Hello and welcome to my Niche Maelstrom review.
In this review I will take a look at the Maelstrom as a Freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Maelstrom a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and also see how it compares with other Freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Niche Maelstrom
Price: $569 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (8/10)
Flex Feel: Stiff (8/10)
Rating Score: 83.2/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 40 Men’s Freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Maelstrom’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Maelstrom’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $569 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Setback 20mm (0.75") |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | Felt Heavier than normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
148 | 240 | not available | n/a |
151 | 244 | n/a | n/a |
154 | 248 | n/a | n/a |
157 | 252 | n/a | n/a |
160 | 256 | n/a | n/a |
163 | 260 | n/a | n/a |
166 | 264 | n/a | n/a |
* the 148 and 151 are new sizes for the 2023 model
Who is the Maelstrom Most Suited To?
The Maelstrom is for those that like to bomb, carve and float in powder. It's not terribly versatile because outside of those things, it wasn't a board I loved.
So unless that's all you like to do, then it's not a one-board quiver, IMO, but could work as your charge/powder board in quiver.
Certainly not for a beginner. You gotta really take charge of this board or it will take you for ride.
THE Maelstrom IN MORE DETAIL
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Maelstrom is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Niche Maelstrom 2023, 157cm (252mm waist width)
Date: March 24, 2022
Conditions
Sunny with barely a cloud in the sky.
Temperature: 30°F (-1°C) in the morning, warming up to 36°F (2°C) in the afternoon.
24hr snow: 0" (0cm)
48hr snow: 0" (0cm)
7 day snow: 27" (69cm)
On groomer: Hard packed but not icy.
Off groomer: Icy and crunchy to start but softened up as the day went on.
Setup
Bindings angles: +12/-9
Stance width: 21.3″ (540mm)
Stance Setback: Setback 3/4" (20mm)
Width at Inserts: 10.39" (264mm) at front insert and 10.31" (262mm) at back insert.
Rider Height: 6'1"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical Lexicon ADV
Bindings Used: Fix Yale: M
Weight: 6lbs 13oz (3100grams)
Weight per cm: 19.75 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.59 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 200 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models. So the Maelstrom was heavier than normal on the scales - and felt that way on snow too.
Powder
Nothing to test in on the day but have had this board in a small amount of powder before and felt really good.
It's also got the specs. Some taper, a longer nose than tail, plus a healthy amount of rocker in the nose.
Carving
This board can carve. It can feel a bit hooky at times, but when you when you really lay into it and in the right conditions it can lock in a really big carve.
Turning
Ease of Turns/Slashing: Not the easiest to turn. Edges feel "heavy".
Maneuverability at slow speeds (nimbleness): Not super agile, but not super sluggish either. But you do have to fight it a bit to change edges - so whilst you can do it relatively quickly, it's certainly not effortless.
Skidded Turns: Felt quite catchy at times.
Speed
You can bomb with this board. It feels fast and it feels really stable at speed.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: It doesn't get bucked around easily in crud but it it's not immune to it. And when you do get thrown off your line, it's not the easiest to correct.
Trees/Bumps: It's not the most agile and whilst it's also not a complete tank, it does take effort to make quick turns, so it can get quite fatiguing in trees.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
Not designed for it, so wasn't expecting much. Wouldn't be my board of choice for hitting jumps.
Pop: A normal amount of pop, but not easy to access. You've got to put it in to get it out.
Approach: Didn't love the heavy edge feeling/catchiness. If you locked in and charged it and had no need to adjust your line on the way it did fine, but when having to make corrections, it didn't feel great.
Landing: Nice smooth landings when you get it right. Really solid. But not overly forgiving when you get it wrong.
Side-hits: Not great. Easier access pop and maneuverability were lacking. And that catchiness wasn't super confidence inspiring.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Neither was ideal. But it can handle bigger jumps well, given its stiffer flex, but not super forgiving if you get it wrong.
Switch
Not terrible but it is fairly directional. And that catchiness doesn't make transitions feel the nicest.
Butters
Not the easiest to press and the flex point felt a bit weird. And it feels quite different in tail vs nose. But certainly not what this board is designed to be.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 3.0 | 6/10 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 3.0 | 6/10 |
JUMPS | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 83.2/100 |
The Maelstrom is good at what it's meant to be good at. Bombing, carving and finding powder.
Outside of that, it wasn't a heap of fun. But if those things are your bread and butter and there's not much else outside of that you like to do, then you shouldn't be disappointed in this board.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Maelstrom, 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 freeride snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Maelstrom compares to other freeride snowboards, then check out the next link.
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