Hello and welcome to my Nidecker Odyssey snowboard review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Odyssey as a freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Odyssey a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other women's freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Nidecker Odyssey
Price: $499
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 84.4/100
Compared to other Women’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 22 women’s freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Odyssey’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Odyssey’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $499 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Directional Hybrid Camber - Nidecker's "Surfy CamRock" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Setback 10mm (0.4") |
Base: | Sintruded (Nidecker's N7000 "Sintruded base) |
Weight: | Felt Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
143 | 239 | 99-121 | 45-55 |
147 | 243 | 110-143 | 50-65 |
151 | 247 | 121-154 | 55-70 |
155 | 250 | 132-165 | 60-75 |
158 | 254 | 143+ | 65+ |
Who is the Odyssey Most Suited To?
The Odyssey is best suited to the rider that wants a smooth, damp ride and for that ride that prioritizes powder when it's around and likes to carve up groomers when it's not - and needs a board that can handle some speed.
Not a freestylers board - and not for a beginner, but for powder, carving and speed it's a good choice, especially for the budget conscious - it comes in below the average price for this category of board.
The Odyssey in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Odyssey is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Nidecker Odyssey 2022, 151cm (151M) (247mm waist width)
Date: January 18, 2022
Conditions
Cloudy and a little misty - visibility was OK in spots but quite bad in other spots.
Temperature: 32°F (0°C) - no wind chill - not a breath of wind.
24hr snow: 0" (0cm)
48hr snow: 0" (0cm)
7 day snow: 9" (22cm)
On groomer: Slushy and ungroomed. Very bumpy uneven conditions even on groomer.
Off groomer: Pretty sketchy - mostly slushy with lots of tree debris.
Setup
Bindings angles: +15/-12
Stance width: 500mm (19.7″)
Stance Setback: Setback 10mm (0.4")
Width at Inserts: 255mm (10.04") at front insert and 253mm (9.96") at back insert*
* Nidecker actually publish width at insert stats, which is really cool, IMO! They get 255mm at back and front insert. So our back insert measurements differ slightly.
Weight: 2640g (5lbs, 13oz)
Weight per cm: 17.48g/cm
Average Weight per cm: 17.12 grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of around 20 women's boards that I've weighed in 2020, 2021 and 2022 models. The Odyssey is just slightly heavier than normal.
Tester: Jade
Rider Height: 5'7" (170cm)
Rider Weight: 145lbs (66kg)
Rider Boot Size: Women's US6.5 Thirty Two Exit
Bindings Used: Burton Lexa, Medium
Powder
This is where this board shines. Though we didn't get to test it in powdery conditions, unfortunately, it has the specs to excel in powder - and the way it felt in cruddy, chundery, slushy conditions, made it feel like it would float really nicely in powder.
It has a 5mm taper, 10mm setback on effective edge (but a much bigger setback - closer to 100mm - on overall length of board. The nose, as well as being wider than the tail is quite a bit longer than the tail as well (370mm nose versus 150mm tail on the 151M). That plus a healthy amount of rocker in the nose and it all points to really good powder performance. And you could always set it back more on powder days ig you wanted - but it already feels heavily setback at reference.
Carving & Turning
Carving: It handled long/deep carves really well and had a very smooth damp feel overall.
Ease of Turns/Shashing: Not as easy to turn or slash as the control board (Rossignol Frenemy).
Maneuverability at slow speeds: It was a little slower to switch edges at slow speeds. Part of that comes down to the board being wider than normal - and the overall length/width was probably a little big for Jade.
Skidded Turns: Not terrible for skidded turns, but not super easy either. Some consequence there with that shorter tail - and the tail being camber all the way back (the rocker is only in the nose).
Speed
The Odyssey felt fast and felt very stable at speed, which was pretty impressive today, given the conditions - it still felt stable on all that crud.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: It smashed through or went over crud really well.
Bumps: Not as good for bumps though. Not super quick edge to edge - probably largely down to the width compared to Jade's foot size - so weaving through bumps was a bit labored.
Jumps
Not the ideal park board. Handles larger jumps/rollers OK. If side hits are your thing, this wouldn’t be the best choice.
Pop: Not a lot of pop, defiantly a more damp feel to this board. And you've got to put some effort in to get what's there out of it.
Approach: Speed checking/adjustments weren't the easiest, but it was a very stable feel when you could pick your line and commit to it.
Landing: A very stable feeling on landings, but not super forgiving when you got it wrong.
Side-hits: Not the ideal board for side hits. It was a little more challenging to maneuver the board on the approach and the landings and there wasn't enough easy pop available.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Preference to bigger jumps
Switch
Not ideal riding switch with how directional it is. And landing and setting up switch for spins wasn't great either. Not a big deal as this isn't the kind of board that's designed for that.
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 | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 84.4/100 |
Overall, the Odyssey does well at what it's designed for. Don't expect a do everything board - that's not what it's made for.
But if you have very little interest in the park or freestyle and just want something that can perform well in powder and for carving and bombing, then the Odyssey offers a really affordable, really capable option.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Odyssey, 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 the Odyssey to other freeride snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hi fell in love with this board last winter!
