Hello and welcome to my Never Summer Snowtrooper review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Snowtrooper as an all-mountain snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Snowtrooper a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain snowboards.
NOTE: The 2025 model was the last version of the Never Summer Snowtrooper. However, it was replaced by the new Trooper. The Trooper is similar but has had some updates vs the Snowtrooper. The review below hasn't been updated beyond the 2025 model. But we got out on the '26 Trooper and you can check out our review for that, soon to be published on the site. If we've forgotten to come back here and add a link to that review, just search "Trooper" in the search box.
Overall Rating
Board: Never Summer Snowtrooper
Price: $629
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium (5/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating Score: 84.3/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Boards
Of the 30 current model all-mountain snowboards that we tested:
- The average score was 82.7/100
- The highest score was 91.6/100
- The lowest score was 71.7/100
- The average price was $525
- The Snowtrooper ranked 15th out of 30
Overview of the Snowtrooper’ Specs
Check out the tables for the Snowtrooper’ specs and available sizes.
Specs
STYLE:
ALL-MOUNTAIN
PRICE:
$629 - BUYING OPTIONS
$619 - BUYING OPTIONS
Ability Level:
flex:
feel:
DAMPNESS:
SMOOTH /SNAPPY:
Playful /aggressive:
Edge-hold:
camber profile:
HYBRID ROCKER
HYBRID ROCKer - Never Summer's "Original Rocker Camber"
SHAPE:
setback stance:
A little setback (but Never Summer doesn't give that spec, so not sure how much exactly)
BASE:
Sintered | Never Summer's "Durasurf XT Sintered 5501 Base"
weight:
Felt normal
Camber Height:
5mm (but hard to measure with hybrid rocker proiles)
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
152 | 248 | 120-160 | 54-72 |
156 | 252 | 140-180 | 63-82 |
159 | 254 | 160-200 | 72-90 |
157X | 261 | 140-180 | 63-82 |
160X | 263 | 160-220 | 72-100 |
164X | 266 | 160-220+ | 72-100+ |
Who is the Snowtrooper Most Suited To?
The Snowtrooper is most suited to a high-end beginner or early intermediate rider looking to progress quickly and wants more than a beginner board and also want something that's versatile and can take them anywhere. It's easy to ride and playful and good for learning freestyle tricks/jumps.
It's pretty beginner friendly. I wouldn't say it's the ultimate board for a beginner, and it has performance beyond a true beginner board, but at a stretch you can ride this as a beginner and then keep it all the way until you're an advanced rider - and indefinitely really, if you want to continue with a more casual/playful style. Or you can keep it as your playful board, if you were to upgrade to a more aggressive option at some stage.
Snowtrooper DetailS
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Snowtrooper is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Never Summer Snowtrooper 2024, 156cm (252mm waist width)
Date: March 8, 2023
Conditions
Overcast to start with, but not snowing. Slight flurries later in the day.
Temperature: 0°C (32°F) - and -4°C (25°F) with wind chill. Both morning and afternoon. Wind was 10kph (6 mph) Easterly both morning and afternoon.
24 hour snow: 0.4" (1cm)
48 hour snow: 0.8" (2cm)
7 day snow: 21" (53cm)
On groomer: Nicely groomed to start and stayed pretty decent, just a bit rougher later in the day. Good and fast but not icy.
Off groomer: A little crunchy in places but not to bad. Doable.
Set Up
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 545mm (21.5″)
Stance Setback: Not sure of setback on effective edge as its something Never Summer doesn't publish, but it was setback 17mm on the length of the board - but that's not all on effective edge as the nose is a little longer than tail on this board, I believe.
Width at Front Insert: 261mm (10.28")
Width at Back Insert: 263mm (10.35")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Response ADV
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 2980grams (6lbs 9oz)
Weight per cm: 19.1 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.71 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 250 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 models. So the Snowtrooper was a little heavier than average on the scales, but pretty close to average and on snow it felt normal or even bordering slightly on the lighter side of normal. It is a looser feeling board, which can often make a board feel lighter.
Powder
Nothing significant to test in on the day, but based on specs and feel, it should be decent enough in powder. It's got a predominantly rocker, rather than camber, feel and there's a little bit more nose than tail and a little setback, which should all help.
