Gigi Rüf's brand are back
A decade ago, Austria's Gigi Rüf was riding high as one of the most celebrated all mountain freestyle riders ever, having burst onto the snowboard scene as a young grom ten years before that. At that point, Gigi decided it was time to start his own snowboard brand, leaving behind industry stalwarts Burton and its sub brand Uninc – and Slash was born. During the early years, Slash was pretty much a one-man operation with Gigi designing, managing and promoting the brand from his Austrian home. In 2023, Gigi is still one of the most celebrated all mountain freestyle riders and Slash is firmly established in the sport. Here's some of our favourite boards from this year's line.
Happy Place £439
Sizes: 135, 142, 146, 148, 150, 152, 154, 155w, 156, 158, 159w, 163w
This thing rips! Slash’ all-singing all-dancing freestyle model offers a medium soft flex for park forgiveness, but is packed with tech to make it fly. Carbon stringers are placed under the bindings and forwards out to the contact points to tightens up turns, enhance pop and increase the response of the board. A hybrid cambered construction has been used that gives camber between the edges for responsive grip in the turn, but with rocker at the nose and tail that simplifies press tricks and adds a level of forgiveness at the same time. Add a super fast base for longevity and speed and you’ve got a freestyle board that won’t let you down – and at a bargain price, too.
Slash ATV £605
Sizes: 155, 157, 159w, 163w
Ten years in the line and Gigi Rüf’s board of choice, the All Terrain Vehicle was designed as an all mountain freestyle board to support Gigi’s hard charging, ‘freestyle everywhere’ style. Over the years, Gigi has been tinkering with the design to continually improve the ride and this year’s model features a directional twin shape with a true cambered profile for increased power and pop, while the 3D Base profile at the nose and tail lifts the contact points slightly, cutting down the chance of catching your edges. Triaxial fibreglass gives ultimate response and there’s a combination of Kevlar, Basalt and Carbon in the laminates to increase snap, strength and durability while reducing weight.
Slash Portal £479
Sizes: 154, 159
Fun times in deep snow are best enjoyed with a powder board and the Slash Portal, with a voluminous nose and a profile that tapers over 2cm by the time it gets to the tail, fits the bill. The board is built with backseat CamRock which features cambered construction from the tail to the front binding and then a long, LONG, surfy nose that floats above the pow and crud with ease. Despite it’s powder chops, this is a board that is made to perform thanks to the ‘Carbonbon’ carbon slabs under each foot and triaxial fibreglass that ensures performance on the hard pack as well as deep snow. If you don’t have a powder board in your quiver, are you even a snowboarder?
