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Review: 2013 NS Cobra, Raptor, Heritage, Premier F1 & Proto

38K views 39 replies 22 participants last post by  Manicmouse 
#1 · (Edited)
The stars aligned and for some reason to top off a great powder day at Nozawa Onsen, the Japanese Never Summer rep was running a demo day with their whole 2013 arsenal to test. I couldn’t resist that opportunity so I proceeded to test their more powder specific boards to get a good comparison between them. Being from Australia, I haven’t actually seen some of the boards in person only read about them on here so it was a great experience to actually ride the boards on such a great day.

I figured I would write about my experiences especially comparing the Cobra to my SL which quite a few people have asked for in Snowolf’s and Leo’s Cobra review threads. Plus take the experiences from a punter who doesn’t usually live near any snow and buys his gear blind based on online research and forums discussions. So far it that hasn’t landed me too much astray, especially when I bought the SL a couple of years back. So take these opinions with a grain of salt.

Location: Nozawa Onsen, Japan
Weather: Overcast with changing visibility and medium to light snow.
Snow Conditions: 30cm of fresh snow, fresh powder (shin deep in places), tracked and choppy powder in trees, bumpy groomers, flat cat track sections
Time: Roughly spent 90 mins with each board

My Details and setup:

Age: late 20s
Height: 6'2", 188cm
Weight: 180 lbs, 82kg
Boot: Salomon Dialogues, US 10.5
Binding: 2010 Salomon Relay Series, with Burton Ultra Air Heal straps (same as on the 2012 Burton Prophecy)
Stance: Goofy, 23.6", 60cm, Front 15 Rear -12, centred on the binding wholes on each board
Rider info: Over 200 days riding in 10 years, riding generally done on annual 2 week holidays, although I’m currently finishing up my second full season with around 50 days on snow including ~15-20 powder days in Japan. I’m an all-mountain rider who uses the mountain as a playground jumping off things and searching for powder. I like to go high speed and lay down big carves on groomers when no fresh snow is around. I am dabbling in BC riding and love tree riding in powder especially at speed.
Freestyle wise I’m more of a beginner can hit up to 30ft kickers with a straight air or grab. 180s of smaller jumps, 50/50 rails, board slide boxes, not much interest in progressing further.
My Current ride: 2010 Never Summer SL 161


158 Cobra


Riding impression:

After all the hype on this forum about this board I had to try the Cobra first. They only had the 158 so I downsized from my usual 161 SL. Wow was this board light. Riding on the bumpy groomer the board felt stiffer than my SL, especially in the tail. Dampness was similar to the SL. Switch riding was a bit weird, almost a twitchy feeling, which I believe is to due to the tapered shape.

Like the SL the ride can be forgiving so you can get a bit lazy when riding this board without dire consequences. Edge was very good when laying down carves, but it felt slightly different due to the taper (this was the first time I rode a tapered board). The board did feel a bit twitchier at speed when carving than my SL but I think that was due to the smaller size.

Pointing the Cobra into the fresh powder is where it excelled. A slight weighting on the back foot and the tip would just pop out above the snow, floatation at this size was no issue for me. Charging through chopped powder was a bit easier due to the board sitting higher up in the snow compared to my SL. Launching of some natural kickers this board sank nicely on the landing then popped up the tip straight away.

The major negative is that this board isn’t as versatile as the SL, especially when trying to ride switch. So potential buyers need to keep that in mind.

Rider in mind:
An all mountain rider with a one-board quiver that does see some regular powder. Don’t kid yourself if you don’t see regular powder on your trips just get the SL instead it will still handle the occasional powder day very well but it will be more versatile when playing around the mountain.

Other comments:

This is definitely my next board based on the riding I do. I would step up to the 161 just to get more stability when charging at speed on groomers, powder flotation wasn’t an issue on the 158. I could get away with a 158 but I’m just used to the current 161 and I feel really comfortable at that length.

Graphics wise I’m not a fan of the snake but that red shadow is pretty cool and the board looks very good in person.

164 Raptor


Riding impression:

Wow what a bad ass board! They only had this size, so it was quite a bit of board to handle for me especially on the terrain I was riding. Definitely could feel the extra weight due to the bigger size. This board will get you in trouble quick. It feels as if it has afterburners on. You need to pay attention the whole time you’re riding this board. Any wrong movements and the Raptor will spit you out. The board was definitely more stiffer than the Cobra and Heritage, but felt slightly softer than the Premier F1. The board was quite damp especially over any unexpected bumps yet still very responsive providing sufficient feedback to the rider. You almost felt comfortable on bumpy groomers especially at speed. Edge hold was just on another planet. Switch was doable but not recommended.

