Sizes: 144, 148, 151, 155, 157, 159, 162, 157W, 161W, 165W
RIDE has leaked a fresh unisex all-mountain board for the fourth year in a row, donning a sleuthy Internet-termed name just like its predecessors. The first in the line was the Algorhythm; then came the Shadowban, the Deep Fake and now the Moderator. All of these boards share a similar silhouette, slight taper, mildly set-back stance and mellow positive camber underfoot, with early rise at the tip and tail. That’s where the commonalities end, though. RIDE hit the nail on the head with the shape, which works incredibly well for all-mountain freeriding.
The nuances between the four boards are what set them apart, and the newest offering has what we’d consider the broadest-reaching character. Like, most anyone could enjoy this thing. Might go viral. The Moderator is a very approachable board and capable everywhere on the mountain. Thanks to its soft to mid-range torsional flex, it remains nimble at lower speeds and is easy to aim through trees or even approach rails. Tip to tail, the flex is what I’d consider a “medium plus,” which makes for a board that you can load lots of energy into for ollies, lift at the nose when you need to mash through crud, and even squeak out a press on if you find yourself atop some steel. Still, the spine of the Moderator is stiff enough that it’ll provide enough oomph for most riders at most mountains.
All in all, the Moderator is an all-mountain board that you can have a lot of fun on without wearing yourself out by having to constantly ride at your limits—hence the name. Moderator: kept within reasonable limits. Yep. Nailed it.
—Basher
