Gentemstick Giant Manta-Ray 159 Snowboard Review 2018-2019- Rated Radical!

TESTER: Olaus Linn

BOARD: Gentemstick Giant Manta-Ray 159

OVERALL IMPRESSION FROM  1 TO 10:  Radical (10)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS BOARD?: Gentemsticks are so incredibly smooth and polished, and this one was my favorite I’ve ever been on. This was my top board I rode at the 2018 Pow Wow.

WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS BOARD?: I’m not crazy about the muddy brown color of this board – I like the black topsheet of the original Manta-Ray much better.

OVERALL COMMENTS: So effortlessly buttery smooth. Handles everything you can throw at it like a champ. I am on a mission to find the perfect daily-driver board for Jackson Hole and this was the closest to that of any board I rode this year. I loved the width but I would have preferred it to be a little smaller and with slightly more nose and less tail. Minor complaints though considering how much I enjoyed this board.

RATE THE SHAPE FROM 1 TO 7:  RADICAL

SHAPE COMMENT: AT THING OF BEAUTY

ADDITIONAL SHAPE COMMENTS:  Width was awesome and the shovel nose and halfmoon tail look and perform great. I might deepen the sidecut a tiny bit along with making it slightly shorter if I were trying to improve the shape at all.

RATE THE FLEX FROM 1 TO 7:   RADICAL

FLEX COMMENT:  JUST RIGHT

ADDITIONAL FLEX COMMENT:  Great flex pattern – felt amazingly smooth and balanced all over the mountain.

RATE STABILITY THROUGH TURNS:   RADICAL

STABILITY COMMENT: ROCK SOLID- AS GOOD AS IT GETS

ADDITIONAL STABILITY COMMENTS: No stability complaints – it handled everything with grace and power. Not the fiercest carving board I rode but I was able to stand on the edge just fine.

RATE THE POP/ PLAYFULNESS FROM 1 TO 7:  RADICAL

COMMENT ON PLAYFULNESS:

ADDITIONAL COMMENT ON PLAYFULNESS:  I love a board that will respond if I jump into the trees and press the tail into some untracked snow, or pop over a bump and catch the tranny of the backside of another bump. This board pops up and absorbs landings with perfection.

RATE FLOAT IN POW FROM 1 TO 7:    6

COMMENT ON FLOAT IN POW: EASY TO STAY UP

ADDITIONAL COMMENT ON FLOAT IN POW: Great pow deck although I wouldn’t call that its primary function. Easily good enough to be the only board you ride though.

RATE THE GRAPHICS FROM 1 TO 7:  3

GRAPHICS COMMENT: HARD TO LOOK AT

ADDITIONAL GRAPHICS COMMENTS: Overall I really dig the aesthetic of the Gentemsticks but some I like much more than others. The muddy brown mono-color topsheet of this board just doesn’t do it for me. Nobody’s asking but if it were me I would do it in either a much deeper brown shade, or a deep blue or charcoal.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY: Please sponsor me Gentemstick.