Introduction
This is my FIRST IMPRESSION on the upcoming Evo 4.0. I will be adding to this review as I ride it more throughout this season and the next. I also have a 2012 Evo to compare this to side-by-side, but I will wait until the new one is broken in to make those comparisons so stay tuned!
Stats
Board: 2014 Never Summer Evo 4.0 154cm
Bindings: 2013 Burton Genesis M
Boots: 2011 Burton Restricted Hail 9.5 US
Stance: +18/-12 Regular @ around 25"
I am 5'9, 165lbs (Yes, I lost 15lbs)
Flex/Camber Profile
The new Evo retains the same core as previous years so it is still their softest flexing board. However, they added "Harmonic Dampeners" in this model in the tips. The camber profile has also been tweaked with "Low Profile Tips."
Since this is still a brand new board, I cannot determine it's true flex. As it is now, it's stiffer than the old Evo by a good notch, particularly in the tips. I can still press this easier than my 2012 Proto though.
Handling
Simply put, the handling is excellent. The HD in the tips definitely makes this board very quiet. The previous Evo would very noticeably chatter at speed or on less-than-ideal terrain. Not the case with the Evo 4.0. Mind you, I downsized this time around.
Edge-to-edge is not quite as responsive, but again, I'm going to wait until the board breaks-in to definitely say. I'm expecting the torsional flex to give a little more which should help with that.
With the newfound dampening system, I did not hesitate to lay down drawn out carves at speed. No chatter whatsoever. A stark contrast from the old Evo. I know this is a park board, but I like to add these types of tests to get an all-around opinion on the board's limits. I'm looking forward to trying this on the bigger hills around here. Yea, yea, more like bunny hills. Regardless, I'm gonna tackle whatever resemblance of a steep we have here in beautifully flat Michigan.
Pop
Very satisfying pop. The Proto still has it beat by a noticeable margin though. Compared with a DH2, the pop is just decent.
I want to emphasize the word "satisfying" though. Ollying on the Evo 4.0 is a pleasure. It gives you a stable platform to launch off of. It's reminiscent of a flat rocker (I'm not a fan of them, but this is one aspect I love about them). I reported this to Vince and he told me that it was due to the Low Profile Tips. All-in-all, my ollies felt real solid on this thing.
Other Thoughts
I'm really hoping the flex goes back to that of the more familiar mid-soft flex from the previous Evo. That flex with dampened up Tips is going to make for a superb freestyle board.
I'm really liking the low profile tips. Not only does it give you a stable platform to load up and pop, it also gives you a nice stable landing platform.
Conclusions
So far, the Evo 4.0 is well on its way to replacing my old Evo as my go-to. I'm looking forward to breaking this bad boy in more. By the way, I forgot to mention the graphics... sick is all I can say especially on the matte topsheet. I wish it had an orange sno-glow base though. Would match the Orange NS logo on the topsheet nicely.
Stay tuned for more in-depth thoughts on the upcoming Evo as I ride it more and some more side-by-side comparisons to the older model.
This is my FIRST IMPRESSION on the upcoming Evo 4.0. I will be adding to this review as I ride it more throughout this season and the next. I also have a 2012 Evo to compare this to side-by-side, but I will wait until the new one is broken in to make those comparisons so stay tuned!
Stats
Board: 2014 Never Summer Evo 4.0 154cm
Bindings: 2013 Burton Genesis M
Boots: 2011 Burton Restricted Hail 9.5 US
Stance: +18/-12 Regular @ around 25"
I am 5'9, 165lbs (Yes, I lost 15lbs)
Flex/Camber Profile
The new Evo retains the same core as previous years so it is still their softest flexing board. However, they added "Harmonic Dampeners" in this model in the tips. The camber profile has also been tweaked with "Low Profile Tips."
Since this is still a brand new board, I cannot determine it's true flex. As it is now, it's stiffer than the old Evo by a good notch, particularly in the tips. I can still press this easier than my 2012 Proto though.
Handling
Simply put, the handling is excellent. The HD in the tips definitely makes this board very quiet. The previous Evo would very noticeably chatter at speed or on less-than-ideal terrain. Not the case with the Evo 4.0. Mind you, I downsized this time around.
Edge-to-edge is not quite as responsive, but again, I'm going to wait until the board breaks-in to definitely say. I'm expecting the torsional flex to give a little more which should help with that.
With the newfound dampening system, I did not hesitate to lay down drawn out carves at speed. No chatter whatsoever. A stark contrast from the old Evo. I know this is a park board, but I like to add these types of tests to get an all-around opinion on the board's limits. I'm looking forward to trying this on the bigger hills around here. Yea, yea, more like bunny hills. Regardless, I'm gonna tackle whatever resemblance of a steep we have here in beautifully flat Michigan.
Pop
Very satisfying pop. The Proto still has it beat by a noticeable margin though. Compared with a DH2, the pop is just decent.
I want to emphasize the word "satisfying" though. Ollying on the Evo 4.0 is a pleasure. It gives you a stable platform to launch off of. It's reminiscent of a flat rocker (I'm not a fan of them, but this is one aspect I love about them). I reported this to Vince and he told me that it was due to the Low Profile Tips. All-in-all, my ollies felt real solid on this thing.
Other Thoughts
I'm really hoping the flex goes back to that of the more familiar mid-soft flex from the previous Evo. That flex with dampened up Tips is going to make for a superb freestyle board.
I'm really liking the low profile tips. Not only does it give you a stable platform to load up and pop, it also gives you a nice stable landing platform.
Conclusions
So far, the Evo 4.0 is well on its way to replacing my old Evo as my go-to. I'm looking forward to breaking this bad boy in more. By the way, I forgot to mention the graphics... sick is all I can say especially on the matte topsheet. I wish it had an orange sno-glow base though. Would match the Orange NS logo on the topsheet nicely.
Stay tuned for more in-depth thoughts on the upcoming Evo as I ride it more and some more side-by-side comparisons to the older model.