Pointing it into powder this board just floated straight through and accelerated even more. Riding it through trees it was pretty responsive but I could definitely feel the extra length. Ideally I would like to ride this board in the 160-162cm range. This board would just excel on a big mountain line

Rider in mind:

Big mountain rider or someone who just wants to haul ass the whole time.

Other comments:
I’d love to justify to have this board in my collection especially if I rode more big mountain lines. This a definite buy if I ever do an Alaskan Heli trip. I would get in a lot of trouble with this board but boy it would be fun.

158 Heritage


Riding Impression:

I’ve wanted to ride try this board for the last couple of years, it rode quite familiar when compared to my SL except that the Heritage was stiffer and more responsive as expected. Definitely less forgiving than the SL, you had to pay more attention to edge transfers. Compared to the tapered boards this was a more traditional feeling ride. It felt good in switch. Powder floatation needed similar back foot leaning as the SL, which was manageable but definitely less floatation than the Cobra.

Rider in mind:
Some one who wants a stiffer traditional riding board that’s good all over the mountain.

Other comments:
I think after trying this board personally I would stick with the SL, that additional playful character of the SL makes it more fun without a significantly reduced response.

161 Premier F1


Riding impression:

The last board tested in the powder conditions was the Premier F1 in my preferred size. This board felt the stiffest out of all the boards. I found it quite hard to flex up the nose. Being of non-carbonium construction the board felt quite heavier, similar to my SL when strapped in. The Premier instantly felt very damp/dead when plowing over a chopped groomer. I was very surprised how little feed back the board provided. This meant that you didn’t have to be as precise with the edge control with the Premier when compared to the Raptor. The edge was very good as expected. Due to the tapered shape powder floatation was very good with the nose easily poking up through a fresh powder line with a little extra weight on the back leg. Switch riding was surpassingly not too bad, definitely more natural feeling than on the Cobra.

Rider in mind:
Big mountain rider or someone who just wants to haul ass most of the time without much feedback provided from the board. Ie point and shoot without too much consequences.

Other comments:

This definitely wasn’t a board for me. I didn’t enjoy the lack of feedback especially in on the chopped groomer. The raptor definitely gets my pick out of these two for big mountain powder board.
 
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4
#2 · (Edited)

Location:
Nozawa Onsen, Japan
Weather: Blue bird
Snow Conditions: chopped powder with minimal 30cm fresh lines, soft groomers, icy groomers
Time: Roughly spent 90 mins with the board


160 Proto CT


Riding impression:

The following day I spent some time with the Proto. I choose the 160 to test so that I could make as direct comparison to my 161 SL as possible. The Proto was much lighter and straight away felt like a very fun versatile board. I would image it would make spins a lot easier. The flex felt slightly softer than the SL and there was more pop when I loaded up the tail. The proto also provided more feedback to the rider than the SL. However you had to pay more attention to the edge loading when trying to hold a big carve at speed, despite the fact that it had a longer effective edge than the 161 SL. Being a true twin, switch riding was excellent. Powder floatation was similar to the SL and Heritage, that is the weight needed to be shifted back to pop the nose above the snow.

Rider in mind:
All mountain rider that was more interested in playing around and some park riding than laying down big fast carves on groomers and looking for a board that could still hold its own in the powder.

Other comments:

I was definitely a fan of this board. It achieves perfectly the playfulness of an all mountain board without sacrificing too much carving ability and stability at speed. Definitely would be part of 2 board quiver for me.

Can’t say I was too disappointed in the graphics, I thought the board looked very good in person.

Summary/personal preference for me:

One board quiver – 161 Cobra if you see decent amounts of powder, otherwise 161 SL
Two board quiver – 160 Proto CT playing around and general riding, 164 or maybe 159 Raptor for the fast charging and powder days.
 
#3 ·
Nice reviews:D

Glad i hold up and didnt buy the cobra as i have a 158 SL... i am 1.87m and 93 kg... i bought the 158 SL and i find it good:D

Do you think i would feel better in the 161?


