About this review This review is my honest opinion of the snowboard, which I bought with my own money in February 2021.

My take

The Rossignol XV Sushi Snowboard is an incredible, intermediate, powder board that floats in powder with ease, makes tight, surfy turns, and can rip trees. The Sushi is the best ride for deep powdery days that will give you the surfiest turns.

About the gear

• Model: 2020-2021 Rossignol XV Sushi LF Light (Women’s)
• Size: 144cm

About me

• Height: 5’2”
• Weight: 135lbs
• Experience: 150+ days riding

Test conditions

• When I bought these: February 2021
• Days tested: 30 days
• Mount position: Regular, set to closest together mount points
• Boots: DEELUXE ID 6.3 Lara PF Boot
• Boot Size: 23 mondo (US women’s 5.5)
• Bindings: NOW™ CONDA Bindings
• Where I’ve used it: Mt. Baker, WA
• Terrain: Multiple feet of powder, chutes, trees, groomers, off-piste, side hits

How it performs

What I was looking for

I wanted a powder-specific board to add to my quiver. I was interested in a board with a very short tail that would be ideal in the wet powder of the PNW.

Why I chose this gear

I chose the Sushi because I loved the art, low price point, and swallow tail. I wanted something that was going to excel in fresh powder, and the Sushi checked all those boxes.

I was thinking of buying one of the Nitro boards with the more severe swallow tail, but they were significantly more expensive. The Sushi stood out for the low price point for a very powder-specific board.

What I love about it

• Speed: This is a quick little board with the stiffness and carving it loves to do. This board is stiff and fast when you’re pushing it. As long as you’re on snow that isn’t terribly choppy, it will blast through and go as fast as you want it. Since the nose is wide and the tail is tight, it is able to turn easily and charge quickly.
• Turns: This board creates incredibly tight and fun turns! This board loves to swing around quickly and efficiently.
• Groomers: The Sushi is best for full, deep carving because of the sidecuts of the board.
• Powder: This board has an incredible float in powder from the wide nose to the short swallow tail. This board excels in powder the best. It is specifically made for riding in powder.
• Trees: This board performs very well in trees due to the tight tail and the ability to float on top of everything. The base is solid enough that minor twigs won’t do any damage.
• Backcountry: The powder love for this board is serious, so if you’re looking for those pow stashes off-piste, the Sushi is the way to go. It charges powder with gusto.
• Durability: This is a very durable board that is able to take a beating. The trees that I’ve taken it through are not mellow, and it hasn’t gotten any deep scratches or needed any sort of repairs.
• Wet Snow: This board is phenomenal in slush! It loves a slushy day and makes for a fun ride even in wet snow.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Edge hold: The Sushi isn’t made for edge hold; it does not perform well on ice or chunder.
• Moguls: It has a tight turn radius, but doesn’t handle bumpy conditions well since it transfers everything to you. It is not a very damp board.
• Park: The shifted back binding setting on this board makes it awkward in the park and difficult to use. I tried a boardslide on a box to test it out, and it was not successful since the nose is so heavy in comparison to the tail.
• Weight: This board is a little heavy for its length. Since it is stiff, it feels less feathery than my other boards of the same length.
• Switch riding: It’s not ideal for switch riding with a swallow tail and that fat nose.
• Stability: This is not a super stable board since it is made specifically for powder. While it performs well on smooth groomers, it transfers any bumps or choppiness to your legs. The tail is short for buttering, and it certainly doesn’t want to pop.
• Any workarounds? I haven’t tried moving the binding positions around, but I do have a friend that uses this as his all-mountain board. The workaround is being strong enough to overpower the board into doing what you want it to. It’s worth noting that the Sushi has pretty far-apart stance options, so when I am riding it I need my feet to be at a positive angle in order to keep my back knee from collapsing in.

Favorite moment with this gear

My favorite day with the Sushi was a deep-powder day riding with some new friends. I ride a mountain that has a lot of secret spots and areas that I didn’t know about at the time. My buddy took me into some crazy stuff I had only seen from the lift — think trees, small/medium cliffs, and very steep chutes. The Sushi gave me the confidence to ride through these areas in the deep powder and not worry about the speed or catching edges. The tree runs were a breeze and the tight turning was ideal.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Sushi is a low-cost powder board that is excellent for someone looking to grow their quiver and bring a powder-specific board into their collection. I looked into the CAPiTA Spring Break, K2 Cool Bean, and Nitro The Quiver Pow snowboards. I chose the Sushi because of the low cost and the option for a lightweight model since I am not as large as many riders.

Final verdict

The Sushi is a powder-hungry board that is going to excel in powder above all else. It is capable of tight turns and fun laps through the trees. This is a fantastic low-cost board that will add to any quiver. This board might be a bit too directional for a beginner rider since it doesn’t like to go switch. Advanced riders will enjoy the playfulness and fun this board offers. It’s a one-trick-pony that is going to be a blast in powdery trees for any rider willing to venture out.