A Detailed Breakdown of How the Cardiff Powgoda rides and who it is for Review by The Good Ride

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Cardiff Powgoda 2025 Written Review

How the Cardiff Powgoda Was Tested:

I borrowed the Cardiff Powgoda for an extended demo and sent it back, but I would like to own one.

Size: 155 and 158
Days: 10+ and more on the older model.
Conditions: Uneven varied spring snow, good mid-winter groomers, and ok to great pow. Even some early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards & Union Rovers
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-190lbs)
Boots: Ride Torrent, Ride Fuse, Ride Deadbolt, Bataleon Acid BOA
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Force
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Skyline Fuse Jacket,
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Bib, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Bib,  Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout, Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt,

James’s Set Up: 21.5” Wide. Stance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +24/+6, +27/+9. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.

Similar Boards to the Cardiff Powgoda We Like (but not the same):

Gentemstick Mantaray 156, Rome Stale Fish, YES PYL Uninc, Weston Backwoods, Jones Mind Expander

Approximate Weight

(We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)

Sizing

Sizing is all about balancing what fits your boot size and your weight for how you like to ride. If your boot is too wide, you can’t turn it; if it’s too narrow, you get the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag. Your weight is a close second to boot size because it determines how the board will feel under your foot.  Height comes in a distant 3^rd. Some prefer control, so matching the boot size is the priority. Others prefer dampness over control and like to size up.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards.
148: 7-8
152: 8-9
155: 8.5-9.5
158: 9-10
162: 10-11

Cardiff doesn’t seem to have recommended weight ranges, but I would keep it to 200 and below at 162  and then keep going down from there. The new construction favors a lighter rider. For example, if you are a 9-boot size and 5’10” like me but 170lbs instead of 185-190lbs, the 158 would be a much better fit.

Shape

The Cardiff Powgoda has only a 5mm setback on the sidecut, but everything else about this ride is very tapered, set back on the board, and directional. It rides more than the tail than most Freeride boards but still doesn’t have that full-on snow-surf feel or short/wide feel, either.

Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The camber is set back and starts at about the reference stance on the front foot and goes almost all the way back to the tail. Combining the pretty tapered directional shape with the camber makes for a very backseat ride. It’s very stable, though, and tracks just like forgiving full camber. You don’t get that loose/auto-spinny feel as some directional hybrid rocker/rocker dominant boards can have. It tracks super well, and it’s easy to skid a turn if you get off your game.

Flex Personality

Overall, the Cardiff Powgoda feels more medium than medium/stiff, but there is improved pop off the tail and more overall energy underfoot. It’s still easy to butter underfoot. I really felt the improved pop, and it’s good to have it.

Uneven Snow

I like the Cardiff Powgoda’s improved pop, but the uneven snow performance is right at the border of what I can tolerate. I got bucked around more in soft, even snow on this than I did on similar boards in same-day tests. Hard, uneven snow is fine, though; although it has more chatter than before, it’s better than soft, uneven snow. I would like to see some inexpensive dampening added to the core to compensate for the missing lacquer in the much thinner top sheet.

Edge Hold

Like all Cardiffs, the Cardiff Powda grips hard snow like a champ. It’s hard to see, but the sidecut near the bindings has a very subtle but effective disruption. It grips better than many more accentuated disrupted sidecuts. It’s almost a competent icy snow ride and a very competent hard snow ride.

Speed

This isn’t really for those who like to point it, but it can go straight without the sidecut fighting you.

Base Glide

The Cardiff Powgoda has near excellent base glide. It will help you get through long traverses, and there aren’t many boards out there that are better than this.

Turning Experience/Carving

The turn initiation is super fast, and it’s the kind of board that’s great for tight tree lines. I never felt the tail was getting in the way on a pow day like I have with some boards in the past. When you get it on edge and commit to a turn, the Cardiff Powgoda doesn’t slow down, so you can take a hard left or hard right right after you initiate the turn. It’s a little slower on the set-back inserts, but that’s fine because it’s still fast, and you are probably in deep powder. It turns fast in deep pow.

If you like to make it across the groomer to circle carves, the Powgoda is a great call, especially if you are okay driving the turn more off the back foot. If you center or front foot weight your carves, you won’t find it fun, and it can wash on you. I found that when set up really positively, like +27/+9, it had a little more down-the-line turn and needed a little less backfoot weight but still was very back-footed.

Powder

The added setback inserts really step this up a notch when it comes to pow float, and it competes with many dedicated pow boards now. It was near excellent before, but now that you are riding more near the tail, it’s even easier, especially for low-angle pow riders.

With the new setback inserts, you can now get 6″ back from the center of the board at a 22″ stance width. That is almost up there with snowsurfers, dedicated pow boards, and way more than most freeride boards. The taper, lots of early rise before the big nose, and set back on board really make this a special ride in deep low to medium/steep pow.

Jumps and Steeper Terrain in Pow

With the set-back inserts, you lose a lot of landing gear for getting air, but if you ride closer to the reference stance, it’s not bad for steep terrain riding.

Final Thoughts

So I do wish there was less of a bucky feel in soft, uneven snow, but the addition of the extra float of the set-back inserts and the added pop was pretty enjoyable. If they could dampen this up a little more

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