If you are looking for one board this year, the Women’s GNU Velvet Guru would be a great choice. From bombing corduroy, hitting jumps and riding in deep powder, this board has you covered. I went with a larger size on this board, a 153”, because I set my stance back a bit. I’m not huge in the park scene but riding at Jackson Hole every week I needed a board that could hit the natural features that embody the mountain.
This “Quiver Killer” is truly an all-mountain board.
The guru has slight magne-traction on its’ edges and is my first board with this technology. I was very surprised that it really does work! My edge work has improved and I’m able to ride faster and hold my edges longer. With just a few contact points it doesn’t feel too different and it was a seamless transition to ride.
I’ve gotten pretty good at riding switch on this board because the true twin geometrics make it feel more natural. Being a freestyle board this skill is a must. I try and keep the sintered base waxed on a regular basis to keep the board slick. This type of base allows a smoother glide across the cat tracks but you have to wax often.
Now for the board shape: EC2 BTX. This is a combination between elliptical and banana camber technology. This shape is what allows the Velvet Guru to be an all-terrain board, which kill the jibs and floats in the pow. The flex isn’t too great but the pop combined with the tail-to-tip stability makes landing jumps easy. Mervin manufacturing makes a high quality board that you know will last you a few seasons.
I honestly don’t have anything negative to say about this board. I’ve even come to love the steezy artwork and now want the matching bindings.
