Best- of lists and articles are always a bit silly when it comes to snowboard equipment because so much of what makes a "best board" is entirely subjective and changes from rider to rider. With that in mind, I hereby declare that the 2009 Never Summer SL-R is the finest snowboard of the 2008-2009 season and very likely the best board that has ever been manufactured. I know what you're thinking, but I'm not a shill for Never Summer. I just can't find anything wrong with this board. I recently spent two early season days at Loveland putting an SL-R 161 through its paces and frankly, I was blown away. Never Summer designed the SL-R with rockers and camber, a setup they're calling R.C. Technology, and their new Vario Sidecut (a multi-radius cut similar to Lib Tech's Magne Traction). This board handled well in every type of terrain that I was able to find. On groomers it handled like a much shorter board, turning, rotating and buttering with almost unnerving ease owing to its rockers. Leaning into an edge at high speeds, the cambers engage aggressively for highly stable carves without the overly grabby feel of a Magne Traction board. Popping ollies off of side hits and rollers the board practically levitates off of its tail. The amount of pop is nothing short of incredible. And when I ducked the ropes above Richard's Run to hit some fresh machine made powder ( I said it was early season) the nose floated like a powder board without any lean-back on my part.
If you're a fanatical rider like I am but you can only afford one board at a time, I can't recommend the SL-R enough. If you're thinking of getting ahold of one this season though, you might find yourself hunting for it. Never Summer has shipped all the inventory they're building for the year and I've noticed that this board is becoming scarce in the shops. Try talking to the guys at Thrifty Stick on Broadway or the fellers up at Mountain Wave in Breckenridge.
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