Gone are the days when you needed a stiff board to go fast. Strap into the redesigned Machete GT and carve turns as fast as your heart desires and your skills can accommodate. This all-mountain freestyle board with medium flex won’t hold you back. And since it’s a twin, the Ride is great for folks who spend a lot of time riding switch. Traditional camber between the feet helps the board initiate turns quickly but reverse camber at the tip and tail keep it a little loose. That is ideal for those who want a playful, less-catchy feel but want to load up the tail for ollies and jumps. Carbon laminates help with pop. 

HANDLING
Because the Machete GT is softer than previous iterations it’s easier to ride in the crappy snow and chunder. The hybrid camber that leans more toward rocker is a good compromise for most because it is still really responsive without being too responsive—i.e. you’re less likely to catch an edge thanks to the minimal reverse camber at the tip and tail when fatigue sets in. This board is also wider than most, doing away with the need for wide boards. This is good for riders with boots that are size 11+, but might be too much for smaller than average feet because it makes the ride sluggish. 

POP + ENERGY
This Machete GT has plenty of pop thanks to the carbon laminates and camber. It handled amplitude better than most in the test. 

VERSATILITY
The Ride Machete is good in the park and the extra width gives it great float for powder days— it’s a true all-mountain board. The Machete GT is one of the most versatile decks in the test. 

EDGE HOLD
Although lacking a version of magnetraction, the traditional camber of the Machete GT ensures plenty of stability for most on ice and hard snow.  

SUSTAINABILITY + CRAFTSMANSHIP
Being built overseas, the Machete GT is not a very “green” board.  Craftsmanship is pretty good as proven by older Ride boards with similar tech that have held up well. 

We tested these boards in the Eastern Sierra, in and around Mammoth and June Mountain. Testing began at a trade show in February, where we took about 15 boards. We rode each for about an hour. After that, we whittled the number down to the six tested riding all the way into August thanks to Mammoth record breaking season. They were open daily until August 6. We rode in all conditions from bulletproof hardpack to pow and everything in between.