Borealis Auriga One 2027 Snowboard Review

A Breakdown Of How The Borealis Auriga One Rides And Who Its For Review by The Good Ride

• User Reviews
• Product Specs
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• Questions?

How The Borealis Auriga Was Tested

I rode this primarily with my Nitro Team BOA boots and Union Force bindings, but I also got on the Union Neos.

This season was rough, to say the least, so I didn’t get this in the conditions I’d like for the time I had it. I got it in some thick, wet, tracked-up snow on top of a brick of snowment, some hard snow, and then a day that went from hard to medium-soft and was really fun.

I compared this against a wide variety of boards, including many in the Borealis line, as well as boards from other brands. You can see those comparisons on Patreon and in the YouTube Members area.

I borrowed the Borealis Auriga One, but I liked it so much I asked to keep it (only do this with favorites).

Size: 158
Days: 5
Conditions: Mostly inconsistent spring-like conditions and a little new snow on top of a block of snowment. 
Riders: James (Size 9 E, 5’10”, 185-190lbs). I’ve tested and compared 850+ boards, 200+ bindings, and 120+ boots
Davey (Size 12, 240lbs, 6’4”)
Boots: Nitro Team BOA, Nitro Team TLS
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Force, Union Atlas Step On
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Skyline Fuse Jacket, Jones Mtn Surf Anorak
Pant: Skyline Fase 3L Bib Pant, Skyline Faze Pant, Jones Mountain Surf Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag Low Bridge Fit
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

James’s Set Up: 21-21.5” Wide. Stance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +18/-9. Close to Reference on groomers and set all the way back in powder.

Similar Boards We Like (but not the same):

Snowboard Of Death, Cardiff Crane, Nitro Alternator, Telos DST, K2 Commonwealth, Ride Moderator, Never Summer Proto Type 3, Gnu Antigravity, United Shapes Horizon, Lib Tech Dynamo, Lib Tech DPR

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Design

Sizing

How it Fits Me

The 158 fit me great. It fit me so well I didn’t even want to think about riding the 155.

I never felt like I wanted more board on those perfect morning groomers or felt like I needed less board when it was tracked up and messy.

They don’t have a lot of sizing options, though, and that’s a huge drawback because there’s only a 155 and a 158.

I’d love to see some wides, as well as smaller and bigger sizes in regular widths, because this is a board I’d like to recommend a lot.

How It Might Fit You

Sizing is very subjective and personal. Never assume your way is the right way, and there is no right answer.

Here is the best way to figure out what board will work for you. I rarely use “all caps to emphasize something, but this is really important. NEVER TRUST ANYONE who doesn’t ask or reference boot size, weight, and height.

Boots

You should always start with your boot size first. If your boot is too wide, you can’t turn it; if it’s too narrow, you get the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag. This is the most important part of sizing a board, which is why so many snowboards come in various widths, such as Narrow, Normal, Mid-Wide, Wide, and Ultra-Wide.

Most brands don’t include a recommended boot size because it’s very complicated and time-consuming. This brand includes the width over each insert, so it’s easy to determine whether your boot’s footprint will have too much overhang, so reference that against your boot.

Here is more or less the sweet spot to turn easily and not boot out. You can go wider if you carve really hard.

155: 8-9
158: 9-10

Weight

Your weight determines how the board will flex underfoot. Give you more or less pop, speed, etc.

Height

Next, check the length in relation to what you want from this board. The length of the board determines the swing weight/control or longer effective edge, depending on what you want from a board.

Stance Width

Also, check your Stance width against their reference stance to see how well it will work for you on reference and set all the way back.

Boots and Bindings Response

Next, factor in your boot and binding’s responsiveness to determine how well you will be able to turn/control a board.

Personal Preference

Lastly, you need to factor in how you like to ride. Some prefer control, so matching the boot size first for easiest turn initiation is the priority, with weight second. Others prefer dampness over control, want to charge, and like to size up in width and length. Others like to ride wider boards with very responsive boots/bindings to carve harder.

Construction / Durability

Overall, this has very good construction, especially for the price point.

I will take it down a peg, though, because the topsheet seems to be prone to picking up minor stains and little scuffs.

Shape & Setback

This is tapered and directional with seven millimeters of taper. There’s a decent setback on board, and even though the nose is longer with a lot more surface area, there’s still a lot of tail here.

There’s some cool tech going on with the way they set up the sidecut on this tapered directional board to give you a much more directional twin-like feel on groomers while still offering more directional float than many all-mountain boards in powder.

On Snow Performance

Camber / On Snow Feel

The camber profile of the Borealis Auriga One is pretty cool because it starts almost at the tail, then bows up pretty quickly to give you high camber between the feet. It ends abruptly a few inches after the insert pack before rockering up into the longer, floaty nose.

This makes for a more camber-dominant ride that’s stable and predictable underfoot in all conditions. It never really changes its personality in terms of stability. There is that same consistent feel, one-footing and flat-basing just like a full camber board would.

It doesn’t feel as catchy as full camber, but it’s still a little more on the technical side.

