Hello and welcome to my Never Summer Proto Slinger review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Proto Slinger as a freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Proto Slinger a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Never Summer Proto Slinger 2021
Price: $549
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft (3.5/10)
Rating Score: 91.8/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Boards
Out of the 37 men’s freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Proto Slinger’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Proto Slinger’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle |
Price: | $549 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Rocker Never Summer's "Shock Wave Rocker Camber" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Durasurf Sintered 4501 |
Weight: | Feels Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
146 | 245 | not available | n/a |
149 | 247 | n/a | n/a |
151 | 248 | n/a | n/a |
153 | 250 | n/a | n/a |
156 | 253 | n/a | n/a |
159 | 255 | n/a | n/a |
154X | 258 | n/a | n/a |
157X | 262 | n/a | n/a |
160X | 264 | n/a | n/a |
Who is the Proto Slinger Suited To?
The Proto Slinger is a great option for those looking for a freestyle oriented deck to hit the park on, but that can also do pretty well on the rest of the mountain, particularly if you're using the mountain like a park. It's soft and buttery but also has a good dose of camber, which helps with carving.
Not great for powder and not quite for a beginner, just because of all that camber, but low intermediate and up should be good on this board.
The Proto Slinger in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Proto Slinger is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Never Summer Proto Slinger 2021, 156cm (253mm waist width)
Date: February 29, 2020
Conditions: Cloudy with some blue sky and sun at times. Perfect visibility.
Quite cold at -4°C (24.8°F) and was supposed to be -11°C (12.2°F) with wind chill, but didn't feel as cold as that.
20cm (8") of fresh snow overnight, so plenty of fresh to test in. Conditions were awesome on and off groomer.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 545mm (21.5″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 263mm (10.35")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 175lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Salomon Lo-Fi
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 2800grams (6lbs 3oz)
Weight per cm: 17.95 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.36 grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of around 80 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020 & 2021 models. The Proto Slinger a little lighter than average. Feels about normal on snow.
Note: The Proto Slinger replaces the Funslinger. The Proto Slinger is quite similar to the old Funslinger. The only real change is the new "Shock Wave Rocker Camber" camber profile, which adds more camber. Otherwise it's very similar to the old Funslinger.
Powder
Had a bit to test in. Though not super deep, it was moderate. Any board is fun in powder, IMO, and the Proto Slinger is no exception. But I could feel from the brief time I had it in there that if it was deeper and you were in it for a longer period of time, then keeping the nose floating would become quite a back leg burning effort. But in 20cm (8") for brief amounts of time, was fine.
It's true twin and centered and whilst it has a little rocker in the profile, it's not a whole lot, so not really designed for powder.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Fun board for short sharp carves. Certainly not worlds better than the old Funslinger for carving, but just that little bit more carvy, with that extra camber. Not as suited to big, long carves, but fun for short sharp ones.
Turning: General turning is really fun on this board. It feels snappy and it's easy to initiate turns on.
Maneuverability at Slow Speeds: Really easy to maneuver at slow speeds. Quick and easy edge to edge transition, without having to put much effort in.
Skidded Turns: Given all that camber, it's surprisingly forgiving of skidded turns. Not like a beginner board with lots of rocker, but still pretty forgiving of them.
Speed
Given it's flex, being a centered twin and all that, it's never going to be a bomber, but it can handle a fair bit of speed well enough.
Uneven Terrain
Nice and maneuverable for slow speed weaving through bumps and going over top of bumps is good. Not a crud crusher - you get bounced around a bit in it, but not terrible either.
Jumps
So much fun for jumps! Great pop and so easy to access, and just everything about this board for jumps. The only reason I didn't give it 5/5 is that it's not quite as suited to really large jumps, in terms of speed of approach you need and stability of landing, but for small to medium jumps and side hits, it would be hard to think of a board I preferred more than this one.
Pop: Great pop and so easy to access. Effortless and snappy pop.
Approach: It's not an ultra stable feel for larger jumps, but it's stable enough for those approaches to most size jumps and has great maneuverability for trickier approaches.
Landing: A great balance of solid and forgiving.
Side-hits: Perfection. So maneuverable for trickier approaches and great pop that's super easy to access. Landing and setting up switch is awesome too.
Small jumps/Big Jumps: Best suited to small to medium jumps, IMO, but can handle larger jumps too.
Switch
As good as it gets, IMO.
Spins
Pretty much perfect for spins. The only reason, again, that this didn't get 5/5, is that it's not as suited to large tricks. But for anything else - you know for those of use mere mortals that typically don't send it massive - it's amazing. Easy to get the spin around, great for setting up and landing switch and great/effortless pop.
