Expert Review: Rossignol Retox Snowboard

Published on 11/18/2022 · 4 min readThis review is my honest opinion of the snowboard, which I purchased with my own money three separate times from March of 2016 to May of 2017.
Chris Sterner, Snowboarding Expert
By Snowboarding Expert Chris Sterner

Retox Boulder Garden. All photos courtesy of Chris Sterner

About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the snowboard, which I purchased with my own money three separate times from March of 2016 to May of 2017.

My take

The Rossignol Retox is a great park and all-mountain board that excels in a wide range of conditions and comes at an amazing price. I bought my first one from my mountain manager. I loved it so much that I bought two more at an end-of-season sale.

Pond Skim on the Retox

About the snowboard I own

  • Model: 2016 Rossignol Retox (This model has not changed other than graphics from year to year)
  • Size: 153cm

About me

  • Height: 5’10”
  • Weight: 150 lbs
  • Experience: 18 years of snowboarding

Test conditions

  • When I bought this: I bought the first one in March of 2016 and then two more in May of 2017
  • Days tested: 400+ and counting
  • Mount position: Centered
  • Boots: Rome Guide 2018
  • Boot Size: 10.5
  • Bindings: Rome Katanas 2018 and Union Force 2021
  • Where I’ve used it: All across the Tahoe area, Mammoth, and Mt. Bachelor
  • Terrain: Groomers, park, pow, steeps, ice, trees, moguls

How it performs

Carving
4/5
Durability
4/5
High Speed Stability
4/5
Turn Ease
4/5
Versatility
4/5
Flotation
2/5

What I was looking for

I was in my prime of riding hard, trying to progress, and had a nasty habit of destroying boards hitting rocks under snow. I needed a new board that would allow me to keep pushing my riding in all directions without breaking the bank.

Damage

Why I chose this gear

I had just hit a rock so hard that wood chips were being spit out of the topsheet of my brand new Thrive Renegade as I rode down the trail. I was working as a snowboard instructor, and the next morning my manager showed up to our morning meeting with his used Retox in hand “$100 who wants it?” “ME!,” I exclaimed. It took a little getting used to as it had much more camber and stiffness than I was used to, but once I dialed it in, I was being rewarded with more pop and edge hold than my past boards. I got one full season of use out of that board and the following spring I came across an end of season sale for $100 and bought two more. If I had unlimited money, I might have considered a Lib Tech Box Knife or Jones Mountain Twin, as they offer a similar-style board with more premium features, but given my budget and board breaking habits it made the Retox a great choice for myself.

Damage

What I love about it

  • Speed: The board's resistance to flex and upturned profile between the feet allow it to bust through chop and remain stable at speed.
  • Edge hold: The camber profile and stiffness definitely make this board hold a great edge; I boot out much before I lose edge hold.
  • Turns: The blunted tip and tail make this board super easy to turn, spin, and butter.
  • Groomers: This board offers a playful ride that lets me turn the whole mountain into a park.
  • Trees: Its blunted tip and tail and stiffness make for a board that reacts quickly and makes dodging trees a breeze
  • Moguls: The same qualities that make this board great in the trees apply to moguls as well. I've even ridden Heavenly's Gun-barrel run switch on this board.
  • Park: Great pop, blunted tip and tail, and true twin shape all features on this board are park oriented and this is where it truly excels.
  • Durability: Before I started riding these boards, I was destroying three boards a season; each of my Retox’s have lasted at least one or two seasons before an edge pops out.
  • Butters: This board has a super wide tip and tail, and more flex in those areas; it butters like a dream.

Issues I’ve encountered

  • Powder: While I’ve gotten lots of powder days on this board, its shortened profile and true twin shape do not make for a board that floats exceptionally well.
  • Backcountry: This board is much more at home on the resort than it is off of it for the same reasons it doesn't excel in powder.

Sunset boardslide with the Retox

Favorite moment with this gear

I have so many great memories with this board, so it's hard to pick just one. If I did, I would have to say the smiles on my snowboard students’ faces when they saw the sloth topsheet graphic: lots of compliments and comparisons of the graphic to myself.

Value for the money vs. other options

As far as a good-quality snowboard geared towards intermediate and advanced riders, it would be really hard to find one that competes on price, which is often my number one concern while shopping for myself. That said, if I had unlimited funds, I would buy a Capita Mega Mercury or a Bataleon Goliath +, as these boards offer next-level tech and premium materials compared to the Retox.

Final verdict

For an intermediate or advanced rider looking to turn the whole mountain into a park while staying on budget, this board would be a great choice.

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