Roxy Sugar Banana Review

If you’re in the market for a fun, new snowboard, the Roxy Sugar Banana just might be just right for you. It makes for easy turn initiations, is good for parks and out on fresh powder, and excellent for beginner to intermediate riders.

Unfortunately, not everyone speaks of good experiences with this board. Some users stated that it was insufficient on groomers, less great at carving, and didn’t float as well as they would have liked.

However, before you make the final decision on whether this is the board for you, let’s take a closer look at the Roxy Sugar Banana Snowboard.

Roxy Sugar Banana Snowboard: The Details

In A Nutshell

• Profile: Hybrid rocker-mild camber.
• Shape: Twin.
• Flex: Soft.
• Construction: Sandwich.
• Core: Wood.
• Available Lengths (Waist widths): 138 cm. (22.5 in.), 142 cm. (23.2 in.), 146 cm. (23.5 in.), 149 cm. (23.7 in.), 152 cm. (23.8 in.).
• Type: All-mountain.

Features

Profile

The profile of the Roxy Sugar Banana is (you guessed it) a banana BTX rocker. This profile makes the board operational on just about any terrain – and especially great for freestyle riding.

You have a rocker between your feet and mild camber at the contact points found on the edges. There is also slight pressure at the tips to make this board ideal at floating and jibbing, with additional pressure at your feet for enhanced turning and edge hold (especially in rough snow and ice).

Shape

The true twin shape of the Sugar Banana is great for riders who are looking to ride switch. The nose and the tail of the board are identical (a.k.a. twins), with a nice amount of flex throughout for smoother turns, assisted by the radial sidecut.

The shape is also designed to take everything from powder to groomers to any uneven snow you might find out on the mountain.

Core

The core of this board is made of what Roxy is calling Kind Hearted Columbian Gold Core Blend. This includes FSC certified wood, which provides a light, fast, and poppy board.

They look for wood specifically with long fibers, so you can enjoy as much pop as possible.

Laminates

The Sugar Banana is laminated with biaxial fiberglass, which delivers additional pop for jumps and tricks, along with some extra flex.

It also enhances your stability no matter how fast you’re going. Even if you are racing down the mountain, you won’t have to worry about feeling wobbly or insecure.

Sidewalls

The UHMW (ultra-high molecular weight) sidewalls on the Sugar Banana make the board strong while also keeping it lightweight.

Even if you run into a pile of hard snow, your board will stay intact.

Base

The base of the board is co-extruded and made out of polyethylene; in other words, it’s melted down from pellets and applied to the board as, essentially, one piece.

This process makes it very fast, and ensures you won’t have to perform as much maintenance. No need to wax your board every time you go out for a ride! It will last you all season and maybe into the next.

Edges

This Roxy board also has beveled edges, which makes for catch-free turning.

You’ll never get stuck on a piece of ice or some rough snow. The edges will give you smooth transitions and turns.

Top Sheet

The top sheet is an eco-sublimated top, contributing to the board’s strength and durability.

This will definitely show at the end of the season, when your board still looks great. It also ensures the graphics really shine.

Finally, the eco-sublimated process is environmentally friendly and non-toxic, allowing you to help the planet as well!

Additional Features

The Roxy Sugar Banana is Mervin-Made Eco Construction.

What does this mean?

In short, the whole snowboard is built and processed using wind and water-generated power. It is also made in the U.S.A.!

Warranty

Roxy provides a one-year warranty on the Sugar Banana.

So, if anything is wrong with your board upon its delivery, or anything breaks or malfunctions due to a manufacturing error, you will be able to get a refund or exchange at no cost to yourself.

Roxy Sugar Banana Snowboard Review

The Positives

Easy Turns

Nearly all of our testers noted how great the Sugar Banana is at turns. The softness of the board is definitely a major contributor in this regard, but the deep sidecut and the beveled edges don’t hurt either.

The Sugar Banana’s flexibility means you will never have to throw too much of your weight into each turn. The board is all about easy maneuverability!

A board that’s easy to maneuver makes it easy to dodge objects like trees or poles (and people!) so you won’t have to be nervous about accidents.

Good on Powder

The Sugar Banana is also pretty excellent on powder. The soft flexibility will have you gliding over fresh snow like it’s a cloud.

Quite a few users noted that this is where the board really shines, as it’s lightweight enough to float across, or down, powdery slopes.