Jibbing
Great for jibs. Felt confident hitting them. The setup is great, the pop on and off great and felt good on the jib too.
Butters
Super buttery. I wondered if it would become less butterable with the new "Shock Wave" camber profile, but it's still super easy and fun to butter with.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 4.5 | 18/20 |
JIBBING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SWITCH | 5.0 | 15/15 |
BUTTERING | 5.0 | 10/10 |
SPINS | 4.5 | 9/10 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
POWDER | 2.0 | 2/5 |
CARVING/TURNS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 3/5 |
PIPE | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.8/100 |
Like buttering, jumps, sidehits, jibs, treating the mountain like a park, when not in the park - and just like a springy, snappy, playful yet explosive ride, in general? Then the Proto Slinger is a board you should get excited about. One of those boards that I just felt buzzed from after unstrapping. This one might have to be added to the quiver this year!
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Proto Slinger, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Proto Slinger compares to other freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hey, Enjoyed both your reviews on the Proto synthesis and Proto slinger. I have a proto synthesis and really do like it but wishing it was just a bit softer. I am also thinking maybe the issue is the size is a bit too big…but it does feel pretty ok.
I am 5’ 9”, 165, size 11.5 burton ruler boots (have smaller footprint)
Single board… all mountain’ish, like to butter, park some, powder on occasions.. but mostly groomed runs.
The proto synthesis is 158 regular… haven’t had any toe drag issues. Would it be worth going to a 154x in the Proto synthesis?
If I was to go with a proto slinger.. would it make sense to do a 157x since the effective edge is shorter than Proto synthesis?
Trying to weigh my loss in carving control vs. added flex that I wan
Thanks for your feedback. Spending WAY too much time mulling this over…
Hi Nathan
Thanks for your message.
Yeah I would say 158 is just a little big (which will also make the flex feel stiffer). I think for an all-mountain board, around 157 would be a good bet, assuming a relatively advanced level. So 158 in that sense isn’t that far off and probably good for other boards. But for this board, I would err a little shorter (with the amount of effective edge versus overall length – as you mentioned). So I think 155 or 154X would be the better size for you for this board. With your boot size, I probably wouldn’t go 155. Since you haven’t had any drag issues on the 158, it’s doable, given it’s very close in width to the 158, but I would be leaning 154X if you were to stick with the Synthesis. The 154X would also feel softer to you, than the 158, so you would gain some more flex there just by resizing.
The Proto Slinger is a good bit softer (I felt it at 3.5/10 and the Synthesis at 5.5/10) – so you would definitely be getting that softer deal. The Slinger is still a good carver at slower speeds, it’s just when you open it out for higher speed carves is when you notice the biggest drop in performance versus the Synthesis. But it is, IMO, a good bit better for butters and park (particularly if you’re not sending it on anything massive).
Size-wise for the Proto Slinger, I would typically say go 154X, if you were using it predominantly as a freestyle deck, but since you would be using it as your do-it-all board, I think 157X works. It would likely feel a little stiffer than the 3.5/10 that I felt it at, at that size with your weight, but still softer than the 154X Proto Synthesis will. And like you say, going 157X you won’t be dropping as much effective edge – but you would drop some, which sounds like a good thing, if you’re finding the 158 Synthesis too big.
Hope that all makes sense, and helps with your decision
Hi Nate, I really like the review and bought this board. I am looking for the binding, any recommendations? My board size is 146, my boot is Burton Ruler BOA 7.5 . I might buy a new boot with size 8.0. I am going to take this board as an all-mountain board, maybe 30%-40% on the park. Thank you
Hi Jack
Thanks for your message.
First binding that comes to mind for this board is the Union Contact Pro. I think that would be a really good match. If you wanted to go a little stiffer in your binding, then the Burton Malavita or Flux DS (or DSW) would also match really well, IMO. You could also check out the following, if you wanted more options:
>>Top 5 All Freestyle Bindings
>>Top 5 All Mountain Bindings
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi
Wonder if I can ask for your opinion.
I am trying to find a board that is an upgrade for my 152 k2 www.
I also have a 156 k2 turbo dream.
This board sounds ideal for what I want which is a fun playful board that I can use as a fun all mountain board with mostly butters, switch and side hits. The www starts to struggle when things get fast or hard packed…
And I thought I could keep the turbo dream for powder days etc.
Wonder how you would compare this against the peacemaker as it seems to be cheaper in the UK.
And what sizing would be best. I like the size of the 152 www for quick turning.
I’m 5ft 8 and about 70kg
Size 10UK boots.
Many thanks for such a great resource.
Hi David
Thanks for your message.