Who It’s For

I’d say this is more for committed intermediates on up to experts because the way this camber ends so abruptly can make it feel a little more technical and a little more catchy. It’s better suited for riders who are comfortable with a little more camber.

Edge Hold

The edge hold on the Borealis Auriga One is pretty special because there is a very subtle disruption in the sidecut that is very effective in hard snow.

There were a few occasions when I was riding in really hard, bordering-on-icy snow where I thought I wouldn’t be able to commit the edge to a harder turn. When I did, it held very well.

I wouldn’t call this a full-on ice specialist, but if you’re somebody who sees hard, bordering-on-icy snow on occasion, this is going to be just fine.

Flex Personality

The Borealis Auriga One has a pretty medium flex in the tail. I’d call it medium to medium-stiff. It’s definitely softer down near the tip and then gets stiffer into the camber area.

Buttering

It’s doable to butter, though. It wasn’t that hard. Between the feet it’s pretty much in line with the tail and the back foot, while the nose is a good bit softer and much easier to butter.

Pop & Ollies

Overall, it’s just got such a dynamic, poppy, easy-to-ollie flex. This is just an air machine. It’s got so much energy for a board at this price point, and I really enjoy this flex personality.

Uneven Snow

When I got the Borealis Auriga One in uneven snow, I thought this dynamic, poppy nature would be problematic.

Hard Uneven Snow

While it’s not the most stable, composed board out there, it’s incredibly good for having this much pop on those hard, uneven days with micro-bumpy snow and frozen, uneven corduroy. It sucked up that chatter so well.

Soft Uneven Snow

Then, in soft, thick, uneven snow, yes, I did have to slow down a little bit, but it was way better than I thought it would be.

I think it might have something to do with what Borealis calls their Liquid Sidewalls. They may be helping to counteract the camber and carbon in the board, so you get the good parts of that without all the chatter and buckiness.

Switch / Park

When it comes to switch riding, the Borealis Auriga One has a pretty sizable tail for a board that’s this tapered and directional.

Switch Riding

Throw in the sidecut that gives it a directional twin-like feel, and this rides switch very well on groomers and in powder.

Park Performance

If you want to get a lot of air in the park and off-piste, this is a great board for you. It performs way higher than my ability level and my insurance policy can handle.

I would enjoy this in the pipe if we had the pipe open, but the snow was so low this year they never got it going.

This isn’t the best jib board, but overall it’s much more well-rounded in the park and for mountain freestyle riding than it would appear by looking at the shape.

Turning / Carving

The Borealis Auriga One initiates a turn pretty quickly. It’s not super fast, but it’s a nice balance between being able to straight-line into a jump without feeling hooky while still being able to make quick turns in tight, critical spots and weave through tight tree lines.

Turn Initiation

You do feel a little more tail behind you than with most tapered directional boards that look like this, so it’s not a perfect tree cheetah, but it’s very good—especially compared to most directional twins and twinish boards out there.

Carving Performance

When you commit this board to an edge, the spring out of the turn is so satisfying. It’s really fun.

You can front-foot, center-foot, or back-foot weight your turns, and it’s going to respond equally well. The sidecut is very balanced overall, although it might lean just a touch toward the turny side.

It did a really good job with across-the-groomer turns and circle carves, and only shined a little more in medium-radius turns. Longer, drawn-out, down-the-line S-turns at slightly higher speeds were also very capable.

There really isn’t a turn radius you’re not going to like with this board.

Speed

If you love to straight-line, there are better boards.

However, I was really impressed with how this deeper entry into the sidecut never really came into play because it’s located in the rocker section.

Pointing It

On groomers, you can point this board much better than you would think.

Base Glide

The base glide isn’t bad at all.

I don’t really feel the die-cut base slowing anything down. It has good glide, good wax retention, and it’s hard to do much better in the $500 price range.

Powder

I didn’t really get anything I could truly call a powder day.

The one good powder day I had got tracked up so quickly that I only had time on the Borealis Leviathan. By the time I switched over to the Borealis Auriga One, everything was already tracked up and messy.

Float

I will say that while this has the on-board setback that matches more of a freeride feel, there’s still a lot of tail behind you. In the little bit of powder I did get, it didn’t feel as setback and floaty as you might expect. This tail doesn’t sink as much as you’d think.

Setback Inserts

One thing I’d love to see is the extra setback inserts they put on almost every other Borealis board. I would gladly pay a little extra to have them here because they would help riders like me who love setting a board back for easier directional float and a more surfy feel.

I’d also like to see the setback match the reference stance so average riders don’t have to widen their stance just to get the full setback.

If you’re somebody who likes riding closer to the reference stance, wants some landing gear on a powder day, and likes to ride switch here and there on a somewhat directional board, this will be just fine.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really had a fun time on the Borealis Auriga One.

This is a special board at this price point. You get such a poppy, dynamic, air-friendly ride that can carve and turn like a champ, with solid grip, a good base, and a pretty versatile personality for groomers and powder. It also rides switch very well in both.

If this board fits your size range, I’d definitely give it a strong look, especially if you’re shopping on a budget.