Review: Korua Pencil Snowboard

The Korua Pencil looks like something a minimalist architect would ride if they ever stopped sketching long enough to go outside. Long nose, tapered tail, a silhouette that makes other boards feel insecure. Point it downhill and the Pencil starts turning heads for another reason entirely. Beyond its good looks, it’s a smooth reminder of why carving is still one of life’s great joys.

The magic trick here is how a board this long manages to feel anything but. The generous nose and float-camber profile keep you on top of soft snow when it’s deep. Put it on corduroy and it carves like it’s on tracks. The long effective edge grips without fuss, and once you’re locked in it encourages the kind of deep turns that make onlookers say, “I’ll have what they’re having.” It wants to go fast, it wants to stay on edge, and it rewards anyone willing to commit.

There are a couple of quirks. When conditions turn crusty, you’ll feel some chatter underfoot, and the board’s directional shape means it would rather stay pointed forward than backward but that's the way Korua intended it. In the terrain it’s built for; groomers, trees, sidecountry stashes—the Pencil proves that simplicity still has a place on the resort.

If your ideal day involves fast lines, clean turns, and a board that makes you look like you actually know what you’re doing, the Korua Pencil is as good a companion as you’ll find.

Available at koruashapes.com; $500.