Tahoe Labs Directional Twin Snowboard Written Review Review by The Good Ride

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Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews and this is our unfiltered opinion. 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.

Tahoe Labs Directional Twin Snowboard Review- How it rides and who it is for

How This Review Happened:

We borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 156.5
Days: 5+
Conditions: hard snow to really good snow
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV, Adidas Tactical Lexicon, Adidas Acerra 3ST
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles, F.I.T. Gamechangers, F.I.T. Gameghangers LP
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata

Similar Boards (but not the same): Korua Otto, Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker, Capita Mercury, Endeavor Pioneer, Jones Mountain Twin, Endeavor Ranger, K2 Manifest, Jones Frontier, Ride Algorythm, Ride Wild Life

Set-Up: 21.5”, 22” Wide. 18 front -9 back, 15 front -15 back. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.

Approximate Weight:

The Tahoe Labs Directional Twin feels pretty normal. Not too heavy and not too light.  (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can of course go bigger or smaller but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
156.5: 8-10

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Tahoe Labs Directional Twin looks like a tapered directional board but it is actually a directional twin on sidecut with a centered stance. It just has a really short tail and a really long as nose. That gives it a feel that is very centered/in between the feet on groomers but has a very floaty set back feel in powder.

Flex/Pop/Buttering

So the Tahoe Labs Directional Twin is medium stiff between the feet but feels more medium in the nose/tail. That makes it easier to butter and play around with than it looks from its flex rating. It has a good bit of pop too and snaps well on an ollie.

Speed

Fast for a directional twin and the base had above average glide. It’s not super glidey like some of the best bases we have been lucky enough to ride but the Tahoe Labs Directional Twin does pretty well when waxed. There is a good bid of dampness at higher speeds too and the nose/tail don’t chatter that much at high speed.

Uneven Terrain

We really were surprised at how well the Tahoe Labs Directional Twin did in uneven snow with all this carbon in the board. It didn’t get cranky like a lot of stiffer boards do with carbon in it. It is a great all day ride.

Edge Hold

The Tahoe Labs Directional Twin has good edge hold that can hang in harder snow. You just have to dial back your turning or be really good at getting the board to twist between the feet to get more grip. To us, a slight disruption in the sidecut would make this much more fun in harder snow.

Turn Initiation

We thought the wider waist of the Tahoe Labs Directional Twin would not turn as fast but it has medium to medium quick turn initiation with our size 8.5-9 boots. If you had 10 ish boots I bet it would be medium fast bordering on being fast.

Turning Experience/Carving

The Tahoe Labs Directional Twin carves pretty hard in good snow. It is no full camber super spring carver but it is a great balance between being fun to turn and forgiving. It responded well from everything to a circle carve to long narrow S-Turns.

Powder

We really wish we got some powder with the Tahoe Labs Directional Twin but being able to set it 4.5” back from center of board with a 22” stance with is pretty amazing. That is more than many freeride boards and up there with some powder and alternative freeride boards out there. Then if you add in the early rise in the longer nose you should get some pretty great directional float for a board with the same width nose/tail.

Conclusion

So the kicker for us was all that set back for a directional twin but the Tahoe Labs Directional Twin also offers up a really fun turning, buttering, all around good ride. This is a very recommendable one board solution.