Weston Gnarnia Snowboard Review

An In Depth Breakdown of the Weston Gnarnia Rides Review by The Good Ride

• User Reviews
• Product Specs
• Product Images
• Questions?

How The Weston Gnarnia Was Tested:

I borrowed the Weston Gnarnia for an extended demo and still have it but will be sending it back.

Size: 162 but the 158 When It was Called The Ridgeline and 10^th Mountain.
Days: 4+ but many in the past when it was almost the same board in the Ridgeline
Conditions: Pretty good but varied mid-winter conditions and in the past some great pow on previous models.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-195lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards and close to 1,000 if you count different versions of the same Model over the years.
Boots: Nitro Team TLS
Insoles: Footprint Kingfoam Orthotic Elite
Bindings: Union Force
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Skyline Fuse 3L Jacket, Skyline Fuse Light 3L Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Skyline Faze Pant
Helmet: Smith Method
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, +18/-9. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.

Similar Boards We Like (but not the same):

Amplid Souly Grail, K2 Alchemist, United Shapes Cadet, Burton Gril Master, Jones Flagship Pro, Salomon HPS Takaharu Nakai, Stranda Descender, YES Pick Your Line, United Shapes Cadet Limited,

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Construction / Durability / Weight

The construction is high level and the top sheet is incredibly durable. It’s one of the better top sheets out there. It is a damp sturdy board but it’s also not heavy either and sits on the medium side for sure. We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)

Sizing

This 162 was super fun when the conditions were clean, but it was just a little too much for my specs, especially my size nine boots. When the conditions got uneven, I greatly preferred the 158—that is more of my all-day ride.

Weston is pretty liberal with their boot sizes but at least they are trying which most brands don’t.

The Good Ride’s Conservative / Safe Boot Size Recommendation

These are sizes that will keep you from booting out (super bad) or be too wide to turn quickly in critical situations.

151: 6-7
154:8-9
158: 9-10
162: 10-11
162w: 12-13
166w: 12.5-13.5

There is often more than one size that will work for your specs and how you like to ride. Size down for more control and size up for more speed/stability/carving power.. If it comes down to boot size or weight, I would ensure it fits your boot first and then your weight a close second.

Weston has no say in what I say. If you want to support objective content like that, then give our sponsor Blauer Board Shop a good look, click through our links, and buy through their store. They’re very deserving of your hard-earned cash because they’re a family-run business that’s been selling to snowboarders longer than most snowboarders have been allowed on the hill.

Shape & Setback

The Weston Gnarnia is tapered and directional with a much longer nose than tail, but it’s only nine millimeters of taper and it doesn’t feel that tapered. On groomers you feel a little more centered on board than you’d think. This has a pretty standard 20mm of setback on sidecut at about a 21.5 to 21.6-inch stance width. Compared to actual setback on board, you’re looking at 2.75 inches back from the center of board at the same stance width. If you want to set it all the way back for a really deep powder day, you can get 3.625 inches back at about a 22.25-inch stance width. That’s about standard for most freeride boards—not amazing, but far from being a slouch either.

Camber/On Snow Feel

When it comes to the camber profile, you have a mellow, not very high camber that goes well past the inserts and then transitions into a touch of early rise before the tail and a little bit more before the nose. It has that camber-like feel and that stability that we all love in one-footers and flat bases exceptionally well. What I like about this is it doesn’t feel that locked in and technical. If sized correctly, a committed intermediate could easily ride this. You might take a few more lumps, but overall I think it’s very doable and a far cry from being full camber. Advanced and expert riders will love this and never get bored.

Edge Hold

This multi-radius sidecut shows different angles when you look down the sidecut. It’s got a mellow disruption to it, and even though it’s a multi-radius sidecut, it has different angles where it grips and holds. It feels really competent in hard snow. It’s no full-on ice specialist, and in some hard snow conditions, I did have to dial back my turns a little bit to keep from washing out. But overall it’s pretty good, especially when you hit a surprise patch you’re not expecting. It usually doesn’t slide out and it holds really well, so overall it’s a very competent grip for the Weston Gnarnia.