Proto vs SL what do you feel better for all mountain riding but not doing rails or boxe?

thanks
 
#4 ·
I think its personal preference re size. The 158 is fine but if you prefer to go fast on groomers and want better edge hold the 161 would be a bit better.

Re Proto vs SL
Again it depends on what your version of all mountain is. The proto is definitely lighter and would be better if you play around a lot on the slopes doing spins and things along that nature. SL would be a bit better at more carving and going fast situations. Both boards can do what the other does but there is compromise.
 
#6 ·
Quick question for you guys on the cobra....I have the opportunity to pick up a 155 now, or could pick up the 153 via preorder (and wait till the boards ship for next season).
Do you think there would be enough of a difference to wait for the 153? I prefer riding steeper terrain and tree runs, hitting kickers and smaller jumps. Rarely in the park.

Stats:
WT: 140lbs
HT: 5'7"
stance: 20.5", goofy, +18, -12

thanks!
 
#8 ·
ah, yes...I knew I'd forget something in there. I'm rocking a hefty size 7 boot.

The waist width was the first thing that jumped out at me on the difference between the two, particularly with my desire to spend a lot of time in trees and wanting quick turn response.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Ihave a chance of picking a cheap raptor...:)

I have a SL.. do you think are good to have both or much similar?


Or should i get a heritage as a more stiff board but not as specific terrain as the raptor?

thanks

what board would be a better match to have along the SL? the her
itage might be too similar?
 
#16 ·
Personally I would pick up the Raptor. The Heritage is a different/stiffer board to the SL but it is reasonably similar in shape and powder performance. The Raptor is completely different being a stiff powder/carving board. It would compliment a quiver much better, especially if youre looking for a powder board.

The Heritage would be a better choice if you want a stiffer one board quiver.
 
#18 ·
Great reviews -- thanks.

I don't get as much time on snow as I would like so a "quiver" isn't really my priority. I took on a Proto CT last weekend in spring conditions (ice/corn/machine groomed) and fell in love. For the kind of riding I do (groomers almost exclusively) I'd like your opinion on the Proto being a one-board quiver.

I haven't gotten a chance to ride an SL but the impression I get from all the posts I've been reading is that the SL is a higher speed, more carving oriented board (than the Proto).
 
#21 ·
Mine is finally here so I will do a review, hopefully with a nice powder day as we still have more to come:D.

Also I will be the only guy on the mountain with that board. Have never seen one here in Japan. Doesn't bother me if many people have it though as long as it rides well:thumbsup::thumbsup:.

In Japan there is a saying which says 10 different people will like 10 different colours 十人十色.

Each to their own is what it means and its definitely true for board graphics.
 
#23 ·
Rode the smokin superpark 159 and the raptor 2013 164 this weekend...

I am 1.86m , 95 kg , 10,5 foot

I have a 158 SL and i dont find it so stiff for my weight:)

I love it for all mountain resort:D


Tried the superpark and is a bit similar but a tad softer. great board, great edge hold and speed.


The raptor is a beast board...:D Even at my weight is a demon to ride. Super fast, likes to go straight forward:D

Stiffer than all the other boards it takes more "work" to handle.

Not my choice for resort riding. Floats and handles superb in powder.


Dont know if is worth keeping for someone that doesnt like to go super fast or see a lot of big mountain :D
 
#26 ·
Loving the NS Line (RaptorX, Summit, & ProtoCTX)

Hi Guys,

I would love to throw in my 2 cents

Here are my specs
Weight: 270-295 lbs (123-134 kg – played football and rugby prop)
Height: 5’11” (180 cm)
Shoe Size: Size 12 stuffed into a 10.5 to reduce toe and heel drag)
Surefoot custom orthotics
Riding History: Riding 17 years, instructing & Racing 16 years, Coaching 15 years
Average 100 days on snow per season
Results: 8-10 (sorry I can’t remember) time medalist at USASA Nationals in GS and SL
Personal History: Studied Mechanical Engineering at University till I dropped out to become a full time Snowboard Coach (specialty Alpine and SBX)
Qualifications: CASI Level 2 & Carving Instructor, Canada~Snowboard Comp Intro Advanced Certified, Development Trained and Intro Learning Facilitator

