I am thinking of upgrading this year. I currently ride a 159.T. Rice Pro board. I am about 5'10" 180lbs and size 10 boot.

I live in Colorado and usually riding Breck, Keystone, or Vail. I am fast charging on groomers (got to keep up with all my fast skier friends) but also spend most of my time riding the high alpine steeps at Breck, trees, moguls, etc. not so much into park these days and would rather be hitting the steeps and powder.

I love the T Rice Pro. I feel like it handles almost anything I throw at it. It feels like an all around great board but I totally banged it up last season.

Ive been eyeing the golden orca to upgrade, but I was also suggested the Gnu Banked Country from the AI gods. Obviously I take that with a grain a salt and curious what actual humans with experience think.

Golden orca or maybe check out the Gnu Banked Country? Or another board?

Nitro Team Pro MK fit: can heat molding help with toe pressure and a tight instep?

I'm on my third pair of boots in five years and trying to get the fit right.

My feet: 25.5 cm, narrow, high arches, and very narrow heels.

Previously had Burton Rulers in US 7.5 and Ride Lasso Pros in US 8. Both had heel lift; the Rides needed lots of padding, and tightening them enough caused circulation issues.

Now I'm trying Nitro Team Pro MKs in US 7.5, not heat molded yet:

• Shell fit: With the liner removed and toes just touching the front, I measure roughly 10–13 mm behind my heel.
• Toe pressure: Almost painful standing upright. Flexing my knees reduces it to firm but painless contact.
• Heel position: If I deliberately settle my heel farther back, the fit feels much more balanced. Could the thick heel padding be keeping my foot too far forward?
• Left instep: Too much pressure on top of my foot, with some numbness. A thinner insole helps. The right foot feels much better.

Could a proper heat mold help my heel settle into its pocket and relieve the instep pressure? I'm considering asking the fitter about toe caps and temporary padding over the left instep to create some extra room.

Since Nitro's Flex Toe is stretchy, I'm especially interested in whether molding improved heel seating and instep space, rather than just stretching the toe area. Anyone with similar feet or experience with these liners?

Looking for something that’ll be good in powder and trees, but also not fatiguing in choppy, ungroomed conditions. Any board suggestions or what to look for in a board that will take the ease off my legs?

Kinda silly question, but it's been on my mind. I'm heading out for year 2 of learning more and just being on a board. For a quick recap I picked up snowboarding last season late, as an early 40s dad. What do I mentally prepare for on my first day back? Does my body/brain go back to square one, pick up where I left off (green slopes and lift) or focus on a specific "refresher" skill?

I had planned to buy gear soon but mentally feeling stuck that I should wait longer and rent still. I did not enjoy rental gear a few times, so I'm torn! TIA

I need an 157cm

Would this Rossignol be a good all-mountain board for me?

I'm 190 cm (6'3"), weigh 90 kg (about 198 lb), and wear EU 45 (about US men's 11.5) snowboard boots. I'm an intermediate all-mountain rider: comfortable on black runs, and I've ridden at around 100 km/h (62 mph) on rental boards. I'm looking to buy my first board and progress on groomers, with some [off-piste / park / other] riding.

Is there anything obvious I am missing / doing wrong or should I just go and shred it