A lighter board also makes long days in the snow much easier on your legs and feet. It won’t weigh you down, leaving you with more energy at the end of the day.

Good for Small Jumps

While this board suffers on large jumps, it’s ideal for small ones. By providing you with the forgiveness necessary when landing small jumps, you can work up your skill level to eventually take on a stronger board.

Just remember: your legs and knees will appreciate you sticking to the small ones with this Roxy board.

Jibbing

The Sugar Banana is also great for jibbing. The softer flex and the rocker in the middle of the board make jibbing easy whether you’re on boxes, rails, ledges, or any other smooth surface.

The edges won’t get in your way and the board will ease you through the move.

Forgiving

Quite a few users also mentioned how forgiving this board is. Because of its flexibility and its poppy-ness, it will give you a fun, forgiving ride.

You don’t have to push too hard or be an aggressive rider for this board to really show off everything it has. This is great for novice and beginners as they won’t feel overwhelmed by this board.

It still manages to stay fun and poppy while keeping you stable and relaxed.

Good for All Snowboarders

While a lot of boards are strictly for beginners or for experts, the Roxy Sugar Banana snowboard is for both!

Whether you’re just learning, or you’ve been riding down mountains for years, this option will work for and with you.

It will help you improve your skills as a beginner or let your well-honed skills shine if you’re more advanced. You can’t ask for much more than that!

And if you’re just starting out, or an intermediate rider, you’ll be able to easily grow and perfect maneuvers with this board without having to shell out money on a new one.

Versatile

Given the points above, it’s clear that the Roxy Sugar Banana is a great all-around board.

It’s ready to ride through a variety of conditions including powder, groomers, and crud, and opens itself up to riders of all backgrounds.

It’s fun, poppy build allows boarders to take it to parks to practice small jumps and jibs, and if you just feel like cruising through the snow, it’s great for that too!

It really stands true to its nature as an all-mountain snowboard and while you may have a better option for pipes and big jumps, the Sugar Banana will still leave you with a wide variety of experiences to enjoy.

Eco-Friendly 

If you need another reason to get on the Sugar Banana Snowboard, saving the planet is the perfect excuse.

This board is manufactured at Mervin, known for being the most eco-friendly snowboard manufacturer on the planet.

Whether that’s true or not doesn’t take away from the fact that these boards were manufactured with wind and water generated power.

This manufacturer uses renewable products and environmentally friendly water-based ink while recycling their scraps to help reduce their overall carbon footprint.

Combine that with eco-friendly features like the eco-sublimated topsheet and you’ll be riding on one of the greenest boards around!

The Negatives

No Carving

Unfortunately, based on a lot of tester feedback, this is not the ideal board for carving. It is too soft and flexible to make a decent line in harder snow.

So, if carving is your thing, it’d be wise to continue shopping.

Not Great with Speed

If you have a need for speed, the Sugar Banana is not the board for you either.

The extruded base and soft flexibility inhibit this option from working at high speeds. If you try, it won’t remain stable enough for the ride to be enjoyable. Sorry, speed demons!

Not for Groomers

Quite a few testers stated this board was not for riding on groomers. While it is possible, users noted that you shouldn’t expect too much.

You will be able to control the board, but it won’t be a fun ride. Stick to powder and the park with the Roxy Sugar Banana and you’ll have a great time!

Overall Verdict

After considering all the positives and negatives, we do recommend the Roxy Sugar Banana snowboard, but only if you don’t ride on groomers, are not worried about speed, or don’t care much for carving.

This is clearly a great board! It’s just not as diverse as you may require. For beginners, however, or those who enjoy powder, it’s definitely worth a try.

Where to Buy the Roxy Sugar Banana Snowboard

Roxy is a well-known brand in the world of sporting equipment, with a variety of products and clothing behind them. They’ve been around for decades and have grown to be one of the top women’s sporting brands worldwide.

Their products have always been head turners, and thanks to their success and popularity, it’s easy to find items like the Roxy Sugar Banana Snowboard in-store and online.

While it’s always best to check sporting equipment and specialty stores, you can kick-start your search with the following online retailers.

• EVO (from $269)
• Alpine Shop (from $279)
• The House (from $244)

And of course, you can also find this snowboard on Amazon.

That’s all for our Roxy Sugar Banana review. Tempted to give this board a try?