Board: Nidecker Beta
Size: 162
Camber Option: Surfy Camrocker. Set back camrocker with more rocker in the nose and the camber being more under the back foot.
Bindings: Rome Black Label
Stance: 21.5 Wide 15 Negative 12 Goofy
Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10
My Weight: 200lbs
Resort: Copper Mountain
Conditions: 10 plus inches of heavy wet pow, perfect corduroy under that, chunder at times, and lumpy mashed potato snow.
Flex: Here’s the thing with this boards flex it’s fully directional and on the stiffer side. The nose has more flex than anywhere else on the board and it progressively gets stiffer to the tail. With the width and camber profile that adds to the torsional rigidity which gives this board its stiffer flex. When you try to twist it for ankle steering you notice right away that it has very little movement.
Stability: While the nose will get a little chatter in it, the rest of the board does a great job of absorbing all the chatter. This board cuts through chop, chunder, and push mounds with ease. You actually accelerate more to the point of just being a steam roller in these conditions.
Ollies/Pop: The pop is there off the back foot. With the Surfy Camrocker you end up with less rocker in the tail which makes it easy to engage with the setback on this board. Is it the snappiest deck out there? No, but it gets the job done when you’re in fresh pow.
Butterability: This thing is a boat to butter around and honestly not what it’s for, why waste your time or energy. You can do it if you really want to but go smash pow with it instead.
Carving: The edge to edge transition is fluid and smooth but not quick. There’s a slight delay with it and you find yourself driving it more off the back foot from the center of the board to the tail. This adds to the delay. On edge it holds and you can carve with it doing bit swooping turns, but when you’re trying to do tight quick aggressive ones you exert more energy and have to really throw your hips into it.
Rider in Mind: Pow chasing freerider that rides wetter snow.
Personal Thoughts: This board is too torsionally stiff for me. It takes more effort to twist it than I would like and that caused a delay in the edge to edge response. In deep heavy snow it plowed through with ease even when in serious chop. What I did like was how damp it was and how it just pushed through everything in its path. What I didn’t like was in trees or when trying to be more calculated you were using more energy.
Comparable Boards: Jones Storm Wolf, Gnu Gremlin, Capita Kazu
Recommended Bindings: Nidecker Kaon Plus, Union Atlas, Bent Metal Solution
4 Comments
`Here’s on for you. I’m a 40 year old 5’9 dad, 3 kids FML and am getting into boarding again because kids! I am 190 lbs. I ride solely in Ontario Canada. Groomers. In high school i used to get out 20+ days a season and could pull 360’s and the occasional 540. I’ve only been to Whiteface (ice face) in lake placid and could board every run confidently. Just trying to give you an idea of my skill level. I am still riding my 1996 K2 Zeppelin 153 with original clickers! Yup you read that right. Not gonna lie I got use to them and dont mind them. But I had to have their enduro boots at the time and they are size 13, i wear a 9.5 lol. so my heel lifts about an inch inside the boot before my toe side edge is engaged. Obviously i need new shit. Cost doesn’t matter. Looking at new k2 thraxis boots (tripple boa) and am leaving the world of step-ins… maybe… flow bindings? I’m 40 remember. Now for a board. I still pull the occasional 360 with the kids on my board and love charging hard, unfortunately the cost is high in Ontario bc every fall hurts lol Don’t do rails, occasional jumps but love natural hits. I’m all over the map from jones ultra flag, to super doa to mega merc to BSOD to an arbor or bataleon boss. Catching an edge is super easy on my board, need surgical precision to avoid it. Rocker didn’t exist back then lol basically I’m open and need an informed opinion. Give me some recommendations and i don’t care if its something i didn’t list above or you haven’t review yet.
Appreciate your help
Cheers
Best boot is the one that fits your foot and fits your needs, most people that get the Thraxis don’t need it. If you want to go Flow go Flow but sounds like you just need to bend over and put your straps on and you’ll be fine. Sounds like a regular Mercury would be fine for you.
Cheers! Appreciate the reply and advice. No I’ll F off lol
Hey Avran did you get the chance to ride the Nidedker Alpha?