Shape, Profile and Sidecut

To the naked eye, the Nidecker Play looks like a straight-up twin, but the stance is set back a touch to give you a little more nose to play with. That will help you to stay afloat in deep snow and improve the board’s ability to handle rougher terrain. At the same time, it’s still comfortable to ride switch, so when you’re ready to (ahem) play around in the park you won’t be held back.

The side profile is the most forgiving in the Nidecker line. The board is flat between the bindings, with rocker gradually extending into the nose and tail. That flat section will feel nice and planted when running in a straight line, while turns are smooth to initiate; together with the uplift near the wide points, there’s none of the twitchiness (read: scorpion potential) associated with classic camber. That comes at the expense of pure edge hold and ollie power, but when you’re learning your craft it’s better to have a board that builds your confidence and which allows you to practice butters and low-speed maneuvers without wrestling against a spring-loaded plank.

There’s a good range of sizes available, including two different widths at almost every length – so bigger/smaller feet are well catered to.

“The side profile is the most forgiving in the Nidecker line”