Board: Nidecker Score
Size: 159
Camber Option: Freeride Camrock. Camber under foot with rocker in the tips.
Bindings: K2 Indy
Stance: 21.5 Wide 15 negative 15 Goofy
Boots: K2 Thraxis
My Weight: 195
Resort: Arapahoe Basin
Conditions: Sunny bluebird skies, no wind, warmer temps, snow that was a mix of frozen chunder, frozen corduroy, push mounds, slush, and scraped off crap.
Flex: This board is definitely on the softer side. It does come in just above a full blown jib noodle but below middle of the road. There’s an abundance of torsional flex which can cause you to over steer from the center. The tips with the rocker are very playful.
Stability: Surprisingly for as soft as it is there was a moderate amount of stability to it. You could charge and not feel like this board was going to buck you around or wash out. I will say that the torsional flex which is highly abundant is the only thing to watch out for as you can over steer the board by twisting it.
Ollies: Having camber under foot helps this board with pop. It’s one of those boards that you don’t have to be assertive with to load up, but when you do pop with it you’ll see yourself getting up into the air. Where the rocker meets the camber zone creates this hinge point that most of the snap comes from.
Pop On Jumps: To be honest I didn’t hit any jumps as it was early season, I did pop a little off a stall, which gave me some idea of how this thing would pop. This board is really designed for small to medium-ish features. Would I send a 30 foot jump with this? Probably not. But 15 to 20 footers wouldn’t be an issue.
Butterability: So that softer tips and rocker really gives you a big platform to butter with. You can get sideways, twist it however you want, and it will lock in and let you play. This board is definitely designed for someone that’s learning how to butter that wants a little rebound from camber.
Jibbing: Presses came naturally with this board and took minimal effort. It’s a board that locks in with ease and lets you do whatever you want. As previously stated it’s a board that is designed to be easy to learn on and progress with.
Carving: The one thing you’ll notice is a little added contact right where the rocker meets the camber zone. This aids the board in steering underfoot. Overall this board carves fairly well, what you will notice is that if you over power from the center it will wash out, but this board isn’t designed for me and if you’re progressing you should be just fine on it. Long drawn out carves or tight quick set up turns it did them well and with ease. The edge to edge power transmission is fluid and smooth.
Rider in Mind: Someone that is coming off rental equipment and wants a board they can progress with and won’t outgrow.
Personal Thoughts: So the first thing I noticed with this board was that it seemed like a softer version of the Jones Explorer. Which is not a bad thing in the slightest as that is an amazing snowboard. What I will say is that this board does have limitations, mainly with its torsional flex. You can, as I’ve already stated, overpower it. What I found would happen was it would occasionally hook up when I was getting a bit too aggressive with it. Overall though for the price this board is a solid bang for the buck.
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