2013 Signal Omni Snowboard Review

I got my hands on the Omni Wavelength from Signal Snowboards late in the season and was lucky that northwest Michigan got slammed with an unexpected 15″ of snow that took out power, closed county roads and generally created chaos and confusion everywhere. If it sounds like a great weekend to demo a board, it was.

Size: 156cm
Shape: directional twin, twin-shape w/setback, wavelength rocker is camber between the inserts with 5 degree rocker in the tips
Bindings: 2011 Ride Delta MVMT
My stats: 6′, 210 lbs
Stance: 24″ 15/-15 regular

Conditions: We just survived Snowpocalypse 2012 so we ran the gamut of conditions everything from 12″ of cement, chunder, hardpack, powder and ice.

First impressions

Signal is a small company out of California I’ve never ridden one of their boards but I’m all about the made-in-the-USA thing as long as it’s done right. Also I’ve been riding a lot of park lately so I was excited to get my hands on an all-mountain board for a change of pace.

Flex

Torsionally this board was nice and responsive, overall somewhere around like 6.5 fairly consistent maybe a bit more play through the center.  Keep in mind I would normally ride more like a 160 so I flex this board a little more than most people would. The rockered tips let me butter or press it like it was a bit softer but it was still firm enough to handle park jumps without washing out on the tail-heavy landings.

Handling

I rode this board in every imaginable condition and it was a solid performer. That outside rocker gave you a bit of added float in the deep stuff and as heavy as it was this weekend that was greatly appreciated. The camber held like traditional camber so you could rail even the longer drawn-out carves on firm snow and hardpack, good snap/rebound to let you really power through the turns without scrubbing speed. Damp & stable enough you could straightline some nasty stuff on this board without feeling like you’re about to die.

Ollie/Pop

Good and consistent, but not ridiculously poppy. With the camber between your feet you can load this like a traditional cambered board, I had no trouble getting on to streetstyle rails or clearing stumps in the glades.

Jibs/Playfulness

It’s an all mountain deck a little bit damper than I’d really like in the park and there is also a small setback so it’s not a true twin, however I spent a day riding this mostly in the park and don’t have any complaints ollies on to rails were consistent, spinny boardslides on the picnic table boxes, and it buttered pretty well for an all mountain board.

Price: This season the Omni retailed for $459. Not a bad price for a made-in-the-USA stick. Click on the "Buy Now" button to compare prices.

Signal Snowboards are also available from local dealers all over North America.

Summing it up

The Omni Wavelength was just a lot of fun to ride – I brought two boards with me on a four-day trip and didn’t put the Omni down. It’s squarely an “all mountain” board but it’s one of those pretty versatile boards that will do well enough for most people who take a few laps through the park. Well-suited for the intermediate to advanced rider who spends most of his time outside the park, wants that old familiar camber underfoot feeling but still wants a bit of float for the deep days.