I first bought a Rossi Shashimi 152 LT and got hooked on the shape and style for my kind of riding (surf/slash/carve/powder). I’m an “old guy” at 60 and have been riding for 30 years. I’m 68kg, 168cm, size 26 boots and the specs on this board have done me well. I ride a +9/+27 forward stance and mostly use my back foot for quick turns at slower speeds, but this board also carves beautifully at higher speeds, does great in powder and tight New England trees.
I see that Nidecker has now moved this board over to the unisex catagory (men’s) which I think is a good desicion on their part. Any one know what the next best board is to this one that is very similar in shape? I can’t help but always looking for a better board!
Hi Chris, thanks for your message.
Yeah, they are merging the Odyssey with the Mellow next season and widths aren’t as narrow as they were. Some other options to check out include:
Jones Hovercraft 2.0
Salomon Dancehaul
Lib Tech Orca
Jones Mind Expander
Jones Stratos Women’s
K2 Passport
GNU Barrett
There are others too, but some there that might interest you. Note though that most, with the exception of the Women’s Stratos and Barret (or if you can find an older Women’s Mind Expander – which has now also been merged into a unisex model), aren’t as narrow as the Odyssey.
Hope this helps
Thanks for the advice Nate!
You’re really quite the sport and your web site is really a great thing, so much useful data, reviews and general knowledge.
I ended up getting a 2024 Jones Flagship 154. The specs look agreeable to me and hopefully it wall carve and bomb slightly better than the Odyssey 151M. I was actully looking for a board that would do just that as I really do like the Odyssey as a “fun” board for slower slash turns and trees.
Cheers!
You’re very welcome Chris. Hope the Flagship treats you well. If you think of it at the time, let me know how you get on, once you’ve had a chance to get it out on snow.
Hi Nate,
I’m also comparing the Odyssey to the new Mind Expander. I have been riding longer so this wouldn’t be my first.
I’m concerned with having the same small feet (US6-6.5) as Jade the Odyssey 151 will be hard to turn but I’m heavier (160lbs). If I go for ME instead I don’t quite fall into the chart for 146, there’s 150 but then that might be too wide for my feet.
I’m looking for the single board for powder day that turns into chunder. NS Harpoon at 144 wasn’t it – too slow on flats and groomers. It was fun on that first fresh tracks run though.
I have the Flagship 149 and have been riding it more this past season but it’s missing the fun feeling.
What are your thoughts on Odyssey vs Mind Expander for me? Which sizes? I think I heard Odyssey is being discounted next season.
Thanks!
Hi Nancy, thanks for your message.
I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 151, but with your boot size and the width of the Odyssey 151, I would typically size down a bit. I think the 147 would be the better size, given the width, even if you’re outside the weight recommendations. Typically with more weight a wider width is less of an issue – as that extra force can help to transfer leverage to the edges more easily vs less weight, so the width won’t be quite as big a thing as with Jade. But that said, there’s not that much difference in weight, so I would still be erring towards the 147 (if available). The Odyssey, even in the 147 should feel faster and more stable on groomers vs the 144 Harpoon – more so than the 3cm would suggest, so you’d still gain that advantage. I would say that the Mind Expander is the more fun board though and would provide a larger contrast to the Flagship. And the 150 Mind Expander, while wide, is also softer flexing, so easier to manage and easier to apply force to the edges, so the width likely won’t be felt as much as on the Odyssey. So, it should feel smaller vs the 151 Odyssey than that 1cm would suggest. I would be weighing up 147 Odyssey or 150 Women’s Mind Expander.
The Odyssey will be retired as of next year, but it’s kind of merging with the Men’s Mellow. Though, the sizes are wider on the new Mellow than they are on the Odyssey.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks Nate! That was extremely helpful. One more ask was how would either the Odyssey/Mine Dexpander compare to the K2 Excavator or perhaps even a Capita Equalizer (unsure which size)
I had tried it a few years ago on slushy day and did enjoy it. I could consider getting that in like 142 or 146 too. It’ll feel nicer since it’s camber underfoot vs the Harpoon.
Hi Nancy
The Equalizer could work for sure. But I’d probably look at the 150 for that one. It’s narrower, so the width shouldn’t be one that you’d have to size down too much for.
We haven’t tested the Excavator yet, so can’t say much about that. I would say that it’s a little stiffer than the others here, based on other similar K2 boards we’ve tested but not by too much. Size-wise, it’s a very wide board, so I would be inclined to go down towards the 142. However at that length, I suspect you’d find it too slow on flats and groomers. While it has the extra width for powder, it won’t help with speed, particularly when on edge.
Hi Nate,
How does this board compare to the women’s Jones Mind Expander on groomer? I’m a intermediate snowboarder and want to pick one for my first directional/freeride board.
Thanks,
Cindy
Hi Cindy
Thanks for your message.
I would say that the Mind Expander is a little easier/faster for turns, but the Odyssey a little better when it comes to deeper carves. Odyssey a little more stable at speed. Mind Expander all round the slightly easier board to ride, so I would be leaning towards mind expander as an intermediate. That said, if you’re a solid to higher intermediate rider, then the Odyssey would also work well.
Hope this helps with your decision