Between this and the Peacemaker, I would say that the Peacemaker feels a little softer flexing overall. It’s super soft in the middle of the board and the tip and tail stiffen up a bit on it. But overall, I’d say a 3/10 flex. So only very subtly softer, but by a little bit.
Prefer the Proto Slinger overall for jumps and sidehits. Both are very good for that, so you wouldn’t be making a bad call on either in that sense, but the Proto Slinger just has a bit more pop and the pop is just as easy to extract (very little effort to load it up). Both are really buttery. If I had to choose the easiest to butter, it’s probably the Peacemaker, but there’s really nothing in it. For switch, I’m partial to asym boards for riding switch and I would side with the Proto Slinger there, but again, both are very good for riding switch, so there’s very little in it.
The Peacemaker a little better for powder, but if you were keeping the Turbo Dream for powder days, then that wouldn’t be a factor.
For carving, I preferred the Proto Slinger. There’s a bit more camber in there and that just gives it a better carve. Both are really good in hard pack conditions, in my experience.
Not sure if you hit rails/boxes, but both are pretty similar for that too.
Size-wise, I’d typically say to go wide for UK10s, but if you’ve never had any issues with boot drag on the 152 WWW or 156 Turbo Dream, and if you don’t tend to do aggressive carves, then you’re probably OK sticking regular width.
Given your specs, how you describe your riding style, and that you already have the 156 Turbo Dream for powder days, I would be leaning 151, but 153 would work too.
Hope this helps
Thanks Nate for the detailed reply that was really helpful and made me think that the peacekeeper wasn’t too far behind the proto slinger based on how I ride.
I managed to find a 40% discount off the 2020 peacekeeper so have gone with that, as the better price, combined with the much more appealing graphics were the deciding factors.
Sadly won’t get to ride it until next season though, but look forward to taking it out of storage to look at it on a regular basis until then! 😀
You’re very welcome David and glad it helped in making your decision. Bummer that you won’t be able to take it out until next season, but when the time comes, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
Hi Nate!
Love your reviews. This particular review was a huge part of why I ordered this board. I’m super stoked.
Question about sizing, I’m 5’9″, 145-150ish, size 8 boot. I ordered the 153 to have a more All-Mountain experience. I’m currently rocking an older version of the Burton Custom X at 152.
What are your thoughts? On paper do you think the 153 will work for me or should I seriously consider switching down to 151 or 149?
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Reid
Hi Reid
Thanks for your message.
I think 153 would be a really good size for your height/weight, as an all-mountain size. But it is quite wide for your boots. For that reason, I would consider sizing down to the 151.
The older Custom X 152 is probably a good bit narrower (244mm waist, if it’s a 2013-2017 model) than the 153 Proto Slinger. It’s also a lot stiffer, so I don’t think you’d have any issues riding the 153 – and I think the length is good. My only thing would be the width and with it being on the wide side for your boot-size, there’s an argument that you could size down a bit.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate
Love the reviews here. I’m 5’7, 148lbs (weight fluctuates between 145-155), Size 7 men’s boots. I’d say I’m a high end intermediate all mountain rider, but I want to get into doing more tricks and park stuff as well. I actually already ordered the proto slinger in a 151cm and was wondering if you think I went with the right size. Or should I return it and go for the 149cm?
Thanks
Hi Aaron
Thanks for your message.
I think 151, purely on length, is spot on for your specs for this board, given you want to ride the park but still want to ride the mountain. 153 more of your all-mountain-length.
However, due to your boot size and the width of the board, I think sizing down a little bit would make sense – and 149 is still a good freestyle length for you and makes more sense when looking at the length and width as a whole, IMO. So length-ise, I think you’re OK, but ideally I think the 149cm would be the better overall size.
Hope this helps
Sweet, thanks for the reply!
You’re very welcome Aaron. Happy riding!
Hi Nate,
I am thinking about purchasing this board but I am not sure what size to get. I like to ride a little bit on the smaller size so I can maneuver in the park a little bit easier. I am 5’11” 180 pounds and I have a size 11 ThirtyTwo boots. The dilemma that I am facing right now is if I should get a wide snowboard or not. I am looking at either the 154X or the 156 regular. If I get the 154X I know that I wont experience toe drag but I do not really want to deal with the extra weight if I do not have to. What I am really wondering is if I get the 156 regular board will I be fine with size 11 boots or will I experience too much toe or heel drag. Ideally I want the regular sized board but if I have to I will get the wide sized board.
Hi Robert
Thanks for your message.
