Hybrid camber allows for boards built to play both in and out of bounds. These four are our favorite do-it-alls.

by Stephen Krcmar

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EAST COAST
Rome Agent Rocker
Not that this hybrid-camber ride can’t keep up out West, but it shines in the messy slopes and tree-filled sidecountry of the Northeast. That’s because of the Agent Rocker’s killer app: a sidecut with two sets of contact points, making the board nimble while slaloming firs or as steady as a longer board while laying down esses inbounds. Plus, basalt plates near the bindings transmit pop for big ollies.
[$500; romesnowboards.com]

FREESTYLE
K2 Fastplant
K2 swears that the Fastplant’s bamboo core is unbreakable and backs it up with an industry-first five-year warranty. But that core is also full of pop and rides stable even at 50 mph — in short, perfect for bombing powder runs while getting air off every hit. Credit goes to the deep rocker at the nose and lack of camber between the bindings for making the Fastplant feel so lively at the limits.
[$500; k2snowboarding.com]

ALL-MOUNTAIN
Lib Tech 
Banana Magic
Lib Tech started the reverse camber trend in 2005, and now it’s tweaking the formula with the hybrid Banana Magic. With a slight reverse camber leading into rockered tips, it’s more stable than its forebears at high speeds yet eager to bob and weave. While it’s a blast in the powder of the Rockies, the Banana Magic’s wavy edges work wonders on even the junkiest ice slopes in Jersey.
[$697; lib-tech.com]

FREERIDE
Jones Flagship
Pro rider Jeremy Jones is the godfather of big-mountain freeriding, but his feats may take a backseat to this, the top-end deck from his new, eponymous company. The Flagship is more soul mate than snowboard, its directional shape, blunted tips, and underfoot camber helping you carve powder like a butcher. Where other rocker boards can feel loose at the limits, the Flagship encourages you to push harder. [$499; jonessnowboards.com]
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This article originally appeared in the November 2010 issue of Men’s Journal.

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