Mid-fats have opened up bowls and lift-served backcountry to skiers who might not have had the ability—or the knees—to get there before. They excel in boot-deep snow, and there is no better choice for trees or spring corn. It's such a strong category, you'll be hard-pressed to find a bad pair, but our favorite is the Bandit XX. Built in Rossi's time-tested Dualtec construction, which melds a traditional sidewall for edge-hold with a monocoque top or "cap" for rebound, the Bandit holds well on hardpack without feeling sluggish and dead in soft snow. This year's Bandit even features a flared tail. Although not quite a twin-tip, there's enough scoop to let you land that mute-grab over the road switch. Have at it.

Board: Arbor Muñoz Signature Series
Leave the cheese-wedge air to the park monkeys. (Translation: Allow park riders their man-made jumps in the flats.) Bra, you're a freerider, not a freestyler. You need a directional board with the sidecut and stance set back from center so the nose won't dive in powder. A board with a stiff tail for stable landings. A board with some punch under the rear foot for control in tough snow like the dreaded dust-on-crust found in Eastern trees.

You need the Muñoz, Arbor's signature board, inspired by legendary surf pioneer and snowboard Renaissance man, Mickey Muñoz. Yet another snowboard company benefiting from K2's 40 years of ski construction, Arbor shapes the Muñoz in the same K2 factory that produces other big-name brands like Ride, Morrow, and, of course, K2. But Arbor inserted carbon-fiber rods into the Muñoz to add torsional rigidity for carving, while giving it a flexible nose and stiff tail for a loose, surfy feel in soft snow. All that engineering comes with a walnut and Hawaiian koa veneer. But flip the board over, and you'll know the Muñoz isn't just alpine art—the base is graphite, which is fast and holds wax. Graphite is too soft for railslides, but running the Muñoz down a rail would be akin to surfing a longboard in a six-inch shorebreak. Criminally offensive.