The Good Ride 2025 Top/Best/Favorite Freeride Snowboards
Welcome to the Good Ride; I’m James Biesty, and I have put together the most well-thought-out Freeride Favorites List because I test and compare more than anyone. 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 own 6 pairs of Union Force’s so I can do same day comparisons to extensively test boards in all conditions. Literally, no one else does this. I’m no ripper, but I’m consistent, honest, and objective, and I have an exceptional snowboard gear memory.
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 boards I find myself recommending more than most other boards out there.
What is A Freeride Snowboard to The Good Ride?
Where Freeride Snowboards Are on The Freeride Snowboards on the Riding Style Spectrum
This is a more normal width board that rides a little longer, more tapered, further set back, and often stiffer than All Mountain boards. They often don’t ride switch or in the park as well but generally float better in powder, ride a little faster and carve a little harder. They are a great one board quiver for more directional riders.
Check out our 2025 Alt Freeride, Short Wide, Snowsurf and Powder Favorite Lists as well. Or if you want something less directional our All Mountain, Low Cost All-Mtn, and Mtn Freestyle Rides.
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Here Is The Good Ride Favorite Freeride Favorite Snowboards List (in no order of importance)
United Shapes Cadet $599
(Best Float and Best 2 For The Price Of One Board I’ve Found)
Ability Level
Committed Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Exceptional Float For This Shape Set Back. Very Centered Feel On Reference Stance. Fun To Turn/Carve. Good Base. Good All Day All Condition Ride.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Can Feel A Little Heavy. Good but not the best in Hard to Icy Snow
Can feel a little heavy. Edge Hold is not the best in hard-to-icy snow.
Key Specs
Shape
-5mm Taper & Pretty Directional
? back on sidecut at 22”
-5.5” back on board at 22”
Camber
Directional camber with more early rise in the nose than the tail.
Flex Personality
Medium/Stiff Poppy Flexing/ Good All Conditions Ride
The United Shapes Cadet is on this 2025 Freeride Favorite Snowboards list because it’s about as close as you can get to getting two boards for the price of one, and after testing this, precocious Good Ride $$’s were spent to buy it. The float in powder on those setback inserts is close to many dedicated pow boards. However, when set up on reference stance, you get a very centered, springy weight in your turns, however you please. You can ride all day with an easy gliding base. It even rides switch well for a Freeride board. This is an exceptional one-board quiver for those who see deep pow but still want an exceptional groomer board for everything but hard to icy snow.
Salomon HPS Takanaharu Nakai $669 (AKA The Taka)
(A Softer, Poppy, Fun Turning, Easy Floaing Daily Driver)
Ability Level
Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Easy but very poppy flex. Fast Base. Floats Very Well. It turns very quickly for its width.
Negatives/Swipe Left
The Softer Flex for a Freeride board isn’t ideal for powering through chunder.
Key Specs
Shape
-12mm of Taper with a much bigger nose vs. the tail
-30mm back on sidecut at 22”
-4.875” back on board at 22”
Camber
When you step on the Taka, the tip/tail rock up more making it more forgiving/floaty.
Flex Personality
Medium/ Very Poppy/ Easy to Ollie & Butter/ Fun to Turn/ Good All Conditions Ride
The addition of ABS sidewalls vs. the old Cork/Bamboo construction made the Taka soo much better in all conditions and brought this up into the 2025 Freeride Favorite Snowboards list. It’s not going to hammer through chunder well at high speeds but it has such a fun, springy, somewhat back foot weighted, turny ride that’s easy to ollie, fun to butter, has solid grip a fast base and very easy directional float.
Stranda Descender $699
(Versatile Mini and Full-Size Disc Big Mountain Daily Driver)
Positives/Swipe Right
It is fun to straight line and easy to turn for its width. Has a very fast base. Solid Grip. Good Low-angle float for a big mtn ride. Solid grip.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Some might not like the mellower flex.
Ability Level
Intermediate To Expert
Key Specs
Shape
-8mm of Taper and a Moderately Directional Ride
-20mm back on sidecut at 22”
-4.875” @ back on board at 22”
Camber
Directional Camber has a decent early rise in the nose and less in the tail.
Flex Personality
Medium almost Medium-Stiff/ Very Poppy/Good All Conditions Ride
The Stranda Descender is a board that made this 2025 Freeride Favorite Snowboards list because It’s fun to turn and go straight, and you can weight your turn any way you please. It has 7×2 inserts per binding, so it can be set back well, even for mini-disc riders. There is a fast base, easy float in medium to steep terrain, and solid grip. It’s great for those who live for big mtn riding but see all kinds of terrain.
Jones Flagship Pro $849
(Super Aggressive But Forgiving Full Size Disc Big Mountain Ride)
Ability Level
Intermediate To Experts
Positives/Swipe Right
Super Stiff and Damp but Forgiving. Easy Pow Float. Fast Base
Negatives/Swipe Left
Super Wide Reference And Set Back Stance Width.
