so much joy and anticipation. Luckily this one doesn’t let you down and not finish what it started leaving you sitting there cursing life. 10 years of making films and Random Bastards knocked this one out of the park.

Starring: Hans Ahlund, Brandon Hobush, Erik Karlsson, Toni Kerkela, Viktor Wiberg, Ludde Lejkner, Jonte Linde, Dylan Alito, Jocke Rasmussen, Philip Grund, Zebbe Landmark, Zach Rawles, Nejc Ferjan, Eric Johansson, Clemens Schattschneider, Kalle Ohlsson & more…

Taking it back to the streets, what says roots more than jibbing inspired by skateboarding inspired by the urban landscape inspired by unicorns. Yes unicorns are actually at the heart of snowboard inspiration.

A snowboarding film by Eemeli Nättinen. With riders Antti Juntunen, Joonas Eloranta, Miika Kajakulma,Joonas Karttunen, Samu Mikkonen,Tommi Ollikainen,and Friends.

The T1 isn’t a board for everyone and by that I mean it’s built for bigger park features and high speed trickery. I have a long standing love/hate relationship with this board. At least this current incarnation of it has finally moved more towards where I believe it should be.

Board: Nitro T1

Size: 156

Camber Option: Zero Camber

Bindings: Raiden Phantom

Stance: 22.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 UFO Size 10

My Weight: 165

Resort: Breckenridge

Conditions: Sunny blue skies with slushy ice chunks and push mounds of death.

Flex: This board is designed to being a big feature riders deck. This makes the flex stiffer than the middle of the road for a park deck. There is a little bit of give in the tips but not much compared to the flex between the bindings.

Stability: There’s no question about the stability of this board at all. Any kind of variation in the snow that might buck a lesser board it absorbs and keeps on going.

Ollies: Load the tips up and pop this is what the board excels at.

Pop On Jumps: Small, Medium, and Large jumps are not going to be a problem with this board. There’s more than an ample amount of pop to get the job done.

Butterability: You have to work it a bit more than other decks but you can do it, just be prepared to not be lazy.

Jibbing: The sweet spot in the tips is minimal compared to other decks but if you can lock it into that area you’re going to be pleased.

Carving: You can rail hard turns on this board without any issues as well as short radius set up turns. The sidecut is enough that when you’re locked in you’re set and when you want to be lazy you don’t have to sweat it.

Rider in Mind: The big park feature guy that’s going to send it on booters of death and jibs of doom.

Personal Thoughts: It’s softer than its previous incarnations but in my opinion it still a bit much for the average rider unless you downsize and are a bit over the weight limit. It’s definitely not a board for someone that’s lazy and not ready to push it to the next level.

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