Diamonds, Spades, and World-Class Glades: Behind the Scenes of Our 2025 Reno-Tahoe Snowboard Test

The drive from Reno to Lake Tahoe’s Diamond Peak Ski Resort makes them feel deceptively close. You can touch down at Reno-Tahoe International Airport and, provided storms aren’t caking Mount Rose Highway in powder, arrive at Diamond Peak in 45 minutes, ready to rip. But, culturally, the buzzing city and sleepy ski resort seem worlds apart—which is exactly why we were stoked to host our 2025 snowboard test between the two. By day, our crew tested the latest and greatest snowboards on Diamond Peak’s uncrowded slopes. By night, we ate, drank, danced, and gambled through Reno. Needless to say, it was a damn good time.

Reno: Our Snowboard Test Base Camp

For those unfamiliar with the up-and-coming adventure hub, Reno is a high-desert outpost located on the eastern flanks of the Sierra. Lovingly dubbed the “Biggest Little City in the World,” the Nevada metro is best known for its glowing skyline and diverting casinos. That said, the Biggest Little City isn’t getting any smaller these days. According to recent U.S. Census reports Reno is growing at a quick clip (4.1 percent between 2020 and 2023) and enjoying a subsequent surge of arts, culture, cuisine, and adventure-oriented community.

Diamond Peak: The Resort

And yet, as Reno establishes itself as a city of the future, Diamond Peak is a resort that’s happy to stay (partially) in the past. The independent resort keeps crowds to a minimum—something that locals cherish and that significantly enhanced our test team’s capacity for snowboard testing. We never waited in a lift line during the entirety of the test, despite mostly sunny days and enjoyable conditions.

It’s worth noting that those locals actually have a hand in the management of the resort, as Diamond Peak is a community-owned entity steered by property owners in the surrounding town of Incline Village. The publicly owned mountain keeps prices low (adult season passes are $560, midweek day tickets $140) so locals and visitors alike can enjoy this lakeside hidden gem.

The resort is comfortably unpretentious, too. You won’t find ostentatious condo castles encroaching on chairlifts, luxury boutiques ritzing up the base area, or price-gouging gourmet restaurants at Diamond Peak. Instead, the lodges are unassuming, clean, and cozy, and the grub is tasty and reasonably priced.

You can chow down, for example, on BBQ on the deck of the Snowflake Lodge, located at the top of the scenic, aptly named Lakeview Quad. Another option? Hit up the food court in the base lodge for old-school ski resort fare like chicken tenders or, our personal favorite, avalanche fries—piping-hot french fries slathered in hearty chili and all the fixings. And don’t miss the Loft Bar, perched on the second floor of the base lodge, that serves up happy hour specials from 4:00 to 5:45 and offers those in the know some of the best après vibes in the Tahoe Basin.

Diamond Peak: The Snowboard Testing

Of course, while old-school base area vibes and jaw-dropping lake views were much appreciated by our test team, they didn’t directly impact our snowboard testing as much as the mountain itself. Diamond Peak may be a smaller resort, but it boasts the fourth-highest vertical in Tahoe, spanning 1,840 feet from peak to parking lot. Testers mainly spent their time lapping the Crystal Express High-Speed Quad, which tops out at the summit of Diamond Peak (8,540 feet) and provides access to a variety of test-worthy terrain. Diamond Peak’s groomers are immaculate, ranging from steeps that encouraged testers to find the speed limits of boards to lazy, long, rippable pitches that overlooked Lake Tahoe and begged for carving analysis. Closer to the base, the Village Terrain Park gave freestylers the opportunity to test aerial acumen and jib chops.

Our crew was most impressed, however, with the glades. Between Diamond Peak’s manicured groomers, you’ll find sustained, shreddable glades peppered with well-spaced old-growth trees. Our crew discovered protected powder days after a storm in these nooks and crannies, as well as wind lips, log jibs, and cliffs—perfect for scoring au naturel airtime and testing all-mountain and freeride boards in their element.

Backcountry enthusiasts are in luck, too. Backcountry skiers and splitboarders with avalanche safety equipment can exit a gate at the Diamond Peak summit and explore more cruisy glades, playful rock gardens, and steeper slopes. Our splitboard crew embarked on mini-epics in these out-of-bounds zones, grateful to the Crystal Express quad for the boost before resorting to skintracks and bootpacks.

Wrapping Up Back in Town

After each bell-to-bell day of testing, we enjoyed the vista-packed bus ride back to Reno and our home base at the newly renovated J Resort. Despite overworked legs, the crew found renewed energy back in the city. Memorable meals and nights out on the town ensued. When it was time for out-of-town testers to say sayonara to the Sierra, we were as struck by the Biggest Little City as we were by Tahoe’s world-famous shredding. Suffice to say, we hit the jackpot this year.