Gnu Riders Choice Snowboard Review

2016 and Below Gnu Riders Choice Review

The Gnu Riders Choice C2 PTX is from a long line of Riders Choice models that range from Camber to MTX to BTX to C2 BTX to now C2 PTX.  The C2 PTX (asymmetrical) feels very similar to the C2 BTX but you can feel subtle differences that make it easier edge to edge and for us much easier riding switch which makes it better.

The 2016 Riders Choice has tweaked the MTX to be asymmetrical as well and slightly improves the ride but not so much that it’s different from previous years.

2015 has a softer core on the heel side as well which makes it just a little better than the 2014 but still has the same great asymmetrical ride.

I’ve tried them all and have never had a bad time with any of them. This has been a favorite for a long time but for 2014 and 2015 The Gnu Riders Choice got slightly edged out by the Space Case as a favorite because it had more of a stable ride between the feet. It’s still one of the best choices for wide foot riders and people who see more icy conditions.  It’s also still very close to the Space Case.

Sizes- 157.5 and 154.5

Days: 50+
Conditions: Everything from very deep sierra powder to almost east coast style ice.
Riders: James, Peter, Kyle, Jimbo (Jimbo owns this)
Bindings: Burton Cartel, Burton Cartel Limited,  Burton Malavita, Burton Genesis, Union Contact Pro
Boots: Burton Ion, Burton SLX, Burton Imperial, Nike Kaiju, DC Judge, Nike Zoom Ites, Burton Ambush, Burton Hail
Riders: James, Peter, Jimbo, Kyle and a few others. (Jimbo rides this)
Set Up- 22″ wide 15 front -15 back.  23″ wide 15 front -15 back. Centered

On Snow Feel:  The Gnu Riders Choice C2 PTX has a pretty loose feel between the feet compared to other C2 profiles from Gnu and Lib Tech.  It’s not as loose as the lib Tech Attack Banana but not as stable as the Forest Bailey Space Case.  In harder conditions, it can be a little loose between the feet but it’s not bad when the conditions are softer. This is mostly at home in the park but if this had a little more stability between the feet it would make a great all mountain freestyle board as well.  Still, there is no problem riding around the mountain and looking for things to launch off.

Powder: The Gnu Riders Choice C2 PTX is one of the better twins when it comes to floating. there seems to be a little more rocker going on between the feet compared to other C2 shapes. The Magnetraction in the side cut can be a little grabby in thicker sierra snow but the float is good for a twin. If you like setting your board back then look for another board though. It’s pretty easy to ride in trees and pretty fun taking a freestyle approach to the mountain.

Turn Initiation and Carving: The Gnu Riders Choice C2 PTX has an easy ride edge to edge and it can be pretty quick too. You can feel a better edge to edge feel with the asymmetrical side cut and I haven’t experienced the board having any issues not tracking correctly.  When you lay into a carve it’s not going to be super springy out of the turn but it does hold most harder turns without washing out.

Speed: The Riders Choice C2 PTX is one of those board that has a pretty stiff flex for a park board and a pretty fast base but the rocker between the feet makes it feel a little unstable compared to some hybrid rocker boards. It’s easy to get used to but there is a squirrely/loose/wobbly feeling if you flat base it and point it.

Uneven Terrain: All years we have tried are very easy on a crowed chewed up mountain and easy to maneuver through emerging moguls.

Approximate Weight- Not the lightest board for the size. It feels pretty sturdy though. Made in America….Fuck Yeah!!!

Edge Hold: The Riders Choice C2 PTX has the same edge hold as the BTX model. It might have even a little better

Flex: The flex is pretty middle ground but over time it starts to work into the medium/soft range.

Carving– The Riders Choice with C2 BTX is so much better than the old BTX design and it no longer washes out. It’s still not a board for someone that relishes a hard carve but you can lay into a carve in most conditions due to the superb edge hold. It’s a little on the washy side still and most of us preferred the TRS over the Rider’s Choice here. So in summary not bad for a freestyle/park board.

Switch: This is a true twin so it’s super easy to ride switch.  We didn’t think the PTX could be easier riding switch than the C2 BTX but it is. They are all different shades of excellent but our favorite by just a little bit is the Asymmetrical side cut. To really utilize the side cut it’s best to ride with a duck stance like 15 front -15 back because then the heel side cut is catering exactly to your stance. That is why we like the C2 PTX/ASS Pickle side cut.

Jumps: All models have a lot of spring when it comes to ollies and jumps.  It pops more than most Gnu boards out there and also pops more than most boards we have tried.  The Gnu Riders Choice C2 PTX is also an amazing board for lapping the kickers in the park. Even though it’s semi-stabl on the mountain it approaches jumps well when a little bit on edge and it’s super easy to spin. It’s the kind of board that makes you more confident when jumping.

Jibbing: Not quite the all time jib board but it’s still pretty fun in the jib park. As the board softens up it gets more and more fun in the jib park but at first it could buck you on some of the more technical jibs out there.

Pipe: There is solid edge hold and moderate drive from wall to wall so this could be really fun.  I think an expert pipe rider might or might not like the loose feel but I think most riders, like me, who aren’t owning it in the pipe will really appreciate the grip and forgiving feel.

All in all the Gnu Riders Choice C2 PTX is a really well-rounded park ride and like every board with Mervin, it covers more places on the resort than it should. It’s a very solid mountain board as well as a park board.  If you want park first but want a freestyle feel on the mountain you can have a blast with this board.