Key Specs
Shape
-12mm of Taper and a Moderately Directional Shape
-20mm back on sidecut at 23.6”
-4.75” back on board at 22.6”
Camber
A mellow directional camber with a lot of rocker going to a spoon nose/tail
Flex Personality
Stiffest on this list/Good Pop /Exceptional Chunder Busting All Conditions Ride
The Jones Flagship Pro made the 2025 Freeride Favorite Snowboards list because it doesn’t trade dampness for a stiffer flex with more pop. This can easily manuver in tight spots but if can point it with the best of them. This has a fun easy floating fluid turning experience in pow and it carves pretty well for a board with such a mellow camber. You can weight your turns any way you like and other than it’s super wide stance width, it’s a very versatile ride.
*Buy From Our Best Partner, Blauer Board Shop*
Amplid Souly Grail $840
(Best Chatter Absorption/Best All Day Ride)
Ability Level
Committed Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Exceptional chatter absorption. Great Pop. Excellent Front Foot Weighted Turner. Great Big Mtn Air Board.
Negatives/Swipe Left
It’s not a good low-angle pow board. Only 5×2 front insert with 6×2 in the back.
Key Specs
Shape
-6mm of Taper and a Moderately Directional Shape with a hint of a swallowtail
-15mm back on sidecut at 22”
-4” back on board at 23”
Camber
A mellow but lengthy directional camber with a little bit of early rise before the spoon nose and regular tail.
Flex Personality
Medium Flex between the feet that’s stiffer in the nose/tail with good pop and an exceptional all-day ride
The Amplid Souly Grail made this 2025 Freeride Favorite Snowboards list because it has next-level chatter absorption while still having great pop. It’s not an easy floater in low-angle pow, but it’s a good big mtn ride with a smooth turning experience. This can drive a turn hard off your front foot, but it isn’t exclusive to that. It has a pretty balanced turning experience that most will appreciate. This is a great choice for those who ride all day and love to turn and get air.
Weston Backwoods $599
(Best Turny/Slsahy Big Mtn)
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
It is not the best directional float for low-angle pow
Key Specs
Shape
-18mm of Taper and a Pretty Directional Shape
-10mm back on sidecut at 22”
-3.25” set back on board at 23”
Camber
A moderate directional camber with moderate rocker before the nose and a little less before the tail.
Flex Personality
Medium-Stiff Flex with good but not great pop, and it is a very damp all-day ride.
The Weston Backwoods feels less tapered than it is on groomers. However, in medium to steep pow, that shape comes alive to make it more turny/slashy but still centered enough to go fast and get big air. The Backwoods made this 2025 Freeride Favorite Snowboards list because it’s a fun board to make all kinds of carve groomers, and while it’s a little more back foot-friendly, you can weight your turns any way you please. I love this fast base and grip, and it’s a fun all-conditions ride.
Burton Gril Master $679
(Best Balance of Pop and Float)
Ability Level
Committed Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Super fun to turn and ollie. Great Pop. Unique Any Kind of Turn sidecut.
Negatives/Swipe Left
Limited grip. A fast base for the price.
Key Specs
Shape
-15mm of Taper and a Pretty Directional Ride
-25mm back on sidecut at 22”
-3.75” back on board at 23”
Camber
A Pronounced Directional Camber Ride with a little early rise before the nose.
Flex Personality
Medium-stiff Flex bordering on medium with near-excellent pop, and it’s a great all-day ride.
The Burton Gril Master doesn’t have the best grip or the fastest base on this 2025 Freeride Favorite Snowboards list, but it has such a lively/poppy flex personality and pretty easy float with a lot of tail behind you for getting air. You can weight your turn any way you want, and it has such a fun spring out of the turn. It even rides switch well for this shape. It’s a very recommendable ride if you don’t see a lot of hard snow.
*Buy From Our Best Partner, Blauer Board Shop*
YES Pick Your Line $499
(Low Cost & Hard Snow Favorite)
Ability Level
Intermediate To Expert
Positives/Swipe Right
Solid Grip. Good Pop. Good Big Mtn Ride
Negatives/Swipe Left
There is not as much Directional Float As Most Freeride boards.
Key Specs
Shape
-5mm of Taper and a Pretty Directional Ride that feels more tapered than it is.
-10mm back on sidecut at 22”
-2.6” back on board at 22.5”
Camber
A Decent Amount of Directional Camber with a pronounced rocker into the nose and a little less in the tail.
Flex Personality
Medium bordering on medium-stiff Flex with good pop and an easy all-day ride.
The YES PYL is on the 2025 Freeride Favorite Snowboards list because it’s reasonably priced and has a pretty aggressive disruption in the sidecut that grips well in hard snow. This isn’t ideal for low-angle pow but is a great board for hard snow and big mountain riding. It needs a lot of back foot weight on groomers but a lot less in pow for being so centered on board. This springy back foot weighted turner can slash and circle carve, but it also has a longer sidecut radius in the nose. This is a great choice if you see hard snow but like to ride steep lines in pow.
*Buy From Our Best Partner, Blauer Board Shop*
So that rounds out this list. If you feel this Freeride Low-Cost Favorites List Helps, you can help us back in any of these ways:
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