Hello and welcome to my Never Summer Chairman review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Chairman as a freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Chairman a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freeride snowboards.
NOTE: The 2021 model was the last model of the Chairman.
Overall Rating
Board: Never Summer Chairman
Price: $629 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (9/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Stiff (8/10)
Rating Score: 86.4/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 36 men’s freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Chairman’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Chairman’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $629 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Rocker (Never Summer's Ripsaw Rocker) |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | 20mm (0.75") |
Base: | Sintered (Durasurf XT Sintered 5501 Base) |
Weight: | Felt Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
157 | 256 | 130-180 | 59-82 |
160 | 256 | 145-195 | 66-88 |
164 | 257 | 150-200+ | 68-91+ |
161X | 266 | 145-195 | 66-88 |
165X | 267 | 150-200+ | 68-91+ |
*Note that the 2020 model also had a 169X, which the 2021 model doesn't have. Going further back, the 2018 model also had a 173, which the 2019 & 2020 models didn't have (and the 2021 model also doesn't have).
Who is the Chairman Most Suited To?
The Chairman is best for anyone who likes to ride powder, in the backcountry or charge hard in the resort. Speed, carving and powder is what this board is all about.
So, if you’re not fussed by playing freestyle, or if you have another board for that and you’re a relatively advanced rider, then the Chairman is worth checking out.
Not for beginners, at all. Way too stiff for beginners – and too much camber in the profile too. This is advanced rider’s board.
The Chairman in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Chairman is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Never Summer Chairman 2019, 160 (256mm waist width)
Date: April 14, 2018
Conditions: With 27cm of fresh snow in the 24 hours prior it was the perfect day for testing freeride boards (which is what I mostly rode on the Saturday). Visibility (at least the part of the mountain where I was riding) was great. There was a bit of wind (which was surprisingly cold for April) but only noticed it on the chair lift. It was around -8 degrees with wind chill.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 560mm (22”)
Stance Setback: 20mm (0.75”)
Width at Inserts: 258mm (10.16”) at front insert and 259mm (10.2”) at back insert
Powder
Floated well in powder and felt pretty effortless. Not epic in powder but still really really good. As good as most will need.
Carving & Turning
A really fun board to lay out good deep, long arcing carves on.
Skidded turns weren’t impossible – doable but not easy.
Preferred speed for turning but wasn’t unmanageable at slower speeds, by any means. Felt quite agile in tress even when having to navigate slower, trickier sections.
Speed
This board is a speed demon. Can handle speed really well. Felt stable and damp at speed and just generally felt best when riding this board fast. A bomber!
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
This video is a couple of years old now – but the Chairman hasn’t really changed for a good few years, apart from the graphic.
Uneven Terrain
For a board this stiff, it’s surprisingly good in messy uneven resort snow – and over undulations. It’s pretty damp, so that helps to reduce the chatter, so that’s gotta be part of it for sure.
Jumps
I preferred the Chairman for jumps than I do most freeride boards. Still not what I’d have as my stock and trade jumper but still pretty decent.
Good on approach and decent pop. Not what I would call easy pop – and what I mean by that is, that I felt I had to put in a good bit of effort to extract the pop – but when I did there was a good bit there.
Landings really solid.
Not much for spinning though, IMO.
Switch
Again, for a freeride board, not too bad.
The set back isn’t huge by freeride standards so that certainly helps in the switch department.
Changes from the 2020 Model
The 2021 model looks to be the same as the 2020 model, except for the graphic.
Changes from the 2019 Model
The 2020 model looks to be identical to the 2019 model, except for the graphic and the way they are doing the topsheet.
Changes from the 2018 Model
The 2019 model is, as far as I can tell, identical to the 2018 model, except for the graphic.
And it looks like they aren’t offering the Chairman in the 173 for 2019 (which they had in 2018). So one size less, otherwise looks to be the same board (but definitely no complaints about that).
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SWITCH | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86.4/100 |
Overall the Chairman is a charger, a bomber and a great carver that can ride powder really well too. Surprisingly agile in the trees for a big stiff board and a little better for jumps and riding switch than your average freeride board.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Chairman, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Chairman compares to other men’s freeride snowboards or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
Hi,
I have fond memories of my ’11 Raptor X as one of my first no-toe drag boards. So I am a little sad that the Chairman is losing the 169X size. There is still an opportunity to get a 2020 Chairman 169X. How does it do in bulletproof ice? Is the 7 point contact as good as full magnetraction of say a Skunk Ape?
