Handling/Responsiveness
Soft enough for beginners but with enough edge hold for experts, the Velvet Guru handled almost the entire mountain. Lay into a turn and it responded immediately—even on hard pack. Once on edge, it locked in, thanks to Mervin Manufacturing’s MagneTraction (a series of serrated points that increase contact area with the snow).

Park/Pop
Whether it was being ridden switch, taken off jumps, or sending a rail or box, testers couldn’t get enough of this chipper board. Its Gumby-like torsional flex made it easy to spin and essentially turned the entire resort into one big playground.

Float
Contrary to its narrow waist and soft flex, the Velvet Guru floats like a dream. It’s nimble in deep snow, floating on time and making quick, responsive turns. Credit Gnu’s EC2 elliptical camber—the tip rises early, lifting the nose out of the snow and allowing efficient energy transfer directly under the bindings.

Versatility In All Types of Snow
One ice-veteran tester from Vermont noted: “It’s rare to ride a women’s specific shred stick that is as nimble, versatile, has float, deals with hard pack, and is stiff enough to respond.” That said, featherweight testers bounced all over on chattery hard pack.

Stiffness
Some testers called it noodly and that’s what makes it so fun—as long as you aren’t into steeps. Without a softer flex, it wouldn’t maneuver around moguls and trees or spin and butter as fluidly as it does. Luckily, it’s combination of soft flex and stronghold MagneTraction doesn’t compromise stability at high speeds. Heading towards high-angle terrain? You’ll want something stiffer.

Value
Given the versatility and performance this board delivers, the $450 price tag is about what we’d expect.