Curated Snowboard Experts Everett Pelkey and Mike Leighton got their hands on the 2023 Ride Algorythm this spring and put it to the test at Powder Mountain in Utah. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every rider is different; if you have any questions about the Algorythm or need recommendations on which board would be best for you, reach out to a Snowboard Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Ride claim about this board? [Everett] Ride's claim on the Algorythm is that it is a tried and true classic. It is one of the staff favorites because it can handle anything on the mountain. It's a do-it-all workhorse with a true camber throughout the board in a directional style. So you cannot go wrong with them. From groomers to powder to trees, it’s there for you.

[Mike] Ride claims the Algorythm as one of the staff and team favorites. It is a classic shape, designed as a directional twin for all-mountain freestyle — anywhere, anything, any kind of conditions. This should be a board that you should feel comfortable on, whether you're doing park laps, ripping around with the homies, chasing your kids, or chasing fresh snow. Any of that, you should be able to do it on the Algorythm.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board? [Everett] My first impression of this board was that it was super fun. There's a reason that this shape and style is carried on through so many brands because it can really do everything. A true classic or classic camber board is a lot of fun. It's stable, it's reliable, it can hold a great edge, and it still, when set on the right board, will be able to be playful when you need it to be. And this board hits the mark. You can ride it from the park to the powder to the trees and rip groomers all in one day if you really wanted to. And with this directional shape on it, will make sure you're having a ton of fun no matter where you end up.

[Mike] Overall, just for having fun on the mountain, freeriding around, finding side hits, and having a good day, the Algorythm is a great snowboard.

What is the profile of this board? [Everett] It is a little bit set back. As a directional twin, this means that the nose is going to be a little bit longer than the tail. So, you're not completely centered on the stance. And with the camber, it's all the way through that you're going to get that continuous arc from just past the tip, just before the tail, before you get the rise from the contact point. And with its sidecut, it does have a quadratic sidecut to it. It’s going to vary just slightly all the way through to make sure you get that continuous flow as you're ripping in turns and getting on that edge.

[Mike] With this board being a directional twin, it's kind of that meld of all-mountain rideability with that slight setback. It also has a camber profile, so you're locked in on your edge at all times. And it also is a directional twin so that you can spin it around and ride it switch or regular. The board feels incredibly lightweight, so sometimes that plays into it.

Carving

How does it carve? [Everett] This board carves super well. I mean, you have the stability from the camber throughout the board. I wouldn't say it's a super stiff flex, but it's a little bit past mid-rating on that because you get that stability as you're going into it. You can torsionally get on that edge without it being too loose on you, but it's going to be back into a comfortable state as you're riding this through hard-charged groomers or slushier days like it was today in the afternoon.

[Mike] You can really rail a solid carve on it. It's a really fun board to turn.

How is its edge hold? [Everett] You can really push it on edge and hold those turns super well.

[Mike] The Algorythm is great because it is a cambered snowboard that also features Ride’s quadratic sidecut. This basically means once it gets up on edge, it's going to hold a really solid, strong edge. I rode a size a little bit smaller than I normally would ride. I was on the 154, but the size range on this goes from 147 to 164 wide. It doesn't matter if you're tall or small, got big feet or little feet; with this camber profile and that quadratic sidecut and some of the carbon laminate in the board, it's going to hold an edge and it's going to turn well. It's a lot of fun to get up on edge.

Is it stable? [Everett] It's one of those boards that's super stable. You can adjust to it very easily, but you can take it super far as your ability progresses, you get better riding, and you find exactly where on the mountain you want to be.

Any chatter in the board? [Mike] I personally found it to be a little bit choppy and chattery. Now that could have been because of the size I was riding.

Freestyle

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Mike] I think that's kind of where this board shines. You know, you can press it, spin it, play it, pop it, slash it. It does it all.

Pretty poppy with the camber. From a freestyle perspective, it's definitely a fun board. I would say that's probably where it's most at home.

What about riding switch? [Mike] With it being a directional twin, you can ride it switch. It does have a slight setback, but you don't notice it when you ride it switch.

How is it for buttering? [Mike] Torsionally, I didn't find it super stiff, so you could really press it and get up, butter it around, spin around. It really felt at home that way. There's not a lot of swing weight in the tip and the tail, so it's going to spin well.

Freeride

How would it be in powder? [Everett] Unfortunately, I wasn't able to test it on true powder, but it did start snowing this morning. And the float on the nose is super helpful. Typically, you find a hybrid shape with most powder-friendly boards. But with the directional setback and the little bit bigger nose and the shape to it, it's going to give you that float you need as you find those good powder days.

What kind of terrain would it perform well on? [Everett] This Ride board is just super fun. It brings out the fun, but with the stability, I could ride this all day. As soon as I stepped on it, I felt at home. And this is just why it's a carried-through shape through a lot of different brands, and it's going to go everywhere you want it to go. If you want to go in the trees, you take it there. If you want to go somewhere else on just maybe a not-so-ideal day, you can go there with this. I've seen it just ripping through the park or just trying to hit cliffs or anything like that. This thing can handle it all.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? [Everett] This board can definitely go for more intermediates (I wouldn't say beginner riders) to experts. It is a do-it-all workhorse. It's super good at everything it touches, but it doesn't have a specific spot it is really fine-tuned for. So if you're looking for a specific carving board or a specific powder board or a specific park board, this can do it all.

[Mike] I would say that the Ride Algorythm is an approachable board for riders at almost every level. I'd say the only caveat would be a true beginner. With the camber profile, that can be a little intimidating and a little catchy. But whether you're at intermediate or advanced level with snowboarding, you can have a lot of fun on this board. It comes in such a wide range of sizes from 147 to 164 wide, that this could be a board you could grow with. It can fit into your quiver no matter what ability level you are or what size you are. Ride did a really good job making a full run of these boards to match the needs of so many people.

If you're just looking to play around on the mountain and have some fun, the Algorythm's great.

Who should avoid this board, there are other better options for them out there? [Everett] This board is definitely not good for beginners or someone who has specific areas they like to ride exactly. There are some slightly better ones out there if you are sticking to one category.

[Mike] If you're looking for something that's going to ride a lot of more fresh snow, I would look for something that might be a little bit more directional or have some rocker in the tip of the tail.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you have any questions about the Ride Algorythm or want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Everett, Mike, or any other Snowboard Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations. Note that the 2024 version of the Ride Algorythm is linked below - same tech, just different graphic: