Moss Snowstick U5 Snowboard Revie

Moss Snowstick U5 2017 Review by The Good Ride

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Size:  157
Days:   3
Conditions:  Some thick Sierra Powder, Some good Groomers and some pretty hard spring groomers
Riders: James, Jimbo
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Bindings: Union Atlas,  Burton Genesis X,
Set Up:  With Jimbo approx 22.75″ wide 18 front -9 back.  The other 2 days 18 front -3 back approx 22.5″ wide

Approximate Weight: Felt normal in weight

Flex:  On snow, it feels like it’s flex in the shop is the same except for off the tail.  It’s so far off the tail and combined with the rocker there it butters you right onto your ass if you aren’t super tentative.

Sizing:  The 157 Moss U5 fit us well and maybe only felt a little bit on the smaller size.  We liked the 160 PQ better because it was a little bigger but this is pretty close.

On Snow Feel:  So if you read the other Moss Snowstick reviews I’m going to say the same thing.  It’s super different than almost any other snow surfer that we have tried except for other Moss Snowsticks.  The ride is super far off the tail and super surfy.  It’s pretty much where my back foot would be on a surfboard which even for a surfy snowboard is very far back.  It took me a lot more time to get acquainted with this board than it does with others.  I’ve heard a lot of people, like Peter, say they don’t like the board the first time they ride it but if you spend some more time on it and adjust to the Moss riding style it can be a fun way to surf snow.

Edge Hold: Very good edge hold for a tapered surfy ride like this and it can hold in hard snow as long as you don’t really commit to the edge on a hard carve.

Turn Initiation:  Super quick edge to edge compared to most other brands out there.  Compared to some Moss rides it didn’t feel quite as fast to us as others like the U4 or PQ 54 or Wing Swallow but it’s still super fast.

Skidded Turns: If you know how to turn really well-skidded turns with this board are easy but it’s still for advanced to expert riders.

Carving: Very off the tail and not easy at first but after a little time and effort it becomes pretty fun to make a surfy carve.

Speed: It’s not a bomber and not made for straight lining.  It’s more for turning all over the mountain.

Uneven Terrain: The U5 is great in uneven terrain and very easy to weave in and out of bumps in the style the board is meant to ride.  If you want to bomb through bumps it’s not ideal but if you want to make surfy turns through the bumps it’s great.

Powder: Super floaty.  The tapered tail sinks easy and the nose floats incredibly easy.  That’s what happens when you have a board that’s set back that much on board, has that much taper and some rocker in the nose.

Switch: Unlike the PQ boards it can be done but it’s pretty bad.

Jibbing: Nah…

Pipe: Yeah I could see it being fun surfing the pipe with this.

Jumps: There is pop but the tail has rocker pretty much right after the back insert so it’s not ideal for landings.

So if you are down for a very unique super surfy ride the Moss Snowstick U5 could work.  Just be prepared to take some time to learn how to ride it well.