Carving
It can wash out on a carve fairly easily when getting up to higher speeds. Can't carve super aggressively or deep with it. OK for slower speed carves.
Turning
Ease of Turning/Slashing: Nice and easy to initiate turns on and really suited to slashing around - definitely more of a slasher than a carver.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Nice and quick edge-to-edge at slower speeds.
Catchiness: Really nice and uncatchy.
Speed
It didn't take much speed for the Snowtrooper to start to feel a bit wobbly. It wasn't the most stable at speed. I mean you could get up to moderate speeds and be OK, but at any decent speeds it started to feel washy and wobbly.
Uneven Terrain
Crud/Chunder: It's not super damp and gets bucked around fairly easily. Because of how nimble it is, you can correct quite easily, but it doesn't charge through it or anything.
Trees/Bumps: Nice and quick edge to edge, so really decent overall. But a little too loose feeling to be ideal, when it's not super soft in there.
Jumps
It's definitely decent for jumps but lacked a little energy and stability to be ideal.
Pop: Nice and easy to access the pop in this board - but not a lot of total pop when you really put the energy in.
Approach: It's not super stable for faster approaches, so not as good for approaches to bigger jumps that require more speed. But it is easy to correct your line and speed check, so good in that sense for smaller jumps and for those just getting started with jumping.
Landing: A little wobbly on bigger landings, but fine for small jumps and gives good forgiveness for smaller jumps, but not a stomper.
Side-hits: Really decent with that maneuverability and easy access pop. Preferred this for side hits and ollies than other types of air.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Best for small and up to medium jumps. Not stable enough for bigger jumps, IMO.
Switch
Good for riding switch. Transitions were easy and it felt pretty similar riding in either direction.
Spins
Decent for setting up and landing switch and pop was easy to access which was good. But lacked the spring/energy to be amazing.
Jibbing
Easy on approach and didn't feel catchy or anything. Not the ultimate jib board or anything, but not something that I would fear hitting jibs with either.
Butters
Nice and easy to press the tip and tail. And tip and tail felt pretty similar to press.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| Factor | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Powder | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Carving | 3 | 6/10 |
| Turns | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Speed | 3 | 6/10 |
| Crud | 3 | 6/10 |
| Trees | 4 | 8/10 |
| Switch | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Jumps | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Spins | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| Butters | 4 | 4/5 |
| Rails | 3 | 3/5 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 84.3/100 |
The Snowtrooper is a playful, easy to ride board that can take you anywhere on the mountain from powder to park and hold its own. It's a slashy board more than a dig-the-edges-in-and-carve type of board and it prefers more moderate speeds than anything high octane.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Snowtrooper, 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 all-mountain snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Snowtrooper compares to other all-mountain snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hello and welcome to my Never Summer Snowtrooper review.
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Snowtrooper is capable of.
Hi Nate,
Quality reviews!
Going to pick up a Snowtrooper – I’m 6ft, 195lbs, size 10… what would you recommend size wise? 159?
Cheers in advance
Hi Jonny
Thanks for your message. Yeah, I think 159 is your best bet. I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 160/161, so it’s in a good range, IMO.
Hi Nate – I’m in the market for a new board – current board (K2 Nemesis) is 18 years old! I’m an intermediate, based in the UK so I don’t get to ride that often, and I’m looking for an easy-going, non-aggressive uncatchy all mountain board for resort riding, mainly groomers. I’m 6’3″, 200lbs and have size 12 (US) boots. I’m hoping to pair the board with Nidecker Supermatics for ease of use. From the reviews I’ve read so far (yours are the best, by the way), I’m favouring the Never Summer Stormtrooper or the Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker. Would really appreciate your opinion – would you recommend one over the other (or is there something else out there that’s more suitable)? Thanks
Hi Ross
Thanks for your message. From what you’re describing, I think the Snowtrooper or Terrain Wrecker would work really well. IMO both are really suitable, there are others that would work well too that I could throw in the mix if you were looking for more options, but those would work as well, but not any better, IMO, so if you want to keep it simple and go with one of those, then that’s a good bet, IMO. But more than happy to throw a couple more options out there, if you want.
Size-wise, I would go 160W for the Snowtrooper and 161W for the Terrain Wrecker.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks Nate – that’s super useful. Out of interest, which other boards would you add to the list of possibilities?
