Many volume-shifted powder boards (short, wide decks that slice surface area from the tip and tail and pack it around the waist) like the Rossignol Sushi and K2 Cool Bean are naturally slower to transition edge to edge. That said, I probably never dropped anything bigger than 10-12 feet or so. When dropping smaller cliffs, the Swift’s mid-stiff tail and all-mountain backbone engaged the landing gear with welcome monotony. The beefy 8m sidecut (of the 157 tested) isn’t afraid to draw GS turns down steep, open terrain, as the solid proved in Colorado and Alaska and the split exhibited in Utah (more on the split below). The rocker profile sinks the swallowtail while the lengthy nose floats like it’s been snorting helium. Hot damn, this thing is pure poetry in powder. Leaning into an arcing, nose-high pow turn on the Swift, all flaws in your riding momentarily disappear, all external problems in your life cease to exist - there is only the sublime beauty of the moment.
![swallow tail aku shaper swallow tail aku shaper](https://i1.wp.com/www.winterstick.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/winterstick-swt-cm-19110.png)
When the board is lying on flat ground (without a rider engaging the camber), only the rocker between the feet is in contact with the ground. The backseat camber zone is more defined and helps to engage the backfoot on technical terrain, while the front camber section flattens out into an extended, floaty nose.
![swallow tail aku shaper swallow tail aku shaper](https://swaylocks7stage.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/images/user_pictures/picture-1008620.jpg)
Never Summer’s Fusion Rocker Camber profile sandwiches a prominent hump of rocker in between the inserts, while camber pockets add springiness, snap, and security underfoot. Swift Rocker Profile Delivers Peak Pow Performance For me, the 157 Swift was a dream in deep pow - I set my stance back and never felt under-gunned or overpowered.įor everyday use, I could certainly get away with a 152, but I’d always rather have the extra centimeters for when the weather warnings hit.
Swallow tail aku shaper full#
I’m 150, 5’9”, and usually ride a 159 in powder with a full avalanche pack on. The result? The Swift slays deep snow, but it doesn’t ride like a one-trick pow pony on groomers or in variable conditions.
![swallow tail aku shaper swallow tail aku shaper](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0X-HR8fV4Ew/UhLvzwSRg7I/AAAAAAAAA3I/x13JXF6eeEc/s400/Fish62newprofile.png)
For instance, 20 mm of taper is pretty standard for a pow board with all-mountain capabilities. But on paper, the board’s tech specs suggest that the Swift is a standard all-mountain/freeride stick, albeit a slightly wider one. The swallowtail boasts a half-moon shape with dual, stubby prongs.Īt first glance, the Swift looks like one of the most alternative and pow-specific shapes in the Never Summer lineup. The nose looks like an enormous grapefruit spoon, minus the serrated edges (although the Vario Power Grip Sidecut does use multiple radii to create extra contact points). With 20 mm of taper from nose to tail, the Swift has the most aggressively tapered deck in the Never Summer Shaper Series. Never Summer Swift Snowboard Review Never Summer Swift 2020 I most recently tested the 2020 model, which is the same as last year’s aside from a new topsheet. I rode the updated shape intermittently over the past couple of years. My first test on the Swift was when it dropped in 2016 (it had Never Summer’s Original Rocker Camber Profile back then, it now has a Fusion Rocker Camber Profile). I hit natural features on the split and rode the solid on a heli day in Alaska. In short: I’ve ridden the Never Summer Swift in a variety of conditions, from spring slush and icy hardpack in Colorado to bottomless blower in Utah. The brand built this swallowtail knowing that some riders want one board and one board alone.
![swallow tail aku shaper swallow tail aku shaper](https://windows-cdn.softpedia.com/screenshots/Aku-Shaper_11.png)
Never Summer stocks its line with practical, quiver-killing boards for everyday charging: decks like the Shaper Twin for more freestyle-influenced all-mountain riders, the West Bound for freeride powderhounds, and the Proto Type Two - one of my all-time favorite all-mountain boards.īut the Swift ($620) is as close to surfy as the Colorado company gets. This is our multiyear review of both the Swift solid and splitboard. The Never Summer Swift has been a favorite of snowboarders who love to surf pow and carve groomers since its release in 2016. Home » Winter » Never Summer Swift Snowboard & Splitboard Review: Surf Shape, All-Mountain Roots