What works for us
The right gear plays a crucial role in your performance and success on the mountain. Whether you’re carving up groomers, exploring off-piste, or hitting the park, having the right board, stance, and bindings is essential to maximizing your performance. I caught up with the rest of the CASI Tech Team to talk about gear preferences and what they’re riding this season.
Jake’s Gear Breakdown: Freeride & Park
Freeride Setup: Winterstick Seth Westcot Pro 162W
- Board: Winterstick Seth Westcot Pro 162W
- Bindings: Now Drive CX
- Stance: 21.25″ width, 21° / -6° angles
For me, the Winterstick Seth Westcot Pro is the ultimate freeride weapon. Designed as a banked slalom destroyer, the Westcot Pro offers exceptional edge control and turning power, making it ideal for both steep alpine terrain and tight, technical lines. With its slightly stiffer flex, it’s a board that will hold up well at speed, providing the stability you need for more aggressive riding.
I prefer wider boards (even with a size 10.5 boot) for the added stability, and the 162W checks that box with a 270mm waist width, ensuring no boot interference when carving. This setup is about high-performance freeride, but it’s still versatile enough to handle just about anything the mountain throws at you.
Park Setup: Korua Otto Plus 161
- Board: Korua Otto Plus 161
- Bindings: Now Drive Pro
- Stance: 22″ width, 18° / -9° angles
In the park, my preference is something a little more nimble and poppy. The Korua Otto Plus is a freeride-inspired park board that can handle anything from jumps to rail features with confidence. It’s more stable than your traditional park board, making it ideal for hitting bigger features, but still playful enough for smaller tricks.
My stance on this board is also set a bit wider, with an 18° / -9° angle setup that helps me find a bit more fore/aft stability when on the rails or landing jumps. Overall, the Otto Plus strikes a great balance between freestyle versatility and freeride performance.
Michelle’s Gear Breakdown: All-Terrain Freestyle
All-Mountain Setup: Rossignol Diva
- Board: Rossignol Diva
- Bindings: Burton Lexa
- Stance: Goofy, 15° / -6° angles
Michelle is all about having one board that does it all—and the Rossignol Diva is her go-to for versatility. This board is designed for everything: off-piste, park laps, and groomers. She loves how it rides in a variety of terrain and conditions, offering solid performance whether she’s carving, jumping, or exploring off the beaten path.
Michelle’s stance is set to +15° / -6°, with some experimentation towards a more neutral back foot. The Burton Lexa bindings give her a snug fit, transferring energy directly to the board without any pressure points. It’s a setup that gives her the stability she needs while still staying nimble in the park.
Nick’s Gear Breakdown: Freeride & Park
Freeride Setup: Nitro Mountain 157 (Previous) / Nitro Banker 156 (Current)
- Board: Nitro Mountain 157 (previous) / Nitro Banker 156 (current)
- Bindings: Now Select
- Stance: 21.25″, 21° / -9° angles
Nick’s current setup is all about big-mountain performance, with the Nitro Mountain and Nitro Banker boards both offering tons of float and control. The Mountain is known for being floaty in deep snow, but with incredible carving capabilities on steep terrain. It excels in tight trees and offers solid hold in deep conditions.
Nick rides with a fairly aggressive stance, keeping the angles at 21° / -9° for a responsive, precise feel. Even though he hasn’t had the chance to fully test the Nitro Banker yet, he’s optimistic it will be just as much of a beast, offering solid stability on all types of terrain.
Park Setup: Rome Stale Crewzer 154
- Board: Rome Stale Crewzer 154
- Bindings: Burton Cartel or Now Select
- Stance: 21.25″ to 22″, 18° / -12° angles
For park laps, Nick opts for the Rome Stale Crewzer. While it’s not the most durable board he’s ever ridden (it’s seen better days after multiple repairs), it’s still his go-to for jibbing and jumps. He prefers a wider stance (21.25″ to 22″), which helps with stability when hitting big park features. The Crewzer is fun and lively, especially when you’re looking to add rotation into an out of features, or on bigger jumps.