Boards I Ride
Freestyle (FS): Never Summer ProtoCTX 160, Flux DMCC Bindings, Celsius Opus 6 Boot (modified)
Freeride (FR): Never Summer RaptorX, Bomber Power Plate Riser system, Technine LM Pro Binding (modified), Celsius Opus 6 Boot (modified)
SBX: Donek Saber 170 Custom -can’t ride any more as it breaks every binding ever put on it including:
- Burton C60 – 1 run (they refuse to warranty anything for me anymore)
- Flux DMCC – 2 days
- Neidecker Carbon 900 – 2 weeks
- Head PX10 & PX5 – 2 Days
- Technine LM Pro - 2 days
Powder: Never Summer Summit 172, Flux DMCC Bindings, Celsius Opus 6 Boot (modified)
Slalom: Custom Coiler NSR2 166, Vist Plate, Bomber TD3 Sidewinders Binding, UPZ RC10 Modified boot (lasts half a season)
GS: Custom Coiler NSR2 189, Bomber 5 mm Custom Boiler Plate, Bomber TD3 Sidewinders Binding, UPZ RC10 Modified boot (lasts half a season)

I am a big fan of the RaptorX 169 for all around freeriding. It took a little getting used to the Rocker-Camber (RC). I found narrowing the stance just a bit and riding with slightly wider knees really helped; I was able to engage the tip and tail more and get the responsiveness and stability most think is not possible without traditional camber. Sorry the YouTube video isn’t as good as I would like, the hill was too flat to really get the Raptor up to speed and carve aggressively at the same time. When i am out in Colorado i can really push the board and it answers.
2011 01 07 Squeeky Cam F 02 - YouTube


For float in powder I tend to just grab the NS Summit 172. The wide and more pointed shovel tends to promote more float, and I don’t have to spend time taking the riser plates off, or setting my stance back. I find that bigger guys can ride smaller boards in powder if you set your stance back a bit. The tail will sink, it’s a bit of a trade off, and I find it helps relieve stress on an injured back knee. And the shorter boards are a lot more maneuverable around rocks or in tight trees. If you don’t spend much time riding switch (less then 15% I don’t think the set back is much of a loss). But with the large soft shovel the effective edge suffers. So carving on Groomer is not as fun as the Raptor (duh it’s a Powder board). With this board I don’t need to search for a 180 cm plus board or a swallow tail (I have a bad habit of snapping off split or swallow tails).

For a fun toy I have the Proto, it can do everything regular and Switch. See my previous post.

I tend to like the NS boards as they use a pre-tensioned pre-impregnated glass and carbon fiber. This means as soon as the board flexes the tension is take up by the glass. With wet laid glass the initial tension is taken by the resin, then the cloth. This leads to a lot of resin fatigue (my experience with Burton, Rossi, Nitro, Lib Tech, and Winterstick), creating a soft or noodle-ie / dead / unresponsive feel a lot faster. In demoing other boards I ended up going over the nose at some really inopportune times – where if I was on an NS I would have been fine. I also found NS boards give back what is put into them. On groomed runs I could hammer the Raptor into any carves and it wanted more. The Summit was looking for powder as much as I was. And the Proto just put a smile on my face.

Here is a quick shot of me on the RaptorX 169
 

Attachments

#27 ·
Hi Guys,

I would love to throw in my 2 cents

Here are my specs
Weight: 270-295 lbs (123-134 kg – played football and rugby prop)
Height: 5’11” (180 cm)
Shoe Size: Size 12 stuffed into a 10.5 to reduce toe and heel drag)
Surefoot custom orthotics
Riding History: Riding 17 years, instructing & Racing 16 years, Coaching 15 years
Average 100 days on snow per season
Results: 8-10 (sorry I can’t remember) time medalist at USASA Nationals in GS and SL
Personal History: Studied Mechanical Engineering at University till I dropped out to become a full time Snowboard Coach (specialty Alpine and SBX)
Qualifications: CASI Level 2 & Carving Instructor, Canada~Snowboard Comp Intro Advanced Certified, Development Trained and Intro Learning Facilitator

