Expert Review: Ride Peace Seeker Snowboard · 2023


Peace Seeker in Utah. Photos courtesy of Tyese Messerman
About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the snowboard, which I purchased with my own money in December of 2022.
My take
The Ride Peace Seeker Snowboard is a fantastic choice for an advanced rider looking for a powder board but not wanting to skimp on the carving capabilities. It is wide, floats easily in deep snow, and has razor-sharp edges to carve groomers.
About the snowboard
- Model: 2023 Ride Peace Seeker
- Size: 147
About me
- Height: 5’7”
- Weight: 130lbs
- Experience: 23+ years of snowboarding
Test conditions
- When I bought this: December 2022
- Days tested: 2
- Mount position: +15/-12
- Boots: Salomon Ivy Double BOA
- Boot Size: 8.5
- Bindings: NOW Conda
- Where I’ve used it: Snowbird, Utah
- Terrain: Deep powder, groomers, trees
How it performs
What I was looking for
The main thing I was looking for was a wide board that could float through powder. That said, I still wanted it to perform well when the powder got tracked out. I was looking for a powder board that could plow through chunder and even carve groomers well, if possible.
Why I chose this gear
I was impressed with this board upon trying it out. It carved way better than I expected it on groomers; it was a carving machine. It was dynamic and responsive, and when I got to try it in deep snow for the day, it was a blast, so it was a no-brainer. I was considering something like the K2 Excavator, Weston Japow, or even the Ride Warpig as well, but I went with the Peace Seeker because it felt the best to me in powder and was also just so fun to carve on.
Peace Seeker in Pow
What I love about it
- Speed: I love riding this board fast. I didn’t expect it to be as fast as it is. The base feels very quick. I even hit a few long, flat traverses that some of my other boards wouldn’t have made, but this kept going at a decent speed. There were a lot of other spots on the mountain with chunky ungroomed snow that had gotten tracked out and heavy, and on some boards, I would have had to slow down, but the Peace Seeker plowed through and felt very stable without losing speed.
- Edge hold: Granted, the edges are freshly sharpened, but this board feels razor sharp. I can’t believe what a great edge it holds. I don’t skid out at all. I haven’t tried it on straight-up icy conditions, but it held up great on packed groomers.
- Turns: I think the turning capabilities would vary depending on the size of this board. I ride the 147, which is close to my normal board length, but this board is so wide I probably could have sized down even more. I don’t necessarily find it hard to turn, but it isn’t as quick as some boards. It is wide and a bit heavy, so I definitely have to put some muscle into it to make tight turns. Bigger carves and turns through deep powder feel amazing, though.
- Groomers: It is an absolute blast on groomers. I didn’t expect this coming from more of a powder board, and I hadn’t read reviews on it before taking it out. It is so easy and fun to carve on and felt very chargy on groomers.
- Powder: Love, love, love. I got to try this board in about a foot and a half of fresh powder, which was phenomenal. At that point, I was glad I tried the size that I did (147) and didn’t size down because it gave it a lot better float.
- Backcountry: When I think of backcountry, I think of uneven terrain, some powder, and unexpected conditions. This board does well at all of those things. It plows through chunder easily, holds an edge well, and is great in powder. If it came as a splitboard, I would recommend it. Due to its weight, I don’t know that it would be the board I want to carry on my back up a hill, though.
- Durability: I find this board to be very durable. It has a tough topsheet that doesn’t seem like it will chip or scratch easily. It is a solid, damp board that seems like it will last quite a while.
- Weight: Hanging on the lift and carrying the board around, it definitely feels solid and a bit on the heavy end. The way it rides, though, I only see the “pros” of it being heavy. It feels so stable, like it can plow through anything, and I didn’t experience any feeling of being weighed down by the weight once I was riding.
- Stability: This board is crazy stable. I don’t feel like anything could stop me from plowing down the mountain, and if I was thrown slightly off balance, I felt it was very easy to correct. There is not much underfoot chatter, especially considering I rode damp bindings on it. It is not the board for buttering, but it sure is stable.
Issues I’ve encountered
- Trees: This board is so-so in the trees. It is a fairly heavy and damp board, so it isn’t the quickest to throw around. It feels like a missile and wants to carve hard and go fast, and it also floats great in powder, but it wouldn’t be my first pick for maneuvering through tight trees, although sizing down could help in that.
- Moguls: Being that this is a pretty wide board and on the heavier end, it is not the easiest to make tight turns through moguls. The sidecut also makes it better at larger carves than tight, quick turns.
- Park: This isn’t the board I would take in the park. It is a freeride/powder board, but due to its width, directional shape, and weight, it isn’t ideal for rails, boxes, or jumps. I hit some side hits, and it was fun to catch a little air, but it took more muscle than a flexier board designed for park riding.
- Switch riding: This thing is pretty directional and also wants to be ridden set back. I wouldn’t go out for the day on it to practice switch.
Favorite moment with this gear
I woke up in Salt Lake City before the sun to start my day at Snowbird early. I was so excited that it had been dumping all night. When we saw the road conditions up the Canyon drive, however, it forced us to wait a few hours before venturing out. When we finally got up there, though, wow. The clouds had just parted, turning into a sunny bluebird day with a foot of fresh powder. I’m talking powder down the main runs and not powder stashes one has to hunt for. It was such an epic day. My watch said we rode 40 miles in powder, and this board handled it all like a champ..
Value for the money vs. other options
I think this board hits a pretty decent price point. Many boards that are this capable in powder and carving at this level hit price points well over $600. The Peace Seeker sits at a good intermediate price point for a solid, hard-charging, durable snowboard. The Excavator is a bit cheaper, but boards like the Japow and the Orca are over $600.
Final verdict
This board could definitely be the one for any advanced rider looking for the perfect combo of powder and carving. I don’t think it would be my quiver-of-one top choice because I like to have a more playful board, but otherwise, this board can certainly take an average day and make it feel like a home run.
Ride Peace Seeker Snowboard · 2023
- We price match
- Returnable