I think the 156 is probably pushing it width-wise. You might get away with it, but it’s not something I would ride if I had 11s. The 154X isn’t that wide. In fact it’s a really good width for 11s, IMO. And going down that little bit in length, I don’t think you’ll have any issues with weight or maneuverability on the 154X, with your specs. At around 268mm at the inserts, the 154X isn’t that much wider than some regular width boards in a slightly longer size. And is what I could consider a nice middle ground for that 10.5, 11 boot. So yeah, I would go 154X, but I wouldn’t be too worried about the width as it’s not a particularly wide, wide board.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the great reviews! I’m looking at getting a new setup this year, and curious if the protoslinger would be a good fit. I’m 5’8, 155lbs, wear size 8 boots. Been riding an old 155 sierra reverse crew (2010 Burton Custom V Rocker) with flow five’s for last decade. I mainly ride out of bounds in the NW; playing in the trees in search of patches of powder ( greens feel like icy death traps). Never really charging down the groomers, or hitting jumps. Looking for a fun ride that’s gonna be responsive with slow technical maneuvers in trees, and good switch. Demo’d Funslinger and Dipstick in past and enjoyed the feel of NS boards. Do you think Protoslinger in 153 would be a good fit, or aim more for something like the protosynthesis? Been considering getting the protoslinger, then may be a stiffer all mountain board down the line.
Thanks,
Josh
Hi Josh
Thanks for your message.
Purely for getting in the trees/powder, I would probably look at a more directional option, but then you mentioned you wanted something good switch. In which case, I think this could work. It is a very agile board at slow speeds, so it certainly ticks that box – and for something that’s good switch but also works in trees, I think it’s certainly an option. And the fact that you’ve ridden and liked the funslinger is also another tick (the Proto Slinger not the same but still very similar to the Funslinger – just a slightly souped up Funslinger). Not something that’s going to be an effortless floater in deep powder, but otherwise, I think it works.
The Proto Synthesis would be an option, but it’s not as maneuverable at slower speeds as the Proto Slinger, IMO.
Size-wise, I think the 153 would be on the money for your specs and how you describe your riding.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate
I currently have DOA and I am looking at changing board as my DOA has seen some good use. My DOA is a 154. A bit wider would have been better.
im am 171lb (78kg) 5ft7 ((173cm) with boot size 10.5 Adidas tactical ADV, Burton Genesis bindings (15=15)
Would a 154x work for me ?
Thank you
Hi Ted
Thanks for your message.
I think the 154X Proto Slinger would be a great size for you. Presuming you’re riding quite a bit of freestyle. I think it’s a great width for your boot size, being wide enough but not too wide – and a great freestyle length too.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate
Thank you for your reply.
This will be my main board. I spend about 40% of the time in the park but like to go for side hits while I am riding the mountain. I am looking at trying something a bit more playful then my current DOA.
It seems that the Proto Slinger offers good amount of flex while still not being terrible at all mountain.
My current genesis would do ok on this board? Or would you go for something on the softer side to get the most out of the board ?
Thank you
Ted
Hi Ted
Yeah, if you’re looking to go more playful but still want something decent on the mountain, then I think this ticks those boxes for sure. It’s certainly going to feel a good bit softer than the DOA. But yeah I think you’ll be fine on that size, so long as you’re not expecting it go Mach 5 without a wobble. It’s a good carver for it’s flex and its even not bad at speed for how soft it is, but still don’t expect a bomber or anything.
Genesis would be a good match on this board, IMO. You could afford to go softer as well on this board, but don’t have too. I think the Genesis would be a good match. I tested this on Burton Malavitas and had a blast. Ended up buying one and actually just took it out today! On the Malavitas, so yeah I think Genesis will be all good.
Great !
Thank you Nate
Enjoy the season and let’s hope it does not end early due to the covid
Regards from Switzerland
You’re very welcome Ted. Yeah, fingers crossed for sure!
Hi Nate
What size would you recommend for 6`’0 and 73kg (160lbs) , my bootsize 10UK/10,5US Adidas Samba, +15,-15 binding angles, union contact pro M, should I go for 153 or 156 on proto slinger?? I am looking for a board to play and learn tricks.
Hi Kamil
Thanks for your message.
Most likely the 156. If it was going to be your dedicated park board and you wanted it super playful/agile and weren’t doing any big jumps – like just smaller jumps – and weren’t worried about stability at speed or anything like that, then the 153 would certainly be an option too. You could also look at the 154X. With Samba US10.5, I think you should fit fine on either the 153 or 156 regular – so you certainly don’t have to go wider. But if you wanted a little more of a landing platform, but in a shorter board than 156, then that’s an option too.
Hope this helps with your decision
I forgot to mention in my previous message that my ride warpis is a 154 and my bindings are union atlas L!
