The Ride Deep Fake Snowboard Review
Brand-new for 2023/24, built for deep days and steep days- the unisex Ride Deep Fake. A directional all-mountain snowboard with a freeride feel that isn’t going to kick your arse when you’re having a bit of an off day.
Back in the day, freeride boards tended to be absolute cannons. Juggernauts that were stiff as hell and would happily buck you off like a hapless rodeo clown if you weren’t bringing your A-game. The Ride Deep Fake is aimed at riders looking for a board that can bring the aggressive performance of these snowboards from days of yore, but that won’t send them to an early grave if the old legs start to wobble.
Price: £530
Sizes Available: 144, 148, 151, 155, 157W, 159, 161W, 162, 165W
Waking up and looking out the window to see it’s chucked down a foot of snow is an almost biblical feeling but having to bust your arse to make sure you get to the bottom in one piece isn’t. So Ride makes sure the Deep Fake does the heavy lifting for you, to make things as easy as possible in deep snow, Ride employs a 6mm taper, which helps to sink the tail into the snow and keeps the nose up and out to avoid those ‘over the handlebars’ situations. They also set back the stance to keep your weight centred over the tail without you having to lean back and hope for the best. Plus, they use a big old rockered nose to siphon snow out of the sides, an absolute godsend when it comes to avoiding the dreaded back leg burn.
As much as we’d love it, not every day is a powder day, in fact, for most of us, they’re few and far between and Ride has engineered the Deep Fake to ensure you’re not left wanting when the tide’s low. They use a powerful camber profile underfoot to bring bags of aggression, pop and dynamic energy on groomers, plus extra stability when you’re straight lining.
The Deep Fake is mid-flexing to allow for some extra all-mountain versatility, so you’ve still got the option to take a lap or two through the park, but there’s no denying the Deep Fake is in its element when charging hard and fast.
Pop the hood and you’ll see a brand-new innovation from Ride, the Deep Fake features a thin strip of aluminium that sits underneath the Slimwall sidewall. By combining the 3D Urethane composite with this layer of metal, you not only have a super durable sidewall that shaves weight, but you also get next-level dampening and control right out to your edges, even when the terrain leaves much to be desired. Basically, it keeps things nice and smooth when you’re blasting through crud and chud.
This is backed up by carbon stringers running out to the contact points, channelling rider input to your edges for lightning-fast response and allowing you to make minute adjustments to account for the terrain. Topped (or bottomed?) off with a race-grade sintered base that’s gonna haul ass when you open the throttle, keep it waxed and you’ll be laughing, even in the late-season slushy porridge.
A freeride board that isn’t confined to the shackles of couloirs and chutes, with sizes that span from 144 to 165W, unless you’re solely focused on lapping the park or are still getting to grips with turns, we reckon the Ride Deep Fake's the real deal.