Hi Ross
I would also add in:
– YES Typo: 159W
– Capita Outerspace Living: 161W
– Slash Brainstorm 159W
– Bataleon Goliath 161W
Perfect – thanks
You’re very welcome Ross. If you think of it, let me know what you go with.
Hi Nate, thank you so for doing your gear reviews,- they are super helpful 🙂
I’m 45 years old getting back into snowboarding after a 10 year break. Would consider myself an intermediate rider (getting back up to speed), mostly cruising blue and a few black resort groomers in CO and also love to get in and “surf” through the trees and play in some light powder.
I’ve dialed in on the Snowtroopper based on your reviews, but am not sure if I should go with the 156 or 159. I am 5’10 and 156lbs. 9.5 boot size
My bias is how much stability I would lose on the 156 vs the 159 at speed (35-40mph). And on the other hand if the 159 would be a little big vs the 156 doing tight turns through the trees etc.
Any thoughts on the trade offs between the two sizes for my spec.
Hi Christian
Thanks for your message.
For your specs, I would be leaning 156. You will sacrifice a little in terms of stability as you say, but I think that’s the best balance for getting a mix of stability and maneuverability. For your specs, I would put your “typical all-mountain length” right on 156. I don’t think the 159 would be unmanageable for you or anything as it’s a pretty easy going board, but the 156, IMO, should give you the better middle ground between maneuverability and stability.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi, debating between the never summer snowtrooper and the hammer. Which one do you think an intermediate level rider would have an easier time on. Mainly for cruising all terrain on the mountain and screwing around with wife and kids. I’m in the Midwest and would be using it in Minnesota and Iowa the most with a trip or 2 to Colorado. 5’10” 170 with size 12 boots. I was leaning towards the hammer, but have read it can be a bit tricky 2 ride. Not much reviews out there on the hammer. Thanks for your time.
Hi Jason
Thanks for your message. I haven’t ridden the Hammer – hard to get hold of. According to Never Summer’s website, I don’t think they even sell it online – just available in-store. But looking at the specs and having ridden the Snowtrooper again recently (2024 model), I would say the Snowtrooper is your best bet for sure, based on what you’re describing. The Hammer is full camber, 7/10 flex and the combination of that flex and the full camber, likely makes it the kind of board that you’ve got to ride fairly aggressively. The Snowtrooper is an easy riding, easy going board and for what you describe, I think would work really well. Size-wise, for the Snowtrooper, I would be looking at the 157X for your specs and how you describe your riding.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks so much for the fast response. I think you are right with the ST. Now I will just have to sit and stare at it 4 the next 6 months.
You’re very welcome Jason. It will roll around quickly!
Hi Nate – I’ve been riding a 2014 NS Cobra 153 for about 7 years and finally looking at getting a new board…just curious how you think the 2022 Snowtrooper 154 would compare to my old Cobra? I’m a high-end intermediate rider skill wise and don’t do much park, spend most of my time in back bowls, trees, hitting small jumps all over the mountain, and love super quick and aggressive edge to edge carves…I like to go fast but nothing too crazy, usually hit mid to high 40mph on groomers so need a board that won’t get squirly at those speeds…would love to hear your thoughts if the Snowtrooper would be a good fit, thanks!
Hi Peter
I never had the chance to ride the Cobra, unfortunately. So I can’t say for sure, but based on specs and what I’ve heard of the Cobra, it sounds pretty similar to the Snowtrooper. But to me it sounds like the Cobra was a little stiffer. Hard to say having not ridden it, but that’s the thing to most consider. I suspect the Cobra was a little better in terms of stability at speed – so that’s the one thing I would be questioning. To me the Snowtrooper got a little shaky at those kinds of speeds – could do them but not super stable. Another thing to note – given your Cobra is 7 years old, assuming that the Cobra is stiffer, then your 7 year old Cobra may not be much stiffer or potentially even softer than a brand new Snowtrooper.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thank you so much for this great website and all the fantastic information.
I’m considering getting the never Summer Snow trooper board or the harpoon board.
I’m 6 ft 2 in and about 180 lb
I would say that I’m an intermediate rider at the moment. I ride mostly groomers( blues) and sometimes powder.
