Hello and welcome to my Nidecker Gamma APX review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Gamma APX as an aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Gamma APX a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Nidecker Gamma APX
Price: $579
Style: Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Precise (8/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-stiff (7.5/10)
Rating Score: 89.2/100
Compared to other Men’s Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 14 men’s aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
* would have ranked 4th out of 14, but was a late test, so didn't enter into 2023 ratings, as a 2024 model. Will likely make the top 5 for the 2024 list though.
Overview of the Gamma APX’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Gamma APX’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle |
Price: | $579 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Camber (but mostly camber, just very subtle tip and tail rocker) |
Shape: | True Twin (asymmetrical) |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered (Nidecker's "N-9000" base) |
Weight: | Felt Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
157 | 256 | not available | not available |
Who is the Gamma APX Most Suited To?
Best suited to someone who wants to be able to ride switch, hit jumps and sidehits etc but still wants to be able to ride fast and lay down carves as well.
The Gamma APX is a board that is at it's best when you provide it with energy, so you've got to be someone who likes to ride quite aggressively. But it's not something you have to put your everything into for every turn.
A higher end intermediate will probably be fine on this board, but definitely not for beginners or lower intermediate riders, IMO. Lighter or less strong riders might also find it challenging to give it the energy it needs.
The Gamma APX in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Gamma APX is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Nidecker Gamma APX 2024 157cm (256mm waist width)
Date: February 10, 2023
Conditions
Cloudy. Low cloud. Vis pretty bad at times. Like 40% in the worst spots and up to 75% in best.
Temprature 32°F (0°C). With wind chill was 21°F (-6°C) but wind eased by afternoon and was more like 30°F (-1°C) with wind.
24hr snow: 0" (0cm)
48hr snow: 2" (2cm)
7 day snow: 20" (50cm)
On groomer: Medium firm to start with but then got somewhat slushy as day went on. There were some harder patches too.
Off groomer: A little crunchy in places but overall doable.
Set Up
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 540mm (21.3″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 266.5mm (10.5")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 DC Judge
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 2980grams (6lb 9oz)
Weight per cm: 18.98 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.
Powder
Didn't get in any fresh powder on the day, but based on specs and feel of the board, it's going to be average at best in powder, IMO.
Only subtle rocker in the tip and tail and its a centered asym twin.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Really nice on a carve, especially for a twin. You can lock it in and it holds even when railing a fast carve.
Ease of Turns/Slashing: Not an effortless turner - something you've got to be quite aggressive with. But at the same time not something you have to throw all your weight into or anything.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Fairly quick edge-to-edge at slower speeds, when you put some energy into it. Not effortless, but again, you don't have to throw everything into it either.
Catchiness: It's not something I would describe as catchy, but it also doesn't feel like it's completely forgiving, if you were to get too lazy on it. Not catchy but not catch-free either.
Speed
Can handle a good amount of speed. Felt stable and a good bit of dampness at speed. For a twin all-mountain freestyle board fast and stable.
Uneven Terrain
Bumps/Trees: Gotta put more in to weave quickly, so gotta be quite aggressive with it when weaving. But when you are, it can do some pretty quick turns.
Crud: Smashes through crud quite well. Doesn't get bucked around easily.
Jumps
I generally prefer something a little softer for jumping (not too soft, but that 5/10 to 6/10 range) but still really enjoyed this board on jumps.
Pop: Took more energy to extract pop vs my control board (Terrain Wrecker) and the Gamma (non-apx version that I also rode that day). Got some more pop out of it, when putting weight into it and winding it up. But not epic pop overall.
Approach: Nice and stable on approach. Whilst it wasn't quite as easy as TW or Gamma (non-APX) to make corrections, could still make speed checks/corrections when needed.
Landing: Can stomp 'em pretty well. Not the most forgiving of errors but also not super unforgiving of them.
Side-hits: Could be better with slightly easier access pop and slightly easier turning but still really decent.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Best for big jumps, IMO. Still good on small and medium, but that stability on approach allows you to hit faster approaches to bigger jumps and helps with landings off bigger hits.
Switch
Really good. Asym boards tend to be my favorite for riding switch and this was no exception. Transitions take a little concentration to ensure you don't get lazy and catch an edge, but when you do concentrate transitions are all good.
Spins
Great for setting up and landing switch. Have to make sure you're switch game is good for setting up and landing, so that you can ride out smooth, but overall felt good for spinning.
Jibbing
Not my favorite thing to do on this board. I prefer something softer/more playful for jibbing.
Butters
Definitely has some pressability in the tip and tail. You've got to work it reasonably hard, but you can lock in those presses pretty well, once you've got them initiated.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
SWITCH | 5.0 | 10/10 |
SPINS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TREES/BUMPS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
BUTTERS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
POWDER | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.2/100 |
The Gamma APX is the kind of board that is at its best when you're giving it energy and it really rewards that energy!
Whilst it's not something you have put your everything into, every second, it is best when you put the effort in, to get back everything this board can offer.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Gamma APX, 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 aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Gamma APX compares to other aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
hello nate,
I have been following your blog for several years and it has been my point of reference several times for the choice of snowboard (especially the board I have now, my Yes Standard).
Did you noticed differences between the yes standard and the gamma apx in terms of reactivity and carving?
I’m enjoying a lot my actual board but the “mimicry” of nidecker intrigue me a lot.