Hi Mike
Thanks for your message.
Yeah I think 157X is what I would say for, for this board too. When I rode the Warpig, I found the 154 to feel more like a 160, so I think the 157X Proto Slinger is still going to feel smaller than that. It’s certainly sizing down a bit from your all-mountain size, IMO. There is a chance you’d get on the 156, but it would be pushing it width-wise. If you have low profile 11s and aren’t planning on carving too hard when riding the Proto Slinger, then I think 156 is doable. You could also potentially even go 154X, if you wanted something super short/soft and playful, but I think that’s getting a bit too small for your specs. I would be leaning towards 156 or 157X for you, depending on whether or not you think you could squeeze onto the 156.
For reference, I loved the 156 and bought it – 6’0″, 175lbs, size 10 boots. If I was to get it as my do-it-all, I’d likely go for the 159, but it’s my new freestyle board.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate, thanks a lot! So no wide (x) version for you? Before my Ride Warpig i was always against a wide version, but after the Warpig i like the idea. Also a lot of the snowshops recommend getting a wide version..
Hi Mike
With 11s I would say wide 80% of the time. If I had 11s, I would seriously consider going wide on the Proto Slinger, but not with 10s. If I had really low profile 11s, rode with +15/-15 angles and wasn’t planning on doing any real aggressive carves with the board, I would consider the 156, but even in that case would seriously consider the 157X. But with 10s (or 9.5s depending on the brand), I wouldn’t go wide, unless I was going with a specific short/wide board, like the Warpig or if I was sizing down. 156 for a dedicated freestyle board for me isn’t what I would consider sizing down. I would look at the 154X potentially, if I wanted something a little wider. But you’ve got a little size on me both in terms of height/weight and boot size, so I would err towards 157X for you.
Hi Nate, just reading you kind and helpfull advice regarding board sizing.. I’m in a bit of a pickle, i am a bit taller and heavier than Chip. My bootsize is 11 (44 in eu), im 190cm so thats 6ft3inch and my weight is 85 kg (185-190lbs). I already have a stiff board for carving, a powder board and something in between (the ride warpig). I’m leaning towards the 157X, what is your advice for the NS Proto Slinger?
Thanks Nate, hope you are doing well!
Hi Nate,
Great review. What size would you recommend for 165-170#, 6’0″, size 11 Tactical ADVs and +12, -12 binding angles? I’m high intermediate or barely advanced. Generally like to charge hard and carve, but want to slow it down a little and do ground tricks on this board.
Thanks in advance!
Chip
Hi Chip
Thanks for your message.
The answer would depend on whether you have another board or not. Just want to clarify whether you have another board you like to charge hard and carve on and would be using the Slinger mostly for your ground tricks.
If this would be your only board, then you’d probably want to go a little longer and maybe even wider – something like the 157X or even 159. It’s a great carver for how soft it is, and for how soft it is, it handles speed pretty well, but certainly still not a bomber. Very freestyle oriented. Going a little longer and/or wider would help with your charging and carving, but it’s still a board that’s going to be somewhat limited for that side of things.
Assuming you have another board for carve hard/bomb, then I think 156 or even 154X would be good options. With Tactical ADV 11s, you would be unlikely to have any issues with the 156 width-wise, particularly if it’s a board you wouldn’t be doing any hard carves on. But if you wanted to go a little shorter and get a bit more of a wider platform, then the 154X would certainly be in your wheelhouse too.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Thanks, Nate.
I should have clarified: I have other boards. This one would be my softest board and I’d use it for tricks (butters, spins off rollers, a little jibbing, maybe little jumps). While I generally like charging and laying it over, I know this board isn’t great at that. I’m ok with losing some of that, but don’t want to give up too much. Considering all that, would you lean towards 156 or 154w for me? Would you please explain thought process between the two?
Thanks again.
Chip
Hi Chip
Apologies for the slow response. Currently on vacation.
It’s a tight call between the 154X and 156 for you, but I think I would be leaning towards 154X for you.
Even though your Tactical ADV 11s would likely work for a regular width if you’re not going to be laying it over too much, with Adidas 11s, your feet would also not be too small for the 154X – with your foot size, I would say that both would be equally as maneuverable with the 154X being a little shorter and your feet likely still reaching the edges of the board.
And going a little shorter can help with swing weight for spins, make buttering easier (though in this case it’s super butterable anyway, so prob not a heap of difference there). And going that little bit wider will give you a bit more room to lay it over a little when you feel for it, and an overall bigger surface area for a bigger landing platform.
I think you would get on with both sizes well, and there’s not much in it, but I would be leaning 154X for you.