Not planning to hit the park, but would like to advance with some basic things like butters etc. eventually.
Any recommendation between these two boards?
Also, can you make any recommendations for boots(boa ideally) and bindings that would suit this board and my style.
I wear size 12 boots.
Hi Guddu
Thanks for your message.
The Harpoon is better in powder, but the Snow Trooper is better/easier for buttering and other tricks. The Snowtrooper is the easier going ride too. The Harpoon is doable for intermediate, but the Snowtrooper is more suitable. Also it depends on how much powder you think you’ll see and how deep it would typically get. If it’s going to only ever be a few inches, then you want notice too much powder performance between the 2 boards. In powder deeper than that you’ll notice how the Haroon performs better more. Snowtrooper isn’t terrible in powder, just not as suitable for deeper powder.
The Boots and bindings you go with will partly depend on the board you go with. Because of the different flexes of the boards (Snowtrooper a little softer flexing).
Size-wise, I would say:
ST: 160X – the 157X would also be doable if you wanted to err on the smaller side (i.e. if you preferred something more nimble at the sacrifice of stability at speed)
Harpoon: 159 or 156 if you wanted that shorter more nimble size. The Harpoon is a board you’d typically size down for if you had smaller boots, but with 12s, you don’t necessarily have to.
Hope this helps. If you let me know which board you’re leaning to, I’d be happy to suggest some boot and binding options.
Thank you so much Nate, this is super helpful. I’m going to grab the snow trooper board. ( Will use ur links)
Appreciate any recommendations for boots and bindings. Would love to have a pair of boa boots, and nice bindings that go well with the board.
Hi Guddu
For the ST I would go with something 4/10 to 6/10 in terms of flex for the boots and bindings. But ideally 5/10-6/10 for both. For boots, I would look at the following:
>>My Top Freestyle (medium flex) Snowboard Boots
>>My Top All Mountain (medium to medium-stiff flex) Snowboard Boots
And for bindings:
>>Top 5 All Freestyle Bindings
>>Top 5 All Mountain Bindings
In terms of boots, there should be plenty of BOA options in those lists. For boots sizing is really important – here are some things that might help:
>>How to Size Snowboard Boots
Sizing Snowboard Boots: The Different Brands
The second one, particularly if you aren’t able to try anything on. If you can’t try on, then one thing you can do, if you have the means is order 2 pairs and return the pair that doesn’t fit as well.
Thanks for using the links, much appreciated.
Thanks, Nate. Really appreciate the wealth of information you have shared here.
I ended up going with Snow Trooper X 160, K2 Lien AT XL, and Adidas Response 3MC ADV Boots size 12.
Everything will be here next week, after which I’ll be hitting the mountain promptly to try things out.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t use your links as any of the larger sizes I needed was not available via the links.
I’ll post a reply once I’ve had a chance to try things out. Thanks again for all the help.
Hi Guddu. Exciting! Love getting new gear. Look forward to hearing how you get on. Happy riding!
I’ve found your website so incredibly helpful in doing the research for upgrading my gear. I honestly wish I’d done this before buying my first board coz I truly believe it would have shortened the learning curve. Anyhoo, when I do buy, is there a way to make the purchase so you benefit from it? Would just clicking on the links before completing the purchase do it? Also, is this the best way to ask you questions?
Hi K Rusty
Thanks for your message. Yeah, if you buy something through one of the links, I get a small commission on the purchase. Thanks for asking!
This is the best way to ask questions, for sure – I check the comments every morning. If you’d prefer to ask privately you can too (going to the contact page), but I prefer to have answers on here, in case any one else could benefit from the discussion.
Hi Nate,
I’m beginner，I’m 5’10 and 200lbs.
I got a deal on a Neversummer Snowtrooper 162. It’s that fit for me？ Or I should go to 159？
Waitting for your suggestion.
Thanks,
Hi Jason
Thanks for your message.
If you were a more advanced rider, I would say that 162 would be fine for your specs. But as a beginner it’s getting on the big side, IMO. I think you would be better off with the 159. If you could also let me know your boot size, to make sure the width is appropriate.
Hope this helps
My boot is 10. Thanks your reply. I will go to 158-160.
Hi Jason
Yeah, stick with regular width with a size 10, IMO. And that 158-160 range is a good way to go too, IMO for your specs/level.
