• Sizes: 165, 169, 174
• Flex: 8
• Profile: Combo
• Shape: Directional
• Price: £589 / €699

Never Summer’s ‘Shaper’ series of boards has a strong surf influence, no more so than in this oversized beast. The Never Summer Big Gun’s smallest size is a 165, but you don’t have to be a giant to ride one.

Like all Never Summers, the profile of the Big Gun is a mixture of camber and rocker. Between the feet there’s a rocker section, changing to camber under each foot. Then at the extended nose, a longer, mellower section of rocker rounds it out. Boards of this size tend to feature a setback camber profile, so if you want to try something different, and that may well have the advantage in deeper snow, then the Never Summer Big Gun is worth a look.

“The variable-radius sidecut ensures you always have plenty of edge grip at your disposal”

The sintered base delivers excellent straightline speed, while the variable-radius sidecut ensures you always have plenty of edge grip at your disposal. The last thing you want when you’re charging is a twitchy feel, but if you get that sidecut engaged then you’ll have no worries on that front.

A large carbon ‘X’ at the waist stiffens the board torsionally, as do the ‘V’ shaped layups at each end. It means that this won’t be the most forgiving of boards, but then that’s not the point of it. Like its surfboard namesake, the Never Summer Big Gun is for testing your mettle at the highest speeds.