Nidecker Mellow Review

Who is the Mellow Most Suited To?

The Mellow is best suited to someone looking for a powder board to add to their quiver. Particularly good for those on a smaller budget for their powder board - not wanting to pay too much for a 2nd (or 3rd) board - and predominantly wanting something that's good in powder to compliment the other board(s) in their quiver. 

Not beginner friendly, but solid intermediate riders should be fine with this board. 

The Mellow in More Detail

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Stance width:  20.5″ (520mm) 

Stance Setback: Setback 1.2" (30mm)

Width at Inserts: 273mm (10.75") at front insert and 275mm (10.83") at the back insert

Rider Height: 6'0"

Rider Weight: 180lbs

Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical ADV

Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M

Control Board for Control Laps: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker 

Weight: 3040grams (6lbs 11oz)

Weight per cm: 19.61 grams/cm

Average Weight per cm: 18.43 grams/cm*

*based on a sample size of around 100 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021 *& 2022 models. The Mellow is a little heavier than normal for it's size, though that extra width does add weight. On snow, it felt a little heavier than normal.  

Powder

This is where the board shines and I was luck enough to get it out on a powder day. That big nose floats above everything and it surfs pow like a wave. Whilst the board doesn't feel particularly surfy on groomers, it really adopts that surfy feel in powder (every board gets more surfy in powder of course, but this was to another level). 

No big surprises given the specs. A good setback on effective edge and even greater setback on overall length with the nose being considerably longer than the tail. There's also a little taper - and a swallow tail, plus some generous rocker in the nose, which all helps. 

Carving & Turning

Carving: Actually really decent for the most part, but can feel a little washy in the tail. 

Ease of Turns/Slashes: Felt a little labored turning on the groomers and needed a good bit of effort. It is a wide board - and being a couple of centimeters shorter to make up for that extra width, might have been more ideal for me, size-wise. 

Maneuverability at slow speeds: Not super nimble - a little slow to change edges. 

Skidded Turns: Not super unforgiving of skidded turns - i.e. not super catchy, but also not super easy with skidded turns either. Right in the middle. 

Speed

Decently stable at speed. Could handle a good bit of speed but not an ultra bomber or anything. 

Uneven Terrain

Crud: Can get bucked around a little but not that much - and that nose just goes overtop of everything, so even when it doesn't smash through you can glide over top. 

Bumps: Hugged bumps really well when going over top, but not as good for weaving between bumps - not as good when you need to turn on a dime.

Jumps

Average. 

Pop: Not much pop and not easy to access either. 

Approach: Stable but not super easy for speed checks and not great of trickier approaches. 

Landing: Solid but not super forgiving of errors. 

Side-hits: Not great - not enough pop and no easy pop and not nimble enough for trickier approaches. 

Small jumps/Big Jumps: Best for medium straight air with a good approach and landing. 

Switch

Not great for switch, but doable. 

Spins

Being heavier it took a bit of effort to get around - pop wasn't there to help and not great of setting up or landing switch - but not what it's made for. 

Butters

Again not what it's made for, there was some pressability, but not heaps - it feels stiffer in the tip and tail than it does through the middle of the board. Tail and nose feel a bit different to press too. 

At first that big nose is a little cumbersome on groomers but you get used to it after a while, and it can lay down a decent carve, though does get a little washy when you really lay it down.

It's not ultra nimble and certainly not as mellow as the name suggests (and Nidecker rate it 8/10 flex - something that stiff doesn't say "mellow" to me, but that camber profile is pretty surfy feeling). But when she gets in powder, then she's in her element. That big nose floats above everything and it surfs the pow like a wave.