The name says it all. The Gnu Rider’s Choice (or “RC” as it’s know in the biz) is a prime choice for rider’s looking to get their freestyle on all over the mountain. This has been a top seller from Gnu for years because of its ability to keep all the bases covered. It handles park, pipe, ice, pow, trees, rails, moguls, you name it. Allow me to break down what makes this board tick.
Testing
I’ve been on this RC for over a month now, and am quite comfortable with it. It’s not my first RC, I had one about four seasons ago. That board was my intro to both Banana Technology, and the mighty Magna-traction. It changed my snowboarding for the better. Now, with this newer version, I’m being introduced to some more recent technologies, and am finding that once again that my riding is being shaped by the board under my feet.
Shape
This years RC features C2 BTX Banana Camber combo. That means banana (reverse camber) in the middle, and regular camber under foot and through to the tips. In my opinion, this is THE way to build a versatile, all-mountain snowboard. The newest tech put into the RC is Gnu’s Twin Assym Geometries. This means a twin shape, with asymmetrical sidecuts. Featuring a slightly tighter sidecut on the heel edge, it is designed to work with your body, making heel side turns and takeoffs happen with less effort.
Pop
Gnu varies the flex of the RC from size to size, meaning the smaller decks are a little softer, and the larger decks are stiffer. This tailors the flex and pop to different sized riders. The one I’m on is a 161.5, so it falls at a 7 out of 10 on the Gnu scale. I feel has just the right amount of stiffness to buttery-ness ratio going on, and tons of pop. One of my favorite things about C2 BXT is that your ollie comes from right under the foot, as opposed to out at the contact point like on traditional cambered boards. This makes split second power ollies fast and easy.
Handling
At speed the RC is very stable. It has just enough dampening to help smooth things out through chunder. I found it responsive and quick edge to edge. Its twin geometries help it ride switch effortlessly, and the C2 keeps it forgiving and floaty. The asymmetrical tighter sidecut on the heel edge makes spinning off the heels a lot easier, and makes carving feel natural and balanced. And lets not forget the Magna-traction! The multiple contact points along the length of the edge add grip and put control underfoot, right where you need it.
Overall Impression
Like the name says, the RC is a great choice for “Riders”. It’s for people who like to ride everything and see the whole mountain as a playground. This board makes me play around and butter off everything, while riding faster and more solid than I had before. There’s something about the way these hand built snowboards feel, that seems to enhance my fun and shape my riding for the better. And, its made right here in the good old U.S.A! It’s cutting edge tech and quality craftsmanship that make this board truly, the Rider’s Choice.
