Written and photographed by Mike Basher
The beauty of carving is that it can be done anywhere. Thousands of resorts around the globe prepare a perfect canvas nightly, just waiting for a carver’s interpretation. And unlike rails and jumps, carving favors no particular age or demographic. Those who put in the time flirting with the fall line will experience high-performance, yet mid-turn, time stands still. Lock in, and you’re in the zone—a perfect harmony of body, board, and mountain.
This past winter, we packed up some of the best carving boards and headed to the peaks and pistes of Switzerland. There, we linked up with carving artists Daria Fuchs and Raphi Rocha to slice and dice in front of the camera while we put each board through its paces. What follows is a visual exploration and our findings from our time together in Hoch-Ybrig.
Burton Sketch Artist – $729.95 Sizes: 147, 151, 155, 159, 163
Wider, set back, and tuned for speed, the Sketch Artist is incredibly versatile. It’s nimble enough to trench tightly at lower speeds, yet incredibly stable at high velocity. The 18mm of taper increases directional stability, and a progressive sidecut combined with a directional flex (a stiffer tail that tightens toward the end) adds stability when you’re on edge and provides powerful energy out of each turn.
Korua Cafe Racer – $599.00 Sizes: 144, 150, 156, 159, 164
With its sleek shape, smooth nose blends, and stiff tail, the Cafe Racer is an energetic but fun board to aim at large swaths of corduroy. A “normal” width board with a ~25mm taper (depending on size), the Cafe Racer transitions from edge to edge quickly when you want it to, but its medium torsional stiffness won’t throw any surprises your way. The full positive camber between the contact points loads energy and provides smooth, consistent traction throughout the entire turn.
Never Summer Cirrus -$629.99 Sizes: 141, 145, 149
The Cirrus is Never Summer’s brand-new women’s-specific do-everything freeride board, and it’s capable all over the mountain. Taking notes from the men’s Nokhu, the Cirrus’ wider, tapered shape thrives on edge, and the triple camber profile and R.I.P. Edge Hold gives it plenty of edge grip, transferring energy from the waist to the tail. The Cirrus explodes out of turns and is comfortable at all speeds.
Nidecker Megalight – $849.95 Sizes: 152, 158, 164W
The revamped Megalight loves to cruise but thrives at high speed. It is calm and predictable, and since it has a more standard width, it transitions exceptionally quickly from edge to edge for a happy, snappy carving experience. Tip to tail, the Megalight has a versatile stiffness—it’s firm enough to handle higher speeds but still lets you play around. Torsionally, it’s flexible enough to easily steer with your feet while initiating and exiting turns, making for a free-flowing, seamless carving experience.
Rome Ravine Pro – $699.95 Sizes: 152, 155, 158, 161, 159W, 162W, 165W
The Ravine walks a tightrope, as it’s equally capable as a carving tool and in powder. The tapered shape, especially with Rome’s 3D Diamond convex nose contour, helps the wide nose of the board rock quickly and smoothly from turn to turn, while the added width up front helps alleviate toe and heel drag. The formula is a win-win, both in powder and on piste. At speed, you can get low and hang on while the board goes to work. Carbon HotRods splay out from the rear stance inserts to the tail’s contact points, driving energy from your back foot to the snow for a powerful carving experience.
Salomon Jetstream – $649.95 Sizes: 146, 149, 153, 157, 160, 163, 166
Wider and cool as a cucumber, the Jetstream thrives on lower-angle terrain and casual cruising. Its radial sidecut is smooth and predictable, and combined with an overall medium flex, it makes for a fun, easy-going, and approachable carving machine. With a 20mm setback and a long, gradual nose kick and edge blends, the Jetstream effortlessly slices through corduroy when high on edge.