Boards I Ride
Freestyle (FS): Never Summer ProtoCTX 160, Flux DMCC Bindings, Celsius Opus 6 Boot (modified)
Freeride (FR): Never Summer RaptorX, Bomber Power Plate Riser system, Technine LM Pro Binding (modified), Celsius Opus 6 Boot (modified)
SBX: Donek Saber 170 Custom -can’t ride any more as it breaks every binding ever put on it including:
- Burton C60 – 1 run (they refuse to warranty anything for me anymore)
- Flux DMCC – 2 days
- Neidecker Carbon 900 – 2 weeks
- Head PX10 & PX5 – 2 Days
- Technine LM Pro - 2 days
Powder: Never Summer Summit 172, Flux DMCC Bindings, Celsius Opus 6 Boot (modified)
Slalom: Custom Coiler NSR2 166, Vist Plate, Bomber TD3 Sidewinders Binding, UPZ RC10 Modified boot (lasts half a season)
GS: Custom Coiler NSR2 189, Bomber 5 mm Custom Boiler Plate, Bomber TD3 Sidewinders Binding, UPZ RC10 Modified boot (lasts half a season)

I am a big fan of the RaptorX 169 for all around freeriding. It took a little getting used to the Rocker-Camber (RC). I found narrowing the stance just a bit and riding with slightly wider knees really helped; I was able to engage the tip and tail more and get the responsiveness and stability most think is not possible without traditional camber. Sorry the YouTube video isn’t as good as I would like, the hill was too flat to really get the Raptor up to speed and carve aggressively at the same time. When i am out in Colorado i can really push the board and it answers.
2011 01 07 Squeeky Cam F 02 - YouTube


For float in powder I tend to just grab the NS Summit 172. The wide and more pointed shovel tends to promote more float, and I don’t have to spend time taking the riser plates off, or setting my stance back. I find that bigger guys can ride smaller boards in powder if you set your stance back a bit. The tail will sink, it’s a bit of a trade off, and I find it helps relieve stress on an injured back knee. And the shorter boards are a lot more maneuverable around rocks or in tight trees. If you don’t spend much time riding switch (less then 15% I don’t think the set back is much of a loss). But with the large soft shovel the effective edge suffers. So carving on Groomer is not as fun as the Raptor (duh it’s a Powder board). With this board I don’t need to search for a 180 cm plus board or a swallow tail (I have a bad habit of snapping off split or swallow tails).

For a fun toy I have the Proto, it can do everything regular and Switch. See my previous post.

I tend to like the NS boards as they use a pre-tensioned pre-impregnated glass and carbon fiber. This means as soon as the board flexes the tension is take up by the glass. With wet laid glass the initial tension is taken by the resin, then the cloth. This leads to a lot of resin fatigue (my experience with Burton, Rossi, Nitro, Lib Tech, and Winterstick), creating a soft or noodle-ie / dead / unresponsive feel a lot faster. In demoing other boards I ended up going over the nose at some really inopportune times – where if I was on an NS I would have been fine. I also found NS boards give back what is put into them. On groomed runs I could hammer the Raptor into any carves and it wanted more. The Summit was looking for powder as much as I was. And the Proto just put a smile on my face.

Here is a quick shot of me on the RaptorX 169
FUCK YEA MAN!

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Welcome!
 
#31 ·
Thanks for the welcome / yeah rugby players / Responses

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the welcome; it is awesome to talk snowboarding with people as addicted to it as me. Sorry if my formatting for forums is a bit off, this is new to me (I try to spend as much time on snow so I don’t have free time to get in trouble). If you have recommendations for how I can clean things up please message me and I will be happy to fix it.

Awesome to see rugby players around. I actually got benched in a match for hitting a guy too hard (running with the ball, and head down around me - bad idea).

dreampow: I have never had the chance to ride in Japan. But from what I‘ve seen you get lots of very light fluffy pow (color me jealous!)? The Summit would be right at home in those conditions. I think it is a great option and a bulletproof durable pow ride.

Biocmp: I really like the DMCC’s on my Proto. With my size and riding style I like a really responsive binding with a stiff highback. Add how light the DMCC’s (compared to other bindings I’ve ridden) with the Proto are and it feels like I have a feather attached to my feet. Especially after a day on my GS board which weights in over 26lbs (12 kg) – board, riser plate, and binding. If you are lighter, and/or want to spend more time on boxes/rails you may find a softer Flux binding more forgiving. But if you are looking for a binding that will do it all, and give you great feedback through your feet the DMCC’s are an amazing choice.

One thing I will add I am super stoked that NS is putting out a shorter Raptor. This will allow a lot of my smaller, younger riders to get and a great board for SBX. In the past I have put them on the Lotus/Premier/ or Heritage as they did not have the mass for a 159. Being my nutty self I might even go further. There might be some tiny people out there who love to go fast that might even like a 150 Raptor (I have a few on my team). But I am not sure how that would fit in with the NS line. Would it be a pain to manufacture, or crossover into target riders for a different model?

