Venture’s Paragon should be a top pick for all-mountain riders looking for a reliable yet playful do-it-all split for two key reasons: its versatile shape and incredible durability.
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Editors’ Choice
Venture Paragon
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Weight: 7.6 (158 cm)
Sizing: 149, 153, 154, 158, 159, 163, 164, 168 cm
Profile: Neutral
Shape: Directional
Flex: 6/11
Waist Width: 25.5 cm (158 cm)
Sidecut: 7.61 m (158 cm)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Versatile shape
⊕ Floats well
⊕ Rides switch well
⊕ Durable
⊕ Excellent size run
⊗ Heavy
It’s a classically shaped, easy-to-ride, neutral-cambered chameleon, able to adapt to any conditions or terrain you throw at it. I was appreciative of Venture’s go-to neutral profile, which transitions from zero-camber underfoot to a gentle rocker between the inserts, nose, and tail. Testers noted that the profile combined with a semi-tight sidecut offers a balance of float in powder and dependable edge-hold in hardpack. That said, in technical skintracks, some testers voiced a preference for traditional camber.
The board is directional enough to handle deep snow and freeriding at speed, thanks to a touch of taper from the longer nose to the shorter tail. However, there’s not too much taper that you can’t ride switch. If you want a board that can float in powder, handle technical freeriding, still throw tricks, and land switch in more playful terrain, it’s hard to find a better option than the Paragon. When touring days after a storm in the Tahoe backcountry, testers found themselves exploring undulating, freestyle-friendly terrain that begged for airtime, but it was caked in a crust of icy snow that threatened to pitch riders head over heels at every turn. The Paragon was one of few splits reliable enough to navigate through the garbage with a semblance of grace, all while encouraging riders to throw little spins, ride switch, and pop off rock-hard pillows without too much concern for landing stability.
Venture crafts some of the most durable decks on the planet, and the Paragon is no exception. I scraped the base of the split on a sliver of barely-exposed rock in the choke of a couloir and the board barely sustained a scratch. The boards are designed and tested in Silverton, Colorado, a notoriously rocky region. If it can survive in the Rockies, it can handle pretty much anything. Venture goes the extra mile in every aspect of construction, lacing up the Paragon with tough P-Tex (polyethylene) sidewalls, a sintered Durasurf base, cold-rolled high-carbon steel edges, and powder-shedding, hard-wearing Carbonium top sheets.
The one downside to Venture’s burly construction is that it’s relatively heavy, with the 158-centimeter length weighing 7.6 pounds. For most riders who are hard on their gear, a few extra ounces is well worth it. However, if you’re looking for a lighter version of the Paragon that’s built to Venture’s high standards, look no further than the snappier, lighter ($1,299), which weighs a half-pound less. We’ve found the Carbon Paragon to be much more durable (and chunkier) than carbon craft from Venture’s competitors, although the upgrade isn’t cheap.
Bottom line—if you’re brutal on your gear and run through boards like a stuntman through plate-glass windows, slow down with the highly durable, fun, and high-performing Venture Paragon. It’s built to last and slash.
is a Tahoe-based freelance writer and a lifelong snowboarder. In addition to directing ϳԹ’s snowboard and splitboard gear tests—a role he’s handled since 2016—he directs Backcountry Magazine’s splitboard test and nerds out on snowboard gear and travel for REI, Gear Junkie, Gear Patrol, and Popular Mechanics, among others. He spends his winters testing snowboard and splitboard gear in his backyard backcountry zones or up at Palisades Tahoe, as well as chasing stories and storms to snowboard meccas like Japan and Norway. His summers? They’re mainly spent at his desk, sifting through review forms and spec sheets, compiling our snowboard reviews—although he occasionally disappears in his custom-built 2006 Chevy Express for a few days when there’s swell on the coast.