The Good Ride 2025 Favorite Alternative Freeride Snowboards
Welcome to The Good Ride’s 2025 Favorite Alternative Freeride Snowboards list. I’m James Biesty, and I’ve ridden over 800 different models of snowboards and about 1,000 boards if you count the different versions of the same models. I extensively test and compare snowboards all season. Each day, I go out with several boards, the same boots, the same bindings, the same setup, and even the same runs. It drives my friends nuts but is the only way to put out a real Top/Best Of/Favorites list.
This Is No Pay To Play Top/Best Of/Favorite Freeride Snowboard List
These boards earned their spot by how they ride after extensive testing and comparing No brand has to pay to get their boards boards reviewed and I don’t require to keep any boards. I only ask for a return label. These are the boards that consistently shined in most conditions, and I recommend the most.
What is An Alternative Freeride Snowboard to The Good Ride?
An Alternative Freeride board rides a little shorter than a traditional freeride board, often has more taper, and is more set back. However, it’s not as set back and surfy as a Snowsurf or Powder ride.
If you want something more directional check out our 2025 Snowsurf and Powder Favorite Lists. If you want something less directional check the Freeride, Short Wide, All Mountain and Mtn Freestyle Rides.
Where Freeride Snowboards Are on The Freeride Snowboards on the Riding Style Spectrum
Where Freeride Boards are on the Riding Styles Spectrum[/caption]
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Here Is The Good Ride Favorite Freeride Favorite Snowboards List (in no order of importance)
Gentemstick Mantaray Series
(The Godfather and an Alt Freeride Inspiration For Most Boards On This List)
Ability Level
Committed Beginner To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Super Fast Base. Great Pop For So Little Camber. Great Grip. Easy Float.Very Versatile All Conditions Ride.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Prefers a Narrower Stance Width. Expensive.
Key Specs
Shape
-22.3mm Taper & Pretty Directional
-35.5mm back on Sidecut at 20.75”
-4.625” back on board at 20.75”
Camber
A Mellow directional camber with more early rise in the nose than the tail.
Flex Personality
Medium/ Good All Conditions Ride
The Gentemstick Mantaray made this 2025 Favorite Alternative Freeride Snowboards list because it’s the inspiration for many in this line but it is also an incredible board to ride. This a board that has been around for a long time, hasn’t changed and inspired many brands to make similar but not the same rides. I’m proud to have it in my quiver because it has such a unique moderate speed tighter radius turn. It also is fine with any stance angle or way you weight your turns. The way this deeper but not hooky sidecut engages the turn makes you feel like you have a lot more camber than you do. The base is super fast, it floats pretty well and if you like slower to medium speed turns this is exceptional.
Jones Hovercraft
(The High Speed Carver that gets more slashy/turny in pow)
Ability Level
Committed Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Fast. Great for high speed carves. Has a much more set back turny/surfy/slashy feel in pow.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Not quick to initiate or make a tighter turning radius on groomers.
Key Specs
Shape
-17mm of Taper with a much bigger nose vs. the tail
Centered on sidecut at 22”
-6.75” back on board at 22”
Camber
A mellow but long camber from almost the tail to before the nose.
Flex Personality
The medium side of the medium is stiff but easy to butter or generate air. Very good in all conditions.
The Jones Hovercraft made this 2025 Favorite Alternative Freeride Snowboards list because it can slash in powder, carve very well and straight line. The 156 started out originally as a 174 racing board with a chopped tip/tail that was modified to float well in powder as well as make high speed carves on groomers. The 2.0 version evolved into a more set-back, tapered directional ride that can still make super high-speed carves and loves to go straight, but what I love is this new design feels more floaty, slashy, surfy, and turny in powder, which I appreciate.
***Buy From Our Best Partner Blauer Board Shop***
Amplid Surfari
(Powerful, Chatter Absorbing, Damp Poppy Front Foot Friendly ride)
Positives/Swipe Right
Great for going fast. Loves a front foot weighted carve. Amazing Dampness for the flex and pop.
Negatives/Swipe Left
It’s not as floaty as some for this shape and setback on board. Only 2 sizes
Ability Level
Committed Intermediate To Expert
Key Specs
Shape
-16mm of Taper and a very directional shape but not that directional feeling.
-10mm back on sidecut at 22”
-4.75” @ back on board at 22”
Camber
Mellow but long directional camber with only a little early rise before the nose with lifted sides and regular tail.
Flex Personality
Medium-Stiff/ Very Poppy/Exceptional All Conditions Ride
The Amplid Surfari made the is a special ride because it really shines on a front foot weighted carve and next level chatter absorption/dampness for this much flex and pop. This is great for those that like a high speed down the line carve but also want to mix it up on occasion and across the groomer carve. It’s not the best floater on this list but it’s competent and this is an amazing all day ride.
Cardiff Powgoda
(Super Floaty/Set Back/Back Foot Carver and Slasher For Full Size Disc Bindings)
Ability Level
Committed Beginners To Experts
Positives/Swipe Right
Dedicated Pow board float. Super fun to carve on groomers. Very Slashy/turny. Upper Tier Grip. Super Fast Base.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Mini Discs don’t work with set back inserts. Can be a little bucky in soft uneven snow.
Key Specs
Shape
-21mm of Taper and a very Directional Shape
-5mm back on sidecut at 22”
-6” back on board at 22.6”
Camber
A mellow directional camber with a lot of rocker going to a spoon nose/tail
Flex Personality
Medium flex, poppy side of medium and very easy to butter/ollie. Good in all but thick soft uneven snow.
The Cardiff Powgoda has a lightning fast base, solid grip, exceptional set back for deep days and surprisingly a super fun turn on groomers. This is somewhat inspired by the Mantaray, has a very fun circle carve and across the groomer carve but I recently discovered how much fun it was to set up super posi and make more back foot weighted medium radius to even narrow down the line carves on groomers. I’d love to own a 158 and if they they made a 158 ProCarbon which stiffer, poppier and more damp in most conditions I’d get that. This is the slashiest/turniest board on this list.
Jones Mind Expander
(Turny, slashy quasi big mountain slashy directional turner)
Ability Level
Committed Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Super fun to turn. Inside Carving Pack Inserts for a narrower stance. Smooth turning experience in pow. Great in soft uneven snow. Still fun in steeper angle terrain.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Wide reference stance. A little cranky in hard uneven snow. Not as Set Back as some in pow.
Key Specs
Shape
-20mm of Taper and a Very Directional Shape
Centered on sidecut at 23.6”
-4.75” back on board at 22.75”
Camber
A medium sized directional camber from almost the tail to a little before the spoon nose.
Flex Personality
Medium/Stiff Flex with good pop that’s easy to ollie and ok to butter.
The Jones Mind Expander is the turny alternative to the Hovercraft for riders that like to turn more than go straight on groomers and have almost the same easy directional float as the hovercraft. It draws a lot of inspiration from the Mantaray but has more of that Jones big mountain personality. It can slash and across the groomer carve like a champ but handles speed and steeper angle terrain very well for this shape. While it doesn’t float as well as boards like the powgoda it has a very easy turn with the spoon nose and a more centered ride if you like more tail for getting air.
***Buy From Our Best Partner Blauer Board Shop***
Rome Stale Fish
(Best Turny/Slsahy Centered Big Mtn Ride)
Ability Level
Committed Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Damp and directional for its Shape. Solid Grip. Fast Base. Versatile Big Mtn Ride.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Washy for front foot weighted carvers. Not ideal for Hard to icy snow.
Key Specs
Shape
-Un-specified nose/tail width but seems pretty Tapered (approx. 20mm) and a Pretty Directional Shape with a more centered on board stance location.
-15mm back on sidecut at 22ish”
-3.75” set back on board at 21.75”
Camber
Directional Camber has diamond sides in the spoon nose that give it an almost hybrid camber with a rocker in the nose feel to it.
Flex Personality
Medium bordering on medium-stiff Flex with really lively pop that’s easy to ollie and not hard to butter. Good ride for most conditions.
The Rome Stale Fish made the 2025 Favorite Alternative Freeride Snowboards because it has such a fun, centered, slashy big mtn feel to it. isn’t really a fish but man is it fun to ride. It has that very tapered back foot slashy feel but at a much more centered feel on board so if you like to slash and want a turny feel but love to ride more centered to have more tail for getting air this is a great choice. It’s a super fun to back foot weight out a carve on groomers too and this is a great choice for those that see lots of steeper angle powder but still want something fun in medium to lower angle pow too.
***Buy From Our Best Partner Blauer Board Shop***
YES PYL Uninc
(Hard Snow Big Mountain/Slashy/Turny Favorite)
Ability Level
Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Great Grip. Great Steep angle Pow float. Fun Back foot weighted carver.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Not for front foot weighted turners. Wide Reference and Set Back Stance
Key Specs
Shape
-15mm of Taper and a Pretty Directional Shape/Feel
-Centered on sidecut at 22.5”
-3.375” back on board at 22.5”
Camber
Decent Directional Camber Ride with a little early rise before the nose and a little before the tail
Flex Personality
Medium-stiff Flex but easy to butter and easy to ollie. Very good all day ride.
The YES PYL Uninc made the 2025 Favorite Alternative Freeride Snowboards list because it has that centered feel on board but has an even more tapered directional, slashy turny big mountain get some air kind or ride to it that many will love. It also has a sidecut near the nose that can go straight when you are in the mood too. The tapered underbite disruption in the sidecut really grips well for back foot weighted turns on hard to icy snow too so this is great for those that ride a harder local mountain but want to be ready for big mountain pow days when they travel.
***Buy From Our Best Partner, Blauer Board Shop***
Korua Transition Finder (Low Cost Favorite)
(Hardest Carver, Great Floater and a Top board for Air On The List)
Ability Level
Committed Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Amazing turner. Very easy float in pow. Great base for the price. Great for air. So much spring on a turn and pop on an ollie. Exceptional in hard uneven snow.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Red base doesn’t repair well. Can feel heavy and a little cranky in hard uneven snow. Not the best grip for hard to icy snow riders on this list.
Key Specs
Shape
-18mm of Taper and a Pretty Tapered Directional Shape but not for Korua.
-25mm back on sidecut at 22”
-4.875” back on board at 22”
Camber
Healthy bow of camber from almost the tail to a little before the nose.
Flex Personality
Medium-Stiff. Takes some work to ollie but pops really well. Ok for buttering. And great in all but hard uneven snow…still not bad though .
The Korua Transition Finder made the 2025 Alternative Freeride Favorites list because this is the board you want if you love to make hard carves but still want a great board for getting air and easier float in powder. It’s reasonably priced, but this is still the best carver and one of the best boards on this list to get air with. So don’t feel it’s here just because it’s under $500 in the US. If it were $600, it would still be on this list, just in a different spot.
So that rounds out this list. If you feel this Al Freeride Top/Best Of/Favorites List Helps, you can help us back in any of these ways:
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