Powder Freestyle Board--Never Summer SL??

[dreampow]

Of the two you listed the heritage and go with the 158.

Since you clearly said a freestyle oriented powder board (ie that does well in powder but also rides switch well etc) that looks like a very good choice to me.

I ride a 157 proto at 170lbs and love it in powder as long as its not crazy deep (40cm or less).

The obligatory picture.



That was in sidecountry and it was maybe 30cm of powder. I floated through easily with minimal effort even in these less steep areas.

ETM you are a Hokkaido powder addict. While you are right that no twinish deck will perform superbly in powder, in this weight range the C2BTX gives really good float (not effortless but good float). Plus what they call epic powder is more like an OK day here in Japan.

All in all I think you are in the right area with the 158 heritage.
Of course there are plenty of other good boards you might consider too.

[Supra]

Originally Posted by dreampow

While you are right that no twinish deck will perform superbly in powder

I beg to differ. Sherlock ftw

[lonerider]

Originally Posted by Supra

well, even though the OP is asking about Never Summer's, it seems that it's ok to suggest other boards.
My vote is for the Burton Sherlock. It's the ultimate powder freestyle board.

It definitely looks good in that video of yours. Those are some nice pillow drops and log drops at the end. I'm not familiar with the Sherlock... what about it gives it good float, the particular style of rocker shape?

[hktrdr]

Originally Posted by ETM

The SL is ordinary in powder due to the stubby nose it has. I took mine to japan and it sucked badly, waste of baggage weight.

That is an interesting point. There are some people who make the opposite argument. For instance, on the Jones Snowboards site they talk specifically about how the blunted nose is better for powder (including for the Hovercraft, their dedicated powder stick).
Also, the NS Cobra has a blunted nose.

I tend to think that a nice long nose kick/rocker is more important for powder capability than the shape of the nose.

[Supra]

Originally Posted by lonerider

It definitely looks good in that video of yours. Those are some nice pillow drops and log drops at the end. I'm not familiar with the Sherlock... what about it gives it good float, the particular style of rocker shape?

the rocker helps the float obviously, but I think the side effects tech makes a big difference.

Side Effects
Lengthening the surface area at the tip and tail contact points improves edge-hold and allows the board to plane easier in powder. Enjoy a livelier feel and enhanced grip on groomers along with added float for overhead days.

Sherlock Snowboard | Burton Snowboards

I live in Japan and ride lots of deep pow. The Sherlock has become my quiver killer since it handles the pow like a champ, all with a freestyle shape. On the deepest day of the year, I was still riding the 160 with a centered stance (I normally ride a 163). Going into the steeps the snow was seriously nipple deep and that's standing on the board nipple deep!

[dreampow]

Originally Posted by Supra

I beg to differ. Sherlock ftw

The sherlock may be very good, great even but nothing will be superb in powder unless its a pow specific deck IMO.

Like on days when its waist or even chest deep.

Having said that would like to have a ride on a sherlock as people say its a really fun ride.

Just watched your vid, yeah nice but I would cruise through that knee deep stuff just fine on my proto. On a powder board you would slay that run much easier with more speed and less effort.

[Supra]

lol but the sherlock IS a pow-specific deck

[dreampow]

Hey Supra,

don't you ride in Japan?

If you find yourself in Nozawa lets do a few laps and I can see what the sherlock is all about.

By the way what length do you ride and whats your weight?

Still hard for me to believe it would compare to a prior or a hovercraft or a gentemstick or something like that.

Still people once thought the earth was flat so I'll be open to the possibility.

[Supra]

Cool. I had a gentem before - a 166 slasher - but I sold it. And I've actually got a pair of hovercrafts in front of me right now. A 160 & 156 lol. Weird boards - the 156 is huge - I bet it would float like a 160 fish.

I will try to get up to noz this year. Good dump in hakuba today, eh?

[SnowBum]

Originally Posted by Nivek

K2 HAPPY HOUR!!!!!!!!

That's it. Team driven powder twin.

Personally landing on center rocker in powder feels off to me. It sends me weird and I go super tail heavy. Flat makes more sense to me, but that's me I guess.

I hadn't thought of that--it makes sense that a center rocker board would want to land on the front or back. I usually land on the back anyway though to keep the nose up...maybe that's not necessary with flat boards? How stable is a flat base--while I want the board for powder, realistically I'll be riding lots of chop, some groomers and bombed out landings.

So it looks like the 158 heritage beats the sl for my purposes. Again I was only looking at never summer b/c a shop guy recommended them. How would the YES Greats and Pick Your Line compare? I noticed they have center camber but I have heard nothing about their stability and dampness. The Burton Sherlock sounds fun but I'm not stoked about the Channel...maybe it's worth putting up with?