Nate,
I am thinking about buying the never summer snow trooper 164x with Burton cartel bindings and Burton ruler boots. I am 6’4 and 210 lbs and wear a size 14 boot. Do you think that setup would be good size wise? I like the snow trooper, however, i want to make sure i do not have too much too/heel drag with the setup. Cheers!
Hi Trevor
Thanks for your message.
Firstly, I think the length is a great match for your specs.
In terms of width, based on measuring a different sized Never Summer board with a similar shape (so not a highly accurate prediction as I haven’t measured the 164X Snowtrooper specifically, but pretty close, I would imagine), I would say that the 164X Snowtrooper would be around 276mm at the inserts. Since you have Burton Rulers, I think you should be fine with that with 14s, which I would treat more as 13s. With a couple of caveats.
If you ride with quite a straight back binding angle, it could be pushing it. If you ride with a reasonable amount of angle (i.e. 15 degrees) on the back foot, then that gives you a bit more leeway.
If you like to really aggressive carve, like eurocarving, then it’s probably not going to be wide enough, IMO. But if you’re not a hugely aggressive carver, and have a reasonable amount of angle on the back foot, I think you’ll get away with it width-wise. Not guarantees of course, but that would be my prediction.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thank you very much it helps a lot!
You’re very welcome Trevor. Happy riding!
Hi Nate. After reading all the reviews and all that I’ve decided to go with the snowtrooper x 160. I’m 6ft 3in weigh 215 and I have a size 13 boot. I am used to riding from 160 w to 163 w and I’m slightly concerned that I should have went with the 164? I also went with the burton cartel bindings as well. I’m looking for a good boot still and haven’t been able to pick the right one for me yet. Any pointers?
Hi Ron
Thanks for your message. And apologies for the slow response – I have been on vacation recently, and demoing lots of gear, so I’m running a bit behind on replying to comments at the moment.
I would usually say something around 165 for you, assuming at an advanced level for an all-mountain board. But that’s not hard and fast – personal preference comes into it and it also depends on the way you ride and your ability level. If you’re closer to a beginner level, then I would say the 160X is more appropriate than the 164X. If more advanced, then the 164X would be what I would have recommended, but again that’s not hard and fast if you just prefer to ride shorter.
In terms of boots to match that setup, I would say something in the flex range 4 to 6 would be a good way to go.
With size 13s I would go for something that’s low profile (like recent Adidas, Burton, Vans and Ride) and/or with a good bevel on the heel/toe – just give you more leeway in terms of toe/heel drag.
If you have wide feet also, then Adidas are a good bet. For more on boots for wide feet check out the following (including the comments people have left):
>>Wide Snowboard Boots for Wide Feet
And for some options in that 4 to 6 flex range, check out the following:
>>My Top All Mountain (medium to medium-stiff flex) Snowboard Boots
>>My Top Freestyle (medium flex) Snowboard Boots
>> Top 7 Beginner Boots
Hope this helps with your search
Hi Nate!
Last weeks trip up to the mountain got cancelled but went out yesterday. The set up worked out great. Very responsive. I could really feel my shins and feet maneuvering the board. I really like the setup. The only issue I had was putting the right amount of pressure with my back foot. Too much pressure at all will get the board spinning out which is still lots of fun:)
Hi Jamen
Thanks for the update. Awesome that you’re enjoying your setup. Yeah you can definitely get loose on the Snowtrooper if you want to – get some drifting going!
Hi Nate!
Thx 4 the reviews. Appreciate all the info and helping us narrow down our decisions. I was leaning toward the Arbor Formula but got a screaming deal on a Snowtrooper 159. I’m 5’10” 150lbs. Hope it’s a good fit.
Gonna try it for the first time tomorrow night.
Hi Jamen
Thanks for your message.
Hope the board goes well for you, let me know how it goes for you, once you get a chance to ride it
Just got back from night riding. It went great! Totally dig this board. Very easy to initiate turns. Just can’t go to heavy on the edge or it likes to skid out but lots of fun. So I also have Salomon size 10 f20s. They are a tad bit big on me and my back foot does hang over a little bit. It didn’t effect my riding at all however I am looking to get 9.5 size boots. Any suggestions that support arch and aren’t as long as the Salomons?
