Construction and Materials

Nidecker have thrown some of their finest materials at the trio of boards in the Snow Surf Quiver. Exhibit A is the Smoke’s core, which blends poplar, paulownia and beech to give it a lively and lightweight soul with enough strength to please powerful riders. And powerful riders are certainly this board’s obvious audience, since it also runs a damn stiff flex – dialled in through a combination of biax and triax fibreglass. Put the pedal to the floor and, even with that extended nose, there’s barely any chatter.

Looks-wise, the topsheet is a gorgeous matt black/blue resin tint affair that wraps around the nose and tail in a cap construction, but which meets a razor thin sidewall on the running edge (termed ‘Nidactive Sandwich’) to give you hair-trigger control. The underside is less exciting, but that’s because everyone knows that race-grade P-tex only comes in black. Yeah, race-grade.

“It’s a firm, uncompromised design that feels cruisy even when you’re charging”

Roundup

The Smoke is not a board for everyone. But that’s why it’s good. It’s a firm, uncompromised design that feels cruisy even when you’re charging. Taking its cues from the ocean, the shape invites you to perfect your turns and seek flow state in natural contours rather than man-made transitions. Amen to that.