Flex Personality

The Weston Gnarnia is definitely on the medium-stiff side. The tail is very stiff, between the feet is pretty stiff, and there’s maybe a touch more give here than the tail, but it’s stiff from the tail through the camber profile and into the nose. The nose is a good bit softer, and that’s where most of the flex happens—from the longer nose into the early rise. When the camber starts, that’s when the easy-flexing party stops.

Even though this is a somewhat mellower flex for a big mountain board, it still has a good bit of dampness and great performance in both soft and hard uneven snow. This board handles chunder pretty well, especially off the tail. It doesn’t buck and bounce as much even though there’s some carbon there. The carbon helps hold it, and the top sheet and sidewall keep it from buckling out too much.

Uneven Snow

It’s not terribly hard to butter in the tail, but it is more work than the nose, which is a good bit softer. I liked buttering on the nose, and especially with a 58 that would fit my specs and riding style a good bit better.

Butters & Ollies

The Weston Gnarnia isn’t super poppy, but it’s far from being dead either. It’s a nice balance between being poppy and damp. It’s pretty easy to access this pop, and I actually liked it better this time around. If you’re looking to launch off some really big stuff off-piste or drop a cliff or two, this will be your buddy. And if you’re someone like me who just launches off little tiny things here and there and wants to keep your joints working, this is still really fun. That speaks again to the duality of this board—it can go big or go small and not be cranky in either mood.

Switch & Park

The Gnarnia isn’t bad switch. I would enjoy riding the 58 in the pipe. It could even hit the jump park; it’s just not the best jibber.

Turning/Carving

This 62 was a little slow for me because with size nine boots, I’m a little far away from the edges, but it’s manageable. If I had the 58, it would be medium-fast instead of medium. It’s not the perfect board when set all the way back and riding in the trees to make hard rights and lefts. There’s a little too much tail for my taste, but if you’re in steeper conditions and need to make quick turns, this does fine.

When I got this on edge, there was a lot more spring out of the turn than I thought there would be for this kind of mellow camber profile. It really holds into the turn and gives you more energy out of it than expected. The Weston Gnarnia has a multi-radius sidecut that starts out at ten meters, then goes to 8.1, then 7.8, and 9.1 out the back. It definitely favors those down-the-line, longer, drawn-out turns. It can make medium radius turns too, and it has a competent across-the-groomer carve that keeps it from being just a straight-liner board.

Speed

Of course, if you want to point it, yes, the Weston Gnarnia can handle speed really well. The sidecut and construction keep it pretty damp. I didn’t feel too much chatter in the nose, and this board is more than fine for long, sustained straight lines.

Base Glide

When it comes to base glide, the name of this centered Dura Surf 4401 does not properly express the glide you get with all Weston boards. It’s upper tier—excellent glide, excellent wax retention, and a pretty hard, durable base. I don’t like this die-cut in the white part, but they do it so well I don’t even feel it. Most of it’s black, so it’s easy to repair.

Powder

I’ve ridden the predecessors to the Weston Gnarnia, including the Ridgeline and the 10th Mountain, both split and solid in varied forms of powder. Everything from knee-high powder in Jackson to varied powder in Bachelor—some light and fluffy, some thick and deep. This has the same shape with maybe a touch more setback on board, and a very similar nose and tail. I found the float to be good, but not great. It’s exactly what you’d expect for this kind of board. It’s best for steeper terrain, not for those who ride a lot of low-angle powder. It can be a little more work on the back leg in those conditions, but from medium to steep terrain, this is a champ. If you take on your powder day centered and like to get big air, this is going to be a good friend.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really had a good time with the Weston Gnarnia this year. If you live in a place with a lot of steeper terrain that you often hit, but you also want a board that can mellow out when the mood strikes, this is a great choice.