Never Summer Ripper Written Review Review by The Good Ride

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Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews and this is our unfiltered opinion. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

The Never Summer Ripper 2022 Snowboard Review From a Non Ripper- How it rides and who it is for

How This Review Happened:

Borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 159
Days: 3
Conditions: Mostly good spring conditions.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs)
Boots: Burton Kendo
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas
Jacket: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith IO Mag, Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Clutch Glove, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

Similar Boards (but not the same): Korua Otto, Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker, Capita Mercury,YES NSB, Endeavor Pioneer, Jones Mountain Twin, Endeavor Ranger, K2 Manifest, Yes Typo, Jones Frontier, Ride Algorythm, Ride Wild Life, Borealis Tundra, Tahoe Labs Directional Twin

Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. +15/-15. Close to Reference.

How It Was Tested

I rode the Never Summer Ripper on the same day as the Never Summer Snowtrooper and YES Basic Uninc. They all had Union Atlas on them.

Approximate Weight

The Never Summer Ripper is pretty normal(We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for the Never Summer Ripper boards. You can of course go bigger or smaller but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
156 8-9
159: 8,5-9.5
162: 9-10
157x: 10-11
160x- 10.5-11.5
163x- 11-12

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Never Summer Ripper has a directional twin shape with a .5” set back on sidecut. It rides really close to a true twin on snow.

The ripsaw camber profile is a mellow rocker between the feet that quickly transitions into some aggressive camber. Then it has a little bit of early rise before the nose/tail. It makes for a pretty stable ride in all conditions except harder snow. In hard snow it can feel a little loose and auto spinny but when it gets softer it feels pretty stable and tracks well.

Just about any ability level can ride this. The camber profile is super easy to skid turns and it makes for an easy forgiving ride.

Flex Personality

The Never Summer Ripper has an easier/medium flex in the middle with the rocker transitioning into a medium/stiff flex in the pretty aggressive camber sections. It makes for a pretty easy board to butter and it pops really hard when you load it on the camber points.  On top of that it is an excellent board in all conditions from microbumpy hard morning spring snow to soft messy snow. It is hard to make a board be poppy and damp but Never Summer does that with all their boards. So if you compare this to other damper boards in their line it’s middle ground but if you rate this board against similar boards from other brands it’s much more damp.

Speed

Pretty good at speed. The rocker between the feet can make the tip/tail bounce a little bit but it doesn’t clown shoe too much. It isn’t super comfortable flat basing at speed and I always felt like I needed the edge slightly engaged to get it to track easy. The base has good glide to it as well. It’s very easy

Edge Hold

I liked the grip of the Triple Camber Twin better for hard snow but liked the forgiving nature of the Never Summer Ripper in all other conditions just because it isn’t as locked in.

Turning Experience/Carving

Pretty medium/fast to fast without being twitchy. Then you get the Never Summer Ripper’ side cut engaged and it has a really well balanced turning experience.  It is right in the middle without being too much either way. You can make all kinds of hard carves. Noting is exceptional but there is always a good spring out of the turn.

Powder

Didn’t get any it was a rough second half of the winter. I’ve been on a lot of NS boards like this in pow but you never know till you go. Based on the nose/tail shape, the early rise in the Never Summer Ripper and the 1.625” setback from center of board it should give you a little more float in the deep stuff than most centered stance directional twins.

Switch/Pipe/Jumps

Really good switch and if centered on sidecut or close it acts almost like a true twin. The Never Summer Ripper is also a great jump and pipe board too.

Conclusion

So this is a nice upgrade from the old Ripsaw that it replaced. It takes it one key directional step in the all mountain direction making it a very well rounded one board quiver ride.