Full disclosure: a large number of my team riders are riding NS boards now. We made a team order and were given a discount. Not sure if this makes me biased. What does though is that I tried NS boards, demo’ed others, rode them for 2 seasons before I recommended them to my team. I rode the Titan, and then held out to try the Raptor before I recommended the boards to my team. The riders who are on NS boards are all smiles. Then next step board wise for these riders would be custom SBX specific boards (Oxess, Kessler, Donek, Coiler, Prior) costing $1000 - $2700 Cdn. These custom boards are good for only SBX course, and nothing else. Plus, spending that much money for a rider still growing isn’t realistic for most parents. NS boards allow my riders to get a board that can Freeride like a champ. Then when they need it to drop in to an SBX, Slalom, or GS race and take Podiums they are still good to go.

First Pic: Team Rider Sarah – riding the NS PremierF1 157 – In Women’s 11-13 year old SBX
She won every heat last year until she got to nationals where she took the bronze. This pic is from Ontario Provincial Champs


Next: Team Riders Lucas: riding the NS RaptorX 169, and Michael riding the Lotus 146 (shortest directional Freeride board I could find – he was 11 and 75 lbs) – In Men’s 11-13 year old SBX. This pic is from Ontario Provincial Champs


Can you see why I got Michael the 146 Lotus? He is too tiny for anything else and he was able to rail on this board.
http://www.snowboardingforum.com/me...ding-pics-picture29-can-you-see-why-i-got.jpg

Team Rider Eric Riding the NS RaptorX 165. He can euro carve on this board. He did not crash right after this shot was taken; he can consistently ride his Raptor this way every time.
http://www.snowboardingforum.com/me...-pics-picture34-eric-fc-5-team-rider-eric.jpg

For those looking for more pics I have loaded them into a public album (I hope). I have to get myself in gear and convert/render more video and get it on YouTube. The first video is a 14 year old rider on my team riding the Raptor 159 through our training SBX course.
2011 01 16 BV Training BX Kevin - YouTube

The next one is him riding on a legit Black Diamond carving like mad (he was 13 at the time).
201012.22 - Beaver Valley Snbrd Race Team - Kevin on Avalanche - YouTube

Hope this helps, Cam
 
#34 ·
Cobra vs Heritage for my next

Looks like I am going after an old thread here so I probably won't get a response in time but here goes. I have been riding my 155 k2 astar for about 11 years now and needless to say am due for a new board. I live in the midwest but i make an annual pilgrimage to utah, colorado, or big sky once or twice a year. I am only buying ONE board.

I want a board that can ride extremely fast on groomers, will be able to float in powder when I am lucky enough to get a good powder trip, can maneuver tree runs and backcountry, and can hit the occasional table top and kicker. I never really hit rails or boxes so factor that in.

Right now I am leaning toward the 158 heritage based on these criteria but my big question I guess is how much control do i lose with the cobra compared to the heritage vs how much play do i lose with the heritage vs the cobra. If the heritage is completely worthless at doing 180s off natural features or tables then maybe the cobra is preferrable but if the cobra is going to get squirrley at high speeds than maybe the heritage. Which of the two boards is more versatile as far as accomplishing its weaknesses if that makes sense. I have a feeling i will be happy with either board since my current board is super old but I want to do as much research as possible before spending the dough.

I am 5'10", 190 lbs, size 9.5 boot.
 
#36 ·
Looks like I am going after an old thread here so I probably won't get a response in time but here goes. I have been riding my 155 k2 astar for about 11 years now and needless to say am due for a new board. I live in the midwest but i make an annual pilgrimage to utah, colorado, or big sky once or twice a year. I am only buying ONE board.

I want a board that can ride extremely fast on groomers, will be able to float in powder when I am lucky enough to get a good powder trip, can maneuver tree runs and backcountry, and can hit the occasional table top and kicker. I never really hit rails or boxes so factor that in.

Right now I am leaning toward the 158 heritage based on these criteria but my big question I guess is how much control do i lose with the cobra compared to the heritage vs how much play do i lose with the heritage vs the cobra. If the heritage is completely worthless at doing 180s off natural features or tables then maybe the cobra is preferrable but if the cobra is going to get squirrley at high speeds than maybe the heritage. Which of the two boards is more versatile as far as accomplishing its weaknesses if that makes sense. I have a feeling i will be happy with either board since my current board is super old but I want to do as much research as possible before spending the dough.

