Running a tree line fast with frequent hard turns is one of my top snowboarding things. As an intermediate-level rider, I love tree riding trees – as well as groomers and powder.
To me, the best possible snowboarding experience is riding among spaced-out trees in steep and deep snow. When the whole mountain has already been run by other riders and skiers, I go seek good powder in the trees.
See also: Why Do Snowboarders Like Fresh Powder So Much?
Do you need a tree board?
If you’re into tree riding, you want a board that’s extremely nimble for tight spaces and easy to turn at slow to medium speeds.
If you’re like me, you may also like to combine trees and moguls so your tree board should work well for that as well.
You’ll also want your board to carve decently for bombing groomers once you’re out of the trees. It should also have good float for powder since powder days are generally the best for riding in trees. Riding woods with packed snow (or on a narrow track) is definitely harder and not as fun.
On the East Coast, the tree lines are very tight and get cleared often, so they get a lot of traffic. As a result, the tracks get packed and bumped up very quickly after a snow dump.
On the West Coast though, trees are more spaced out and the snow is usually deeper with less traffic resulting in better powder snow.
Newer snowboarders should know trees can be really sketchy, even dangerous, especially tight trees. You need to move your body significantly, slowing down is hard as you can’t really wedge or speed check. Generally, you can only accelerate and aim right.
Riding trees is similar to mogul riding in that you have to do “hop and pop” type turns instead of edge-to-edge carving like on groomers. Not all snowboards are designed for that type of riding.
While an experienced boarder may be able to ride in the trees on pretty much any kind of snowboard, some board profiles are better suited for trees than others.
Compared to skis, regular snowboards tend to have a longer turning radius, so tighter turns are harder. Turning in the woods on a board can be challenging – I often end up with sore shoulders for weeks.
Let’s take a brief look at the main things to look for in a tree board.
Features of a good tree snowboard
A recurring question is whether volume-shifted boards will work well in the trees. The answer depends on a few things such as what kind of snow you’re riding (e.g. East Coast vs. West Coast tree line).
Some riders find that torsional flex is what matters most in the trees, with softer big snowboards performing better than stiff volume-shifted boards.
A pintail with torsional flex can do just as well in the trees as a volume-shifted swallowtail, and noticeably better in deeper snow.
Volume-shifted boards can be harder to maneuver in hard bumps in the trees. On the other hand, they are great for fresh snow due to their float.
Likewise, directional freeride boards (such as the Flashship or Crosscut) work well for West Coast-style pow tree riding.
Hard snow tree riding is often compared to moguls since both require quick light turns with occasional power-dragging on the rear foot. An S camber lets you easily kick the rear for more aggressive turns and speed checking while your front foot steers the board around the trees.
A camber board with a rocker nose and a small sidecut will usually work well for trees, with a bit of stiffness to cut through bumps and obstacles. Too stiff a board, however, will get you out of turns too fast, which is not a good thing in trees.
A shorter board (relative to your size) will provide a shorter turning radius well-suited for trees and moguls. Short fat decks are a bit slower and easier to slow down through slashing or leaning back. Some feel wide boards will hang the tail too much in moguls.
A good amount of taper (tail narrower than nose) also makes a board more turny and lets you whip the tail easier.
For packed or icy tracks in the trees, a short, soft rocker allows you to turn easily on the banks. A deeper sidecut will also allow for much sharper turns for the same leg movement.
For tight trees with deeper snow, on the other hand, you may not want too short a board. Be sure to improve your technique first by riding in less dense tree areas before hitting the tight ones.
See also: Choosing your pow board size
A few great snowboards for riding trees
The following are some of the best boards me and my buddies have vetted for trees over time.
Ride Warpig
Great board for tight trees and deep snow. The Warpig is particularly good for fresh tree lines and banked tracks in trees. Easy to whip the deck back and forth for quick turns on the rear foot.
The Warpig is also very good for speed, absorbing chop well, and runs on flats nicely. It has a softer nose and tail which allows for buttering as well.
Jones Mind Expander
Great powder tree board. A very fun board that turns very fast in trees, super fun to carve. It has a huge base offering awesome float and glide even in super-deep snow. It does OK (not great) on groomers e.g. on powder days.
Yes 420
Another super nimble short fat deck for riding through trees and in powder. The 420 floats astonishingly well over crud and buried ice bumps – much better than e.g. the Flagship.
K2 Party Platter
The Party Platter is great fun in the trees but still good for groomers. With a shorter length and higher width, it floats well in deep snow. It’s volume-shifted with a medium to softer flex. Flat to rocker.
Capita Black Snowboard of Death
The BSOD gives you a good flowy and fun ride feel for trees and moguls. It’s very nimble for trees, and it turns and carves really well.
The shorter nose does require a bit of getting used to. The board isn’t as good as other boards (e.g. Jones Flagship) for cutting through crud. It’s also not stiff enough for really fast turns.
Burton Nug
A discontinued board but fantastic in the trees. It’s an undersized board, you downsize 4-10″ from a normal board, yet it rides like a regular-sized board. As a result, it has a super short turn radius around trees and moguls.
Other similar downsized board shapes include the Neversummer Insta/gator, the Salomon Sickstick, or the Ride Warpig.
K2 Cool Bean
Great board for the trees. Although it’s powder-focused, the short and fat shape makes it very nimble for tight areas. A bit too soft for moguls, however.
Lib Tech Skate Banana
Awesome board for East Coast tree riding after snow falls. The board has good flex yet is stiff enough for some pipe riding, with good pop. The tips float on the snow really well.
The board has an extruded base so it does require a bit of maintenance.
Marhar Lumberjack
The Lumberjack volume-shifted powder twin with a 3D base is a lot of fun in the trees, West Coast style.
Lib tech orca
The Orca is amazing in trees with super quick turns. It’s easy to lean far on your back foot to iron out bumps. Fantastic tree board.
Yes Optimistic
The Optimistic floats well as it’s tapered and set back. The tight sidecut makes it very nimble for trees. It’s stiff enough for bombing groomers as well.
Burton Landlord
An older, discontinued board but the Landlord is extremely responsive in the trees. Although it’s cambered and stiff, it has a lot of setback and an aggressive sidecut.
The board is very floaty in powder even though it’s not very wide. It also offers good responsiveness and precision on groomers.
Final words
As you can tell from the above, there are quite a few approaches to choosing a great tree board. You generally want something super nimble and responsive that will help you navigate through the woods without hitting a tree.
Of course, this always comes at the expense of other capabilities, e.g. precision on groomers or stability at speed, so you need to figure out exactly what combination you want from your tree board: trees + moguls, trees + groomers, trees + ice, trees + pow, trees + speed… It’s always a tradeoff…
But you already knew that!