Thank you
Hi Simone
Thanks for your message. I would say that the Gamma APX is a little better for carving vs the Standard. It’s something that I felt I could carve a little deeper/harder with. In terms of reactivity, it’s the kind of board I felt you had to give a bit more energy to, to get it to initiate turns. So you’ve got to be a little more aggressive with it. In other words, it’s not as effortless to turn with as the Standard, in my experience. It’s not something you’ve got to throw everything into to get it turning or anything, but it’s something that requires more rider input to get that turn initiated. But it is quick to initiate those turns when you do put that effort in – so in that sense it is “reactive” but not effortlessly reactive, if that makes sense.
Hope this helps
Thank you very much, this help me a lot. Unfortunately where I go snowboarding usually there aren’t nidecker tests, so i can count only on online review. I like stronger board, in fact i was intersted on Yes standard Uninc too, i saw that they use some carbon fiber on It.
I Hope they Will make other size of the gamma APX series (i usually ride 158/159)
Hi Simone
Yeah the Standard Uninc is certainly a little more board than the Standard. Better on carves, better at speed, overall a little more aggressive than regular Standard.
Hi Nate,
have you tried the Nidecker Gamma (none APX) version yet?
How do you think it will compare to the yes greats uninc?
I’m an intermediate to advanced rider. I ride switch (a lot), jump, spin and carve well. I want to learn butters and ground tricks but still be able to go carving. I like my ride playful.
Im 5’10”, around 176lbs, and have 8-8,5US size boots. Do you think the 157cm Nidecker Gamma is the correct size for freestyle and all-montain riding?
Cheers!
Hi Elie
Yep, I got on the Non APX version as well.
Whilst it’s not entirely the same personality as the YES Greats, it’s the same type of board and similar overall performance characteristics, in my experience. It’s around the same flex as Greats.
Whilst it’s not unplayful, it’s not super playful either. So in the 157 it may not feel as playful as you’d like it. If it had a slightly smaller size, even just down to something like 155, I’d be leaning that way. I would put your “typical all-mountain size” at around 158/159, but because of boot size and the width of this board (not overly wide or anything but wide for your boot size, IMO) I would size down. Then given you want to err more playful, I would size down again, and I’m not sure that going to 157 would be down enough to suit what you want.
Hope this helps
Thanks a lot for your answer. Much appreciated.
On our other discussion/post you’ve recommended the Yes Standard in 156cm, which is 27,2cm wide under foot. The Nidecker Gamma 157cm is 26,6cm. Wouldn’t it feel about the same in terms of size and playfulness then?
You’ve also recommended the Salomon Assassin in 159cm or 156cm and the Yes Greats Uninc in 154cm (27,3cm under foot). The 156cm Assassin is 26,2cm under foot. My feet are 26,2cm (left) and 25,7cm (right) and I wear 8-8,5US boots. After reading you snowboard width guide, I’m thinking that the Standard and the Greats might be to wide. So I’ve boiled down the decision to the Assassin in 156cm vs the Nidecker Gamma 157cm. Since the Yes Greats best represents (according to your reviews) how I want to ride and because the Gamma is similar, I was thinking that the Gamma could be the better choice. I’m also concerned about the carvebility and stability of the Assassin since my weight is at the top end of the recommendation. I also prefer the design of the Gamma.
How would you says the Gamma compares to the Assassin in terms of JUMPS, CARVING, TURNS, SWITCH, BUTTERS, SPEED, SPINS and
POWDER?
Do you think the gamma will make it into the top 5 All-Mouintain-Freestyle category? 🙂
Thanks again for your excellent reviews and help, you’re a legend!
Hi Elie
That’s why I was leaning 156 Assassin for you (and was leaning that over the 156 Standard) as you were wanted to ride smaller and more playful. The Gamma isn’t as playful as the Assassin, IMO. The 157 Gamma is definitely doable for you, but mainly because you were wanting to size down for something more playful. Also the Gamma is 157 266.5mm underfoot, so it’s wider than the Assassin as well – it’s in between Assassin and Greats.
In terms of those aspects, I would say:
Jumps: similar – both around 4.5/5
Carving: similar – both around 3.5/5
Turns: I’d say the Assassin just a touch easier to initiate turns on. A little more effort, though still not a lot of effort on the Gamma. Not much in it
Switch: Gamma better, IMO – I love asym boards for riding switch
Butters: similar – but assassin prob a little easier to butter
Speed: similar – both around 3.5/5
Spins: similar but assassin a little easier to setup particuarly being narrower and a little softer flexing, in my experience.
Powder: Similar – both around 3/5
Without having compiled everything for 2024 models yet (still testing them!) can’t say for sure if the Gamma will be in the top for that, but has a good chance.
Thanks a lot for you’re help! Very much appreciated!
You’re very welcome Elie. Happy riding!
Hi Nate,
Big fan of your blog! I am an high-beginner to intermediate looking to buy my first proper board. (Been using an unknown set-up from facebook marketplace for the last 3 seasons)
I am looking to spend most of my time on groomers on blue runs and also progressing to a few blacks. Mostly cruising and exploring as oppose to charging. Not looking to dabble in the park too much. I am looking at a few boards based on your recommendation and wondering what you think!
* Capita DOA 2023
* Never Summer Snowtrooper 2023
* Slash Brainstorm 2023
* Salomon Assassin 2023
I’m not sure which one to pick but my heart is leaning towards the brainstorm. I wear a size 10 burton invader boot with the large K2 Indy bindings.
Hey Ryan
Thanks for your message.
I would be leaning either Snowtrooper or Brainstorm for what you’re describing. As a high-beginner/intermediate, those 2 are right where you want to be, IMO. The Assassin/DOA, particularly DOA are a little bit more of a stretch in terms of level, IMO. Let me know if you’d like any sizing suggestions. As I already have your boot size and riding style/level, I would just need your height and weight.
Hope this helps