Moss Snowstick 58 Swallow 2020 - 2019 Review by The Good Ride

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Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

How This Review Happened:  We borrowed this for an extended demo and then returned it.
Size: 158
Days:  5
Conditions:
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs),Grant (Size 11 6’ 160lbs) 
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV,
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles,  Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata

Similar Boards (but not the same) that we liked: Gentemstick Mantaray 156, Korua Dart, Korua Pencil, Gentemstick Barracuda HP, Moss Jellyfish,

Set-Up: 20”, 20.5 and 21” Wide. 27 front +6 back, 36 front +12 back. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.

Approximate Weight: Feels pretty normal.

Sizing: The Moss Snowstick 58 Swallow comes only in one size but it fit my size 9 feet pretty well. My 185lbs felt a bit on the heavy side but doable. For Grant and his 10.5’s it sort of worked but wasn’t ideal. Seems like it’s best for size 10 and under.

Flex/Buttering: Super soft on the tail going to medium/medium-stiff in the middle and then mediumish in the nose. Very easy to butter off the tail and a very smooth but poppy flex.

On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns: The  Moss Snowstick 58 Swallow is hard to explain and it’s got a different feel underfoot than most boards we have tried. It feels stable underfoot but you are soo far back on the tail. It seems the back foot is placed where the effective edge/contact ends with the board. There is soo much board in front of your front insert. This riding style isn’t for beginners or intermediates used to more common US rides. It really requires a very narrow directional stance set up for it to shine when you ride it. It’s not going to fall apart riding duck, like some boards can, but you won’t get all out of this board.

Edge Hold: Good hold that grips well in most conditions but it borders on being more of a medium snow kind of ride.

Turn Initiation: Pretty quick back and forth and it can slalom quickly through trees but it didn’t really make tight circle turns on groomers.

Turning Experience/Carving: So this is what makes the Moss Snowstick 58 Swallow very different from other boards. It just turns like you are strapped into a surfboard. Being soo far back on the tail makes this such a back foot weighted board. It really lit up when we went a little inside the reference stance and went super directional (well…for us…) with the stance angles. Then the 58 Swallow really had a fun experience making across the groomer carves. You can make the turns a little tighter by leaning back like they say in the company description but it’s still not going to shine as a tight circle carver.  It’s all about slowing down and making careful articulate turns and then it makes for a really fun turning experience.

Powder: The Moss Snowstick 58 Swallow isn’t a board you get just for powder. However, with that rocker, big nose, massive set back on board and tapered super large swallowtail, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that this will float easily in powder. Riding the Jellyfish in powder which felt a touch more forward than the 58 Swallow was soo easy and floaty that this should be about the same even though it doesn’t have as much early rise It’s all shades of excellence here when it comes to float.

Speed: You don’t get Moss rides for going fast and the Moss Snowstick 58 Swallow proves that.

Uneven Terrain: Moss Snowstick 58 Swallow turns quickly through bumps well enough but being so far back on this really pronounced swallowtail can buck you around a lot if you try to power over it.

Switch: nope!

Getting Air/Park: Being soo far back on the tail really limits your park riding and air ability. It pops well on an ollie but you feel soo light on the tail you don’t want to launch off much. It is fun on a pipe wall or unique wave style walls though.