Cardiff Goat Enduro

I had the pleasure of demoing the 2023/2024 Cardiff Goat Enduro at Snowbird Resort for a full powder day in February. I had a great time on the Goat and rode it all over Snowbird. A few key spots I hit were the Cirque Traverse, High Baldy Traverse, trees off of Gad 2, and Mineral Basin. This board excelled in steep terrain and deep snow. With just a bit of setback and weight on my backfoot I was able to float everywhere I went. Navigating trees was not an issue, but a little bit of speed did make it more effortless. Drops were smooth as well; I could feel the stiffer tail absorb the impact, and the slight rocker in the nose kept me up and prevented tomahawks.

I also really enjoyed the speed that the base provided. There were some flatter and deeper zones where I noticed other riders getting stuck, and I just kept on moving. Another great feature for me was the edge hold. Although it was a powder day, I definitely found a few icy sheets, and as long as I stayed balanced, the edge wouldn’t let go. This boosted my confidence in technical terrain as I felt I could trust the board to support me in all conditions. I got to straight-line a few chutes as well, and the stability provided by the Goat was exceptional, very damp and reliable.

I enjoyed the extra width in the waist that I felt increased float while also mitigated the risk of toe-drag. The taper was also noticeable as it helped the tail sink and made the board a bit more maneuverable. Riding switch and landing switch was not an issue; which made this board more freestyle-friendly than I anticipated. The flex is definitely on the stiffer side, but this board is by no means a “plank.” Still approachable in regards to flex with a bit more tosional rigidity.

My only complaint would be regarding the pop. I was just personally underwhelmed at the rebound the board provided. With speed, I could get solid airtime, but the pop alone wasn’t as responsive as I would have liked. This is likely due to the more mellow half-camber profile. But with that said, if you come into a hit with speed, you won’t have any issues.

I’d recommend this board to adventurous riders who are seeking powder, drops, technical terrain, and speed. It can definitely handle trees as well, but I felt like this board really wanted to go big and open up larger types of terrain. I’d say the minimum skill level needed would be high-end intermediates and up.