Tuesday, November 21

Snowboard Life Top 25: GNU Carbon High Beam

TransWorldSnowboarding.com

Described by Jonathan as "the little board that could," the Carbon High Beam got unanimous votes for easy turning. Surprisingly, the High Beams are the least expensive of GNU's line-or maybe it's not so surprising, now that lots of people pay loads more to ride pro-model boards that are way too stiff for them. A torsionally soft flex makes getting from one edge to the other a breeze, and small- to medium-radius turns ooze off the rails of this soft-snow ruler. As Lisa noted, the same qualities that make the High Beams easy to turn, and one of the Top 25's all-around best bets, make them a little jittery at speed-probably not the choice for powerful riders in serious hardpack situations (boardercross, East Coast, etc.).