• Price: £435 / €499
• Lengths: 153, 156, 159, 162
• Flex: 5
• Profile: Camber
• Shape: Directional
• nidecker.com

UPDATE: Check out our review of the 2018/2019 Nidecker Rave here

Even though it doesn’t sit in Nidecker’s dedicated stable of carvers, the Nidecker Rave is more than ready to rip up some corduroy. Stiff, responsive and lightning fast, it’s among the finest boards we’ve seen in 2017/18 for gripping and ripping.

“It’s technically all-mountain in the sense that you could do some park laps, but it’s a little too gnarly for spontaneous jibbing”

Nidecker know all about speed, so don’t be surprised if the carbon-enhanced sintered base on this makes you feel like you’re about to travel back in time like Superman. At full pelt you need reaction times to be as quick as possible, which is why it also has a custom-tweaked triax fibreglass layup that positively zips from edge to edge.

The Nidecker Rave uses a curious blend of classic sandwich construction at the waist and the tail, and cap construction at the business end. They reckon it’s a breakthrough that enhances the entire ride of their high-end boards, of which this is definitely one.

It’s technically all-mountain in the sense that you could do some park laps on this if you want, but it’s a little too gnarly for spontaneous jibbing. If, however, you’ve been eyeing up the superpipe, this could send you to the moon.

More often than not, though, you’ll be drawn to the groomers, where all of the expertise and care poured into the Nidecker Rave will deliver a turning-and-burning experience like nothing you’ve ever tried before.