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Snowboards

Never Summer Swift 2017-2018 Snowboard Review

  • Price: £599 / €749
  • Lengths: 148, 152, 157, 162
  • Flex: 7
  • Profile: Combo
  • Shape: Directional
  • neversummer.com

These days a few brands incorporate a ‘range within a range’. Amongst the rank and file in the catalogue sits a bespoke line of boards, usually aimed at carving. Never Summer are among them, introducing the Shaper Series for 2017/18.

“It’s built mostly for the backcountry, but aims to avoid short-changing the piste fanatic.”

The Never Summer Swift is the snowboard that inspired the Shaper Series. It’s built mostly for the backcountry, but aims to avoid short-changing the piste fanatic. As a tapered directional charger, it certainly looks promising for both right from the outset.

Never Summer are combo-profile specialists, and the Swift has a setback version that allows for an extended nose. As a result, keeping the front end up when riding deep snow is a dawdle, and the rear of the board offers grip when required.

No expense has been spared in the construction of the Never Summer Swift. The ultra-light wood core is augmented with carbon V shapes at each end that increase the pop and strength, and dampening directly under the bindings helps to reduce foot fatigue. It’s all sandwiched between a durable carbonium topsheet and a high-quality sintered base.

The Never Summer Swift, like all of the Colorado brand’s output, doesn’t come cheap – but their reputation for quality craftsmanship stretches back to 1991, and the three-year warranty isn’t too shabby.

Tester’s Verdict

Andrew Duthie – whitelines.com

“‘Swift’ is ironic; I found this to be much better at slower speeds, but a bit too jittery at pace.

“The flex and profile made it ideal for bouncing around a mellow pow run, and I’m sure it’d be fun for nipping in and out of the trees.”

The flex and profile made it ideal for bouncing around a mellow pow run, and I’m sure it’d be fun for nipping in and out of the trees. It’s never feels all that solid when you open it up on the piste though, so it’d be better to use this as a cruiser – at least until it dumps.

I know this shouldn’t really matter, but come on Never Summer – someone could design a better base graphic with Microsoft Paint.”

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