The Gnu Riders Choice C2 BTX has established itself as one of the freestyle leaders. The Riders Choice has been C2 BTX for a few years. The 2012 Gnu Riders Choice comes in C2 BTX and C2 PTX. The Riders Choice is a board that could easily be called an all mountain freestyle ride as well as a freestyle ride.

Sizes- 161.5, 154.5 & 157.5 Thanks to Mervin and P3 at Mammoth.

Days: 80+
Conditions: Everything from very deep sierra powder to almost east coast style ice.
Bindings: Burton Cartel, Burton Cartel Limited, Union Contact Pro, Union Contact, Flux DS30, Rome Mob, Burton Malavita and Malavita Restricted
Riders: James, Peter, Jimbo, Kyle and a few others. (Jimbo rides this)
Set Up- 22″ wide 15 front -15 back.  23″ wide 15 front -15 back. Centered

It’s hard to objectively review a board like the Gnu Riders Choice because it has such a big reputation.  This board has more awards than almost any other board out there and we all had high expectations when putting the bindings on. For a freestyle rider, the Gnu Riders Choice will not disappoint.  One of the problems with a really popular board like the Riders Choice is it gets over recommended as a board for everything.  We see it as a diverse freestyle ride with a strong all mountain freestyle aftertaste.

On Snow Feel:  It’s a great park board but if you take your time looking for jumps and butter around the mountain it’s pretty fun too. The loose between the foot feel is a little un-stable at higher speed. It’s got a playful forgiving ride for almost any condition.  The Riders Choice is a little bit stable in softer conditions and pretty loose in harder conditions.

Powder: A twin with a centered stance isn’t ideal for powder but we have to say that the Riders Choice does a very good job for its design.  Even the 154.5 did well with bigger riders in 1 foot plus of powder.  If you are a rider who likes to ride switch as much as you do regularly like Jimbo you will have a great time because it floats at the top of its class.

Turn Initiation– It’s a very easy board to turn.  The 2012 -2013 Riders Choice C2 Pickle shape is slightly easier to turn than the standard C2 BTX but it’s still pretty close.  It borders on super easy and even most entry level riders wouldn’t have that much trouble on this board.

Speed: The Riders Choice is pretty damp for a freestyle twin but there is one issue here.  You pay a price for the extra pop.  I’m not 100% sure but it seems like the extra rocker in the board makes the ride looser between the feet than some of the other C2 BTX boards in Mervin’s line. The older models had similar issues as well and all feel a little bit like a skate board with loose trucks when hitting higher speeds. We found the TRS to have a little more stability between the feet and it handled the mountain better than the Riders Choice so if you are more for a speedy twin this isn’t the best call from Mervin’s line.

Uneven Terrain: The RC holds up well in the end of the day bumpy kind of snow pretty well. It has a really good slow speed shock absorption.

Approximate Weight- Feels like it’s on the heavy side of medium. You get a reliable board that will last a long time and with that comes a little extra weight.

Edge Hold: The Riders Choice side cut, from past to present, is on the more aggressive side of their MTX spectrum so its one of those perfect boards for those that see hard conditions more than soft. I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere but I’ll let that go.  Some complain that the side cut is too grabby in softer/thicker snow but others don’t mind this so much.  It’s all personal preference so it’s up to you to decide here.

Flex: The Longitudinal Flex is a very middle ground of medium but it will soften up over time like all boards do.  It’s pretty medium when it comes to the torsional flex. Still, this is more aggressive than your average Twin and that is why it’s fun everywhere.

Carving– The Riders Choice with C2 BTX is so much better than the old BTX design and it no longer washes out. It’s still not a board for someone that relishes a hard carve but you can lay into a carve in most conditions due to the superb edge hold. It’s a little on the washy side still and most of us preferred the TRS over the Rider’s Choice here. So in summary not bad for a freestyle/park board.

Switch: This is a true twin so it’s super easy to ride switch.

Jumps: The Riders Choice is very lively and this is one of its top qualities.  With the heavier weight, you aren’t expecting something that can pop like this but it’s right there with the best of them. In the park, it’s comfortable with almost any kicker or on the mountain you can find enough ollie power to generate as much air as you want.  It’s one of those boards that gets you amped to pop off anything you can think of.  We all really enjoyed this feature.

Jibbing: This is more of a pipe, jump board but it’s still pretty good in the jib park.  If this is your staple you might want to look for something else but if you dabble the Riders choice of any year will be pretty good.  It’s not for those that like the long, big kinked out rails and jibs. One thing to note is the more you ride it the more it will soften up so over time so it gets better with age in this category.

Pipe: The pipe was incredibly fun.  It climbed the icy morning pipe wall without an issue and took just a little pressure on the edge to set your line up the wall.  We weren’t ripping through it but you could see that this board would be very forgiving on any sketchy landing if you went bigger.  It’s not going to save your life but it can help you survive minor miscalculations. Personally, it’s one of those boards that’s forgiving to turn someone on to pipe riding but also make an accomplished pipe rider really happy either.

All of us were really impressed with the Riders Choice and felt it earned its name for a reason.  This is one of those freestyle boards that makes almost any park rider happy and most all mountain freestyle riders content as well.  The park is a pretty diverse place and it’s hard to make a board that performs as well as this in so many places. Also if you live in hard to icy areas you will absolutely love this board.

How the Old BTX Gnu Riders Choice Rides

The old BTX Riders Choice was a lot of fun at the time but now it just seems ancient to the C2 BTX in terms of stability, speed carving and all around feel when riding in different places on the mountain.