Melissa’s Gear Breakdown: Versatile All-Mountain
All-Mountain Setup: Endeavor Live
- Board: Endeavor Live
- Bindings: Burton Lexa X EST
- Stance: Regular, 21° / -9° angles
Melissa’s setup is designed for versatility. The Endeavor Live snowboard offers a directional twin shape and traditional camber profile, making it a great all-around board that excels on groomers, in the park, and in powder. The medium flex and carbon stringers in the nose and tail provide a solid pop and stability while still offering enough flex for playful turns and nollies.
Melissa likes the adjustability of the Burton EST system, allowing her to fine-tune her stance and get the most responsive, centered feel possible. The Burton Lexa X bindings provide a stiff flex that transfers energy efficiently to the board, helping her ride aggressively without losing comfort or responsiveness.
Breen’s Gear Breakdown: All-Mountain & Park
Freeride Setup: Nitro Team 159W
- Board: Nitro Team 159W
- Bindings: Not specified
- Stance: 21.5″, 21° / -6° angles
Breen’s board of choice is the Nitro Team 159W, a solid all-mountain freeride deck that’s wide enough to handle aggressive carving without interference from his boots (size 9.5). Although not strictly a park board, Breen likes the added stability and control the width gives both his freestyle riding and especially when charging groomers or going off-piste.
His stance width is set at 21.5″, and he rides with a directional stance (21° / -6°) for increased control on his heel edge, which helps him grip while carving. Though the setup is oriented towards freeriding, Breen still rides switch often and finds that the directional stance doesn’t get in the way of his park performance.
Gen’s Gear Breakdown: All-Mountain & Park
All-Mountain Setup: Nitro Victoria 152
- Board: Nitro Victoria Pro 152
- Stance: 19.5″, 18° / -6° or 21° / -3° angles
Gen’s go-to board is the Nitro Victoria 152, a versatile all-mountain performer. This board stands out for its ability to handle various terrains and conditions. Gen appreciates its torsional stiffness, which provides stability at higher speeds while maintaining playfulness. The narrower waist width of 24.2cm allows for quick edge changes, enhancing maneuverability. The board’s directional shape and progressive sidecut (8.3m-7.3m) make it ideal for turning in various terrains and conditions.
Park Setup: Burton Rewind 146
For park-focused days, Gen switches to the Burton Rewind 146. This true twin board offers great flex and an overall fun, lightweight ride, making it suitable for freestyle pursuits.
Splitboard Setup: Burton Hometown Hero 146
Gen’s splitboard setup is the Burton Hometown Hero 146, which proves versatile in most Eastern splitboarding terrain. Gen mentions that a larger, stiffer board might be preferable for steep terrain and big bowls without trees.
Jamie’s Gear Breakdown: All-Mountain & Directional
All Mountain Setup: Wired Devun Walsh 157
- Board: Wired Devun Walsh 157
- Bindings: Now Drive
- Stance: 21.5″, 15° / -9° angles
Jamie’s primary setup is the Wired Devun Walsh 157 with Now Drive bindings. This twin board features traditional camber, offering a playful ride in all conditions while maintaining enough stiffness for high-speed, performance-based riding.
Directional Setup: Nitro Alternator 157
- Board: Nitro Alternator 157
- Bindings: Now Drive
- Stance: 21.5″, 15° / -6° angles
Jamie has ordered the Nitro Alternator 157 for the current season, seeking a more directional shape. This mountain board has a medium-stiff flex and progressive sidecut, aiming to provide playfulness and versatility across varied terrain.
Boot Selection:
Jamie alternates between two Burton boot models:
1. Burton SLX: Starts softer, used early in the season
2. Burton Ion: Stiffer option, used later in the season as fitness improves
Jamie chooses these boots for their out-of-the-box fit, purchasing two pairs to accommodate changing needs throughout the season.
key takeaways
- Directional Stance: Many riders are sticking with a directional stance (21° / -6° or similar), which offers more control and precision when carving, while still being rideable in the park. Those with a second setup for park riding often opt to maintain the same degree difference while shifting the angles closer to a duck stance.
- Versatility: Whether riding park, powder, or steep lines, many of the boards in use are designed to handle a variety of conditions and terrain. Versatility is key—having a setup that can excel in multiple areas without compromising on performance is a priority for the team.
I hope this provides insight into the Tech Team’s gear preferences and offers some ideas for equipment changes you may have been considering. A common challenge we observe at all certification levels is; candidates and instructors limiting their potential by not focusing enough on their equipment or finding the right setup to suit their style.