Never Summer Proto Type Two Review: All-Mountain Freestyle Snowboard

Hello and welcome to my Never Summer Proto Type Two review.

In this review I will take a look at the Proto Type Two as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.

As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Proto Type Two a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.

Overall Rating

Board: Never Summer Proto Type Two 2017

Price: $569 (USD recommended retail)

Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle

Flex: Medium (5/10)

Rating Score: 94.4/100

Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards

Out of the 24 men’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:

• The average score was 81.3/100
• The highest score was 93.3/100 (see below)
• The lowest score was 70.8/100
• The average price was $507
• The Proto Type Two ranked 1st= out of 24!

Overview of the Proto Type Two’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Proto Type Two’s specs and available sizes.

Specs

Sizing

The Proto Type Two has 4 regular width sizes and 5 wides.

Never Summer’s wide versions are denoted with an “X” – so if you see an “X” next to the name then you know it’s a wide version. The wide sizes are as follows:

Who is the Proto Type Two Most Suited to?

The Proto Type Two is perfect for anyone who wants to be able to ride freestyle, whether that be in the park or over the whole mountain, but who also wants a board that can carve well.

If you love jumps, spins, hitting natural features, playing with ground tricks and riding switch, but like to carve hard in between, then the Proto Type Two is one of the best boards out there to do it.

It’s not amazing in powder – as you’d expect from a freestyle oriented, true twin, centered board but otherwise you can do everything and do it well.

Not a board I would recommend for an absolute beginner but definitely ok for anyone from intermediate and up.

The Proto Type Two in More Detail

O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Proto Type Two is capable of.

Demo Info

Board: Never Summer Proto Type Two 2017, 157cm (252mm waist width)

Date: April 16, 2016

Conditions: Icy spots early but softened up as the weather warmed up – but still fairly firm conditions even in the afternoon. Sun and clouds in the morning with light snow in the afternoon.

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Powder

The biggest weakness of this board is its ability in powder. But that’s not what it’s made for. If you don’t need a board that will go in powder – or if you only go in there occasionally – or if you have another board for that, then the Proto Type Two will do everything else.

And it’s not like you can’t take it in there. Just not going to be as good as some others in there – it has a true twin shape and a centered stance which doesn’t make it ideal. It does have some rocker in the profile so it will have some float, which is why it’s average and not terrible in powder.

Carving and Turn

This board is awesome for carving. For a board that is so good for freestyle riding, this is one of, if not the, best at carving.

It’s also really quick from edge to edge for when you need to be doing tight turns.

Speed

Again for a freestyle oriented board, the speed on the Proto Type Two is more than you’d expect. It’s really very stable when you get up to good speeds, especially given the type of board.

It’s also got good glide for those flat spots.

Uneven Terrain

I found the Proto Type Two to be very good over bumpy terrain. I found I could really hug the bumps and that quickness from edge-to-edge really helped to.

Jumps

Damn! This thing has some serious hops and is awesome over jumps. It’s super poppy for ollies, has great maneuverability for the approach to jumps and really stable on landings.

From anything from the smallest hop to large jumps, this board can handle it well.

Switch

It feels the same in both directions. It has a true twin shape and a centered stance and has that asymmetrical side cut (deeper side cut on the heel side) which also really helps to make this board feel natural when riding in your other direction.

This board was really fun and easy to ride switch.

Jibbing

Not a jibbing specialist but if you like to hit the jib line every now and then, it will do a good job.

It is great for the approach to jibs and this board spins well – just not as good as some more jib specialized boards when it comes to riding jib features.

Pipe

Though I didn’t take it into a pipe it would be an awesome board for the pipe, IMO.

It’s got good edge hold in hard snow, it’s centered and true twin and it’s got enough stiffness and speed to be able to charge between the walls. The camber sections in the profile would also help to drive the board up the walls.

Changes from the 2017 Model

The 2018 model is essentially the same as the 2017 model, except for the graphic.

Changes from the 2016 Model

This board was new for 2017 so there were no changes to speak of between 2017 and 2016 models. It is the evolution of the Proto HD but it is a quite different (and improved, in my opinion) from that board.

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

With the way this board rides it’s no surprise that it made #1 on my list of the top 5 All-Mountain-Freestyle snowboards for the 2016-17 season.