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Specialist models get all the attention - but with a little help from Amplid’s Peter Bauer, we explain why the humble all-rounder deserves a reappraisal.
What would you think of someone who says, when asked to name their favourite snowboard, answers with an all-mountain model?
“While most brands pour their marketing budget into new exciting, often pro-endorsed models, it’s the all-mountain options that have continued to plug away in the background, shifting more units than their flashier brethren could ever hope to”
In a world in which we’re spoiled for radical designs, head-turning powslayers, pro-endorsed park sticks and artisan oddities, you might well wonder: have they been living under a rock? Haven’t they noticed that brands have been pumping out more shapes than Boris Johnson at a wedding? Yes, in this day and age, stating a preference for a standard popsicle-stick does seem to possess a lot of ‘Alan Partridge discussing the Beatles’ energy...
Or maybe, just maybe, there’s wisdom at work. After all, upon their graduation from rental gear, scores of riders first properly got to grips with snowboarding on do-it-all models like the Burton Custom, Rome Agent, CAPiTA DOA and Slash ATV. While most brands pour their marketing budget into new exciting, often pro-endorsed models, it’s the all-mountain options that have continued to plug away in the background, shifting more units than their flashier brethren could ever hope to.
So they’re not going anywhere, then – but still, we can’t help but feel that the humble all-mountain snowboard isn’t getting its due – especially given that it’s only getting better. Exhibit A in the case for the defence is the Amplid Singular, which topped the all-rounder category in this season’s Whitelines 100. To ride it is to believe that an all-terrain vehicle can be much more than a mere gateway to specialist, ‘premium’ fare. As well as holding its own against any park, pow or carving stick you’d care to put it up against, it naturally does a far better job of unlocking the whole mountain. If you’ve not yet had the pleasure, Amplid head honcho Peter Bauer is on hand to explain why you should ignore the Singular, and all-mountain boards in general, at your peril...
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