Hello and welcome to my Never Summer Shaper Twin review (renamed the Shaper for the 2022 model).
In this review, I will take a look at the Shaper Twin as a mellow freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Shaper Twin a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other mellow freeride snowboards.
NOTE: This review hasn't been updated beyond the 2023 model. This board is now the Shapeshifer and while there haven't been any significant changes to this board since we tested it, there have been some, so we'll update it again, once we've re-tested the board. But this review does mostly apply for the 2024 and beyond models.
Overall Rating
Board: Never Summer Shaper Twin
Price: $619
Style: Freeride - mellow, easy going freeride
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating Score: 84.1/100
Compared to other Men’s Mellow Freeride Boards
Out of the 32 men’s mellow freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Shaper Twin’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Shaper Twin’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Mellow Freeride |
Price: | $619 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Directional Hybrid Rocker- Never Summer's "Fusion Rocker Camber" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered 5501 |
Weight: | Felt Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
153 | 260 | n/a | n/a |
156 | 262 | n/a | n/a |
159 | 262 | n/a | n/a |
Who is the Shaper Twin Most Suited To?
The Shaper Twin is a great choice for anyone looking for that softer flexing, more surfy feeling freeride board, but also wants a more twin-like feel, than the average freeride board. So it's quite a unique option that may suit some rider's perfectly.
Not for beginners, but definitely a good option for an intermediate rider wanting a less daunting/less stiff/less aggressive option for getting into powder and freeriding.
The Shaper Twin in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Shaper Twin is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Never Summer Shaper Twin 2021, 156cm (262mm 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: 274mm (10.8") at front insert and 268mm (10.6") at back insert
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 175lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Salomon Lo-Fi
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Damp or Chattery?
Somewhere in the middle. Maybe just on the damp side of middle.
Smooth or Snappy?
Right in the middle, I'd say.
Powder
Fun in powder. It's not something that will be effortless just sitting back and floating in super deep powder, given it's centered stance (though you could set it back) and twin shape, but it's probably the best centered stance twin board I've ridden in powder. It's got a fun surfy feel in powder.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Can lay down a carve on it, but not ultra carvy.
Turning: Good for regular turns. A feel that was a mix between the smoother feel of the Harpoon (which I also rode that day) and the snappier feel of the Proto Synthesis (which I also rode that day).
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Decently agile at slower speeds. More agile at slower speeds vs the Harpoon, but not quite as agile as the Proto Synthesis.
Skidded Turns: Not super easy for skidded turns, but not bad either.
Speed
Good at speed, without being a full on bomber. Felt better to ride it more surfy/slashy, than straight lining it. But you could still straight line it to an extent.
Uneven Terrain
Handled crud well and was good for weaving through bumpy terrain too.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
A decent board for jumps without being amazing. Beter than the Harpoon, IMO, but not as good as the Proto Synthesis.
Pop: OK but not as good as the Proto
Approach: Stable enough and nimble enough but neither ultra stable nor ultra nimble
Landing: Solid landings, without being a stomper
Side-hits: Decent
Small jumps/Big jumps: Good across the board, with medium jumps the sweet spot.
Switch
For a board with taper it actually wasn't too bad riding switch. One of the better options for this category of board.
Spins
Good for spins. Decent pop, decent switch and relatively easy to get the spin around.
Butters
Decently buttery. Easier to butter than the average board.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 3.5 | 21/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
SWITCH | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 84.1/100 |
Overall, the Shaper Twin is a board I enjoyed riding. It's quite a unique ride that will suit some well.
Not many like it, so doesn't really fit any particular category that well, but the mellow freeride category is it's best fit, IMO.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Shaper Twin, 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 mellow freeride snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Shaper Twin compares to other mellow freeride snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hey man, great review. I’ve been on a funslinger. Moved to Colorado recently and want an all mountain twin I can take through pow and that’ll ride better at speed. Been looking at this, the proto synth, and the lib terrain wrecker. Got any advice? Thanks!
Hey Zeke
Thanks for your message.
This definitely handles speed (3.5/5 for speed by my feel) better than the Funslinger (2.5/5) – and the Terrain Wrecker (3/5), IMO. The Proto Synthesis handles speed just as well as this but not as good in powder as this.
Just note that this isn’t a true twin like something like the Proto Synthesis. There’s a healthy amount of taper in this board. It has a centered stance, but the tail is 10mm narrower than the nose. And the front insert is around 6mm wider than the back insert. I think the camber profile is also a little directional as well, though I’m only going off Never Summer’s image of it, rather than anything I noticed from it. It’s a little bit of a stretch to call it a directional twin, IMO, but the nose and tail are the same length – so it’s got that. Typically a directional twin wouldn’t be tapered but would have a slightly longer nose, so this is quite unique in that respect. And practically speaking, it was pretty good for riding switch, so the feel was there for that.
But yeah, long story short, based on what you’re describing, I think this would be a good choice – just a bit of a stretch to call it a twin.
Hey Nate,
Thanks for the review, I was riding this as a rental and loved it. I didn’t want to just jump in head first and buy. Are there any other comparable boards that I should look at? For reference I am intermediate rider, size 12 boot 200 lbs. I appreciate all that you do.
Hi Craig
Thanks for your message and apologies for the slower than usual response – a lot going on right now!
Closest equivalent I can think of would be the GNU Hyper or other similar Never Summer boards like the Harpoon or Swift. Others that are kind of similar but less so, but if you loved the Shaper, then that’s off course a good option to go with.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate,
Thanks for the review. I’m a huge Never Summer fan. I absolutely love my Proto HD X 157. I’m looking to add a powder board to my quiver. Harpoon or Shaper? I love the playful poppy nature of the HD, but want something that will float better in deep powder. I’m 6′, 185 lbs. Thoughts?
Hi Richard
I’d be leaning Harpoon in your case, just because I think it’s a better compliment to your quiver with the Proto HD. It’s better in powder, IMO, than the Shaper and offers the bigger difference to the Shaper.
Happy to offer my opinion on sizing, but would just need your boot size.
Hope this helps