Hi Jamen
Awesome that you’re enjoying the Snowtrooper. That sounds like the kind of description I would expect for the snowtrooper.
In terms of lower profile boots, I would look at Adidas, Burton, Vans and Ride. If you’ve got wider feet, then Adidas and Burton, particularly Adidas. And if normal or narrow feet, then Burton, Vans & Ride, from my experience. In terms of arch support, if you’ve got flat feet (like I do), then Iève found Vans are a good fit. But if you’ve got high arches, I wouldn’t go Vans.
Hope this helps
Thank you for all the ideas. I checked out several but ended up feeling the best in K2 Maysis in a whole size down to a 9. I believe these made it in your top 5 for snowboard boots review. They feel pretty firm compared to my F20s. I also went with Burton Cartel bindings. We’re going to head up to the mountains in the morning. I’ll let you know the setup works out. Thx again:)
Hi Jamen
Yeah that would be awesome if you can let me know how you go with your setup. Size 9s should be absolutely fine on the 159 Snowtrooper, even with a longer footpring like with the K2s, so should be no worries there, IMO.
Hi Nate,
New setup for me this year…and after much research and reading on your website I just purchased the Snowtrooper 156 (I’m 5’11 and 185lbs) and some Union Contact Pro’s which I think will be a good combination as I continue to progress my intermediate riding.
I’m tossing up between the Adidas Response ADV boots, or Vans Aura’s…. I believe the Aura’s will be slightly softer? Any advice on which ones you think might suit the setup better? Are they quite similar from your knowledge? I’m torn between them
Thanks
Hi Kial
Thanks for your message.
The Vans Auras are what I would consider 4.5/10 in terms of flex – they’re just that touch softer than what I would call pure medium (I’ve owned the Auras the last couple of seasons). The Response ADV are what I would consider 6/10 – so still around that medium flex, but noticeable notch up in stiffness. The 4.5/10 of the Auras would perfectly match the Snowtrooper and Contact Pros, IMO – but having said that, the Response ADVs would work with that setup too.
But mostly it will come down to fit. Adidas boots tend to be a little wider in the toe box – so if you have wide feet or if you just prefer a wider feel, then the Adidas are likely to feel better. Vans are narrower and also they tend to not work for people with high arches (I have flat feet, so they’re perfect for me). If you’re able to try on in person before buying (even if they don’t have those particular models, but if you can try on something in those brands), that would be ideal but if you can’t then I would judge it on the width of your foot and how high your arches are. If you don’t have wide feet and if you have normal or flat arches, then I would say Auras, otherwise the Response ADV.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Your gear reviews are always so helpful. I am a beginner and had several lessons in the past weeks. I am 5’11 and 160lbs. I bought a pair of size 10 Salomon Faction Boa boots, and am looking for an appropriate board and bindings. I am considering the Never Summer Snow trooper 156 and the Yes Basic 155, as well as the Burton Custom bindings (size M). Could you suggest which board would be more suitable for a beginner? Does this bindings make a good combination with either of the boards? Do you have any other recommendation?
Hi Ian
Thanks for your message.
You’ve obviously done your homework and I think either of these boards would be a good choice for you – and the sizes are exactly what I would recommend for you as well. The Custom’s would pair well with either one of these boards, IMO and the boots fit the setup well too, IMO.
I guess the only thing I would mention is that Salomon boots do tend to have a longer profile (i.e. the boots are longer in a 10 than some other brands) but even with that extra length I think you should be fine width-wise on either of those boards, as long as you don’t have too straight an angle on your back foot. i.e. if you have a very straight back foot (like 0-6 degrees), then those boards might be pushing it being slightly narrow for Salomon 10’s. You’d probably still be o.k. especially as a beginner, as you probably won’t be doing too many deep carves at the moment. With a reasonable angle on your back binding (i.e. 9-15 degrees) you should be fine.
If you do ride with a very straight back foot, the 156W Basic would be a safer bet. And the 157X Snowtrooper also safer, but if you can get on the regular width versions that would be preferable, IMO.
Hope this helps
Thank you Nate, this is really helpful. I’ll bring my boots with me to the store, and try which size of board will fit better. Really glad to learn a lot from this site, and even glader to get your advice.
You’re very welcome Ian.
Great idea to take your boots with you.