Cheers,
Allen
Hi Allen
Thanks for your message.
I haven’t ridden the Chairman in icy conditions. But based on other Never Summer boards with the power grip sidecut, I would say it’s not quite the same kind of grip in ice as full magnetraction, but it’s also pretty good – better than the average board. To put it in numbers, I would say 4/5 in icy conditions for the power grip vs 5/5 for full magnetraction.
Hope this helps
Hi, Nate.
Great site, really helps with my research on a new board. My profile and riding style are almost identical to Sam’s: 6.1, 180 advanced/expert. I’m looking to upgrade from a ’04 or ’05 Ride Theory (full camber I think, 161) which I love, to either a NS Chairman or West Bound (both in a 160 or maybe 163 for the WB). I have 11 boots but both bindings are angled such that toe drag on my Theory (255mm waist) isn’t an issue. I love all mountain riding and bombing the groomers, but maybe not as fast as I once used too, and not interested in the park or big hits. Appreciate your thoughts on Chairman vs WB. I can get a WB at my local shop on sale for $550 CDN right now where the Chairman is $700. I’ll likely hang on to either board for several years so don’t want to skimp but also love the deal.
Hi Blaino
Thanks for your message.
I would be leaning towards the Chairman for you, mainly because of the camber profile. Since you’re used to full camber, the Chairman is a closer transition to that. Not saying it will feel like full camber, but it’s closer than the feel from the Westbound, so it’s less of a change. If that’s not something that you feel would be an issue, then the Westbound definitely an option, but my instinct is telling me you’d prefer the Chairman.
In terms of size, I agree that the 160 would be a good length for you (for either board). For the Chairman in particular I would be a little concerned about the width though. It’s not that much wider at the inserts compared to the waist, so whilst it looks like it could be wide enough, it would be quite narrow for your boots, IMO. The West Bound is wider in the 160, so I think you would probably get away with that. If you’ve ridden narrow boards and never had issues and feel that it would be fine, then 160 is good, but if you’re worried about the width, the 161X is the safer bet for the Chairman, IMO.
Hope this helps with your decision
That’s great, thanks for your reply. Your site has been very helpful! I just picked up a 160 Chairman today with Union Strata bindings. Stoked to test it out.
You’re very welcome Blaino. Hope the board treats you well! If you think of it at the time, let me know how you get on, once you get a chance to get it out on snow
Hey Nate,
Just purchased the chairman and it’s on its way. Was curious what you thought a good binding pairing is. I mostly ride east coast resort but I ride fast, aggressive and frequently in the trees/in the side I’m between the Union Falcor and Union Force what do you think would be the best pairing would be? I’m 5’’ 9” 145 with a size 12 k2 boot.
Hi Chris
Thanks for your message – and apologies for the slow response. A bit behind and trying to catch up after vacation.
I think the Falcor is a better match for the Chairman. It’s a stiffer, more responsive binding vs the Force and will work to drive the board harder. For your weight you probably don’t want to go too stiff, but I think the Falcor is a good balance between stiff enough for the Chairman and for riding aggressively, without being oppressively stiff.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate!
So happy I found this website, it has been a wealth of information while I am looking for a new ride this season. Thank you for putting this all together!
I was wondering if I could get your advice here. I am a big guy (6’5″, 215lb, size 12 boot) who likes to charge hard most of the day. I am an advanced-expert rider that rides mostly resort and slack country, with a fairly even mix of groomers, powder and trees. I do not do any park or freestyle at all, so have been looking largely at aggressive all-mountain and freeride boards. Due to budget constraints I have been mostly looking at the remainder of last year’s stock in my local shops and they pretty much only have 3 options left in my size: they are a 168 Burton Flight Attendant, a 169W Never Summer Chairman X and a 168W Never Summer West. They also have a Jones Flagship in my size but it is this year’s model, and almost double the price :/ so that is a tough pill to swallow. Based on everything I have read here and elsewhere I know I could handle all three well, but just wondering if there are stand-out characteristics of any of them that would sway you one way or the other. Given that I do a decent amount of trees, would the FA and Chairman be too rigid and unwieldily? Similarly, is there a substantial difference in carve/powder performance between the West and the other 2? While the West seems like a better bet for trees/manouvering, overall it does not come as highly reviewed as the other 2 for everything else I am concerned with. Side bar: for the time being it will be the only board in my quiver, but expect I will have the cash for another next season if needed.