I am 5'10", 190 lbs, size 9.5 boot.
Went from premier f1 to cobra last season. F1 was damp, carves well, and was rock solid at any speed. It was ssslllloowwww edge to edge. The cobra woke up tree and mogul riding for me, a lot. Also just more fun. Is it more squirrely at speed? Yes, but not until you break the 50 mph mark, and even then it's not like I'm afraid I'm going to get thrown off or anything, just not quite as point and forget as the f1 was.

Heritage I haven't ridden, but I'm betting it falls between the 2. I'm very happy with the cobra, and given the choice, would not a sacrifice any playfulness for added stability anywhere.

You could go with the 155, 158, or the 161. Since you're waffling cobra-heritage, I would think cobra 158 would give just that little extra stability that you seem to not want to lose.
 
#35 · (Edited)
<edit> sorry to the OP as I know you were giving us some great reviews and I don't want to sound like an expert on the subject, just my opinions.

DJROCHE,

I have a 2013 Cobra 158 and a 2013 High Society Twilight 155, which has been claimed to be a Heritage in sheep's clothing, it is pressed at NS and has nearly identical specs. High Society (gawd I hate that name) likely has cheaper materials compared to a real NS.

Let me preface this saying I am only on my second year into serious riding and these are my first two boards I purchased (Cobra first then Twilight) so my opinion is not as valid as the other members here. I bought the Twilight because the Cobra rocked in pow and I wanted something better for the groomers, plus early season lift lines were messing up my Cobra making me want a beater board. The Twilight (Heritage?) is good on groomers and plows through it all but it is not a playful as the Cobra, not as flexible, and it is also heavier (I wonder if a real NS Heritage is lighter) but I don't feel anything under my feet (dampness differences) like I do with the Cobra. When I purchased the Twilight I needed some new bindings for the Cobra as I transferred the ones (2011/2012 Ride Revolt without the slime back) from the Cobra to the other. On the old bindings I thought the Cobra was twitchy as it would catch on anything, and almost too responsive (if there is such a thing) but since I paired the Cobra with 2014 Union Contact bindings the Cobra is less "twitchy" and just plain fun to ride. When I am expecting hardpack, ice and groomers I just move the bindings forward and on pow I move them back. While the Twilight is still fun to ride, I plan on only using that on early or late season crap as the Cobra is fun and fast and my favorite between the two.

For me the Cobra shines when it is going fast, in powder and it feels more playful and it seems to hold an edge better as I am bombing down a run. The Twilight/Heritage is kind of heavy (compared) but makes it a tank and will probably take anything you throw at it, all this makes it fun to ride. It is also easier to ride switch on the Twilight. The Twilight for me is easier to jump but the Cobra has more pop, I think the difficulty for me hitting a jump this is due to the size difference and the more set back stance of the Cobra. As I get better at riding I think I will be able to jump better on the Cobra. Based on my riding style I like a soft and flexible binding for the Cobra, it gives it a fun feel compared the slightly stiffer bindings I had on it.

Sorry my response is lengthy and I am going to finally say, I wonder if either of these are for you. Would a Proto or SL be better? I only say this because I think an SL would have been better for me but I enjoy riding what I have for sure.
 
#37 ·
Do you know which board is better for float? They both have the rocker camber so I think they're probably close, and I think both are setback a little and both directional twin... Is flex or stiff preferable in the powder?

My old k2 is REAL stiff and I like that responsiveness so I guess I'm a little nervous going flex without any background however it seems for tree ridden trails that a little flex gives you a little more whip in tight quarters (is that true or are there benefits to stiffness in the trees?)

Dude it's an impossible decision! I want both... And I don't want to demo which would really be the answer but then once you try both that's an extra hundo on your cost. I feel like I am choosing my future right here right now
 
#39 ·
Can't tell you which is better in pow, but I can tell you that the cobra is peachy for what I would call resort pow. If your going back country, I would pick a different board I think, though some do use cobra there too. In 2 feet or more of powder, I haven't had any issues at all with the cobra staying on top. A very slight shift to rear and it floats well.

Also think your better off int he trees with the cobra. Softer overall and spade shape tail make it turn quicker. Can't see any advantage to having a stiff board in trees...
 
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