Interested to hear your thoughts when you have a chance!
Cheers!
Hi Devin
Thanks for your message.
Yeah you get a good step up in terms of speed and carving from the Chairman and FA vs the West, IMO. The West is good on those areas, but certainly not at the level of the other two. Given what you’re describing I would go with one of the Chairman of FA. The West is probably a little better for trees, but the Chairman is surprisingly agile in there. The FA not bad either. IMO, based on what you’re describing I would go Chairman, because it’s not that far off the West in terms of trees, but it’s a good step up for the other areas. FA would be a close second.
And if you were to get a new board next year, then you might go for one that’s more tree oriented, if you felt you wanted more from the trees. That’s how I would do it, because both the Chairman and FA are certainly good enough in trees – you might find it’s not necessary to get a tree board, but if you do, then you have that option, and in the meantime you have something that’s more optimal for the other aspects.
If available, you could size down the Chairman to 165X, which would give you more maneuverability in trees, if you wanted to get a good balance between trees and everything else. But going 169W would give you that option of going for a shorter tree board next year.
One more reason why I would be leaning Chairman 169X over the FA 168, is that the FA 168 might be borderline too narrow for your boots. So the 169X Chairman in that sense is a safer bet width-wise.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate,
Thanks so much for the quick reply and the advice! The thought had crossed my mind about the narrower FA waist as well. Think its 0.7cm shorter so that might be a difference maker in terms of toe drag. I was sorta leaning towards the Chairman myself mostly based on the graphic and the width, as the two seem to stack up pretty well in a lot of other regards. I have not ridden a ripsaw camber board before so curious about the feel of it compared to more traditional camber. I will let you know how it goes once I get it on the snow! Keep up the great work, awesome site, and will definitely recommend it to my rider friends looking for gear.
Thanks once again!
Hi Devin.
You’re very welcome. It is quite a different feel, having that bit of rocker between the feet, but something that you get used to fairly quickly. Definitely let me know how you get on once you’ve had it on snow, would love to hear what you think.
Hi! Great review!
How does the Chairman compare to the Mullair or Billy Goat for riding fast and hard?
I’ve always had cambered boards, but really like how well buit never summer boards are. Can you also compare the two brands for durability of the boards? Cheers.
Hi Victor
Thanks for your message.
In terms of riding fast and hard, there’s not much in it between those. They’re all good for that for sure. I would say I preferred the Mullair only just on a carve, but that’s not saying anything about the Chairman on a carve – as the Mullair is one of the funnest boards I’ve carved on – you can check out my review on the Mullair here. In terms of stability at speed, the Mullair and Chairman are very similar. The Chairman is a little stiffer, but not by much – I rate the Chairman at an 8/10 and the Mullair at a 7.5/10, so both really quite similar.
The Billy Goat is a slightly different board (I have in a different category – aggressive all-mountain) as it’s not as suited to powder. But in terms of carving/speed, it’s up there with the other 2. I’d say as good as the Chairman (but it’s a different feel to the Chairman, of course).
The Billy Goat and Mullair, both being GNU’s C3 Camber, are pretty much all camber. There’s a very subtle rocker section between the feet, but you hardly notice it. The Chairman also has rocker between the feet and it’s a little more noticeable. But it’s still more camber dominant than rocker for sure.
In terms of durability, I couldn’t say really. I don’t own a GNU or Never Summer, I’ve only ever tested them (but I would certainly have one of both in my quiver if my wallet could take it!), so I can’t really comment on durability having not had them for long enough. Both brands have a reputation for being well built boards, and I haven’t heard anything in the negative about their durability.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate! Thank you for replying.
Interesting about your review regarding carving with the Mullair, being the board with the smallest effective edge. Since I really like to use my front leg on carves, I think I would prefer the other two boards.
Also, I have now read your Slash ATV review (great reviews btw) and put it on the equation as well. I think it’s almost what I want – full camber, unforgiving and stable.
How do you compare the Slash ATV to the billy goat for carving and riding fast early groomers?
Thanks for your time!
Hi Victor
I’m not sure those effective edge figures on the Mullair are accurate. It’s showing very low and definitely not how the Mullair feels on snow. I suspect that is the “contact length” which is a different figure and usually always a smaller figure than the effective edge figure. GNU shows contact length on their website rather than effective edge – and a lot of retailers pick this up as effective edge so it’s a bit confusing. There are a few brands now that publish both contact length and effective edge, which is awesome. Wish they all would, to save the confusion.
In any case, the ATV is definitely a fun aggressive board and great carver. It’s at it’s best on smooth, fast groomers, IMO. It’s just a subtle step better than the Billy Goat for carving, IMO. About the same in terms of stability at speed. Not as good in powder for bombing and carving it’s a sweet ride.
Nate,
Thank you so much for the awesome content on your site. I am thinking about getting a new board after 15 years and it is awesome to get so much knowledge and experience in one place.
After spending a few days going through your site, I think I have narrowed down my choices. If you have a few minutes, could you give me your thoughts on the boards I have narrowed down?
I currently have a NS Premier 160 from either 2005 or 2006 (full camber). I primarily ride 5-10 days per year in CO at Vail, Breck, etc. in Jan/Feb (so generally good snow). I like to charge fast to keep up with my skier friends, love trees while I have the legs, and carve fresh groomers when I get a chance. My favorite places are the back bowls of Vail and Blue Sky Basin.
The boards I am considering are:
1. NS Chairman – I have loved my Premier so have affinity for NS. I really like the damp feel and like how I can charge through resort chop. This seems like a good match to take my speed and carving to the next level while being nimble enough for the trees.
2. GNU Mullair – looks like an awesome option with great edge hold if I end up with a bad snow year. Wonder if the Mullair will be as good In the trees and for powder days though.
3. Jones Flagship – looks awesome but seem to be out of the 162W everywhere…is this one so awesome that I should hang on until next year?
4. Burton FA – looks amazing but will I miss edge hold? Seems dicey in harder packed conditions but maybe I am not reading correctly.
I excluded the Yes PYL b/c of quality control issues from online reviews…delaming, etc.
Should I consider other options?
I truly appreciate your advice and thanks again for such a great site.
Btw, I am 6.1/180/sz 11 boots. I probably need a wide to accommodate my chunky boots.
Hi Sam
That’s a great list and not a bad choice among them, IMO.
I found the Mullair to be as agile as the Chairman in trees – both boards really agile for how stiff they are. And both similar for powder too. I rode both boards back to back so was able to do a direct comparison between them. In terms of edge hold in harder conditions, I would say the Mullair is the best, but the Chairman and Flagship aren’t far behind. The FA isn’t terrible – but it’s another step back from the Chairman/Flagship, IMO.
The Flagship is a great board – and certainly the 2020 model sounds like it would be great for you (the 2019 and previous models weren’t as good in uneven terrain and weren’t as agile, so not as good in trees), but the other options are great too, so no need to wait if you didn’t want to. The Chairman, Mullair and FA are a little better for speed/carving vs the Flagship, but the Flagship better in powder, IMO.
Size-wise, I think something around that 160 length would be a good bet for you. Probably a good idea to go wide with 11s – especially if you have chunky boots. Could possible squeeze on the Chairman, FA & Flagship regular widths in that 160-162 length range if you had low profile boots and stuck with angles like +15/-15. But with chunkier boots and if you want different angles, then I wouldn’t risk it, especially if you’re going to be carving quite deep. The Mullair is quite a narrow board, so I would go wide regardless.
So sizes, I would say:
– Chairman – 161X
– Mullair – 161W
– Flagship – 162W (and you could get away with the 159W too, if you wanted to – you’d sacrifice a little in terms of speed and powder but gain in maneuverability)
– FA – 162W (or again 159W with the same trade-offs)
I don’t own the PYL, so I couldn’t say in terms of delaminating issues for sure on that. But I have owned the YES Greats for a couple of seasons now with no issues so far. But yeah can’t confirm or deny it on the PYL. Great board though.
I would probably be leaning towards the Chairman for you, just because you’ve already had good experiences with Never Summer (all be it a different board and now 15 years on) and I’d probably go Mullair number 2 for you. But I don’t think you could make a bad choice between those 4, for sure.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks a lot Nate! Really appreciate the detailed response. I hope you are having a great season.
You’re very welcome Sam. Hope you’re having a great season too!