Niche Aether 2016-2020 Snowboard Review

Niche Aether 2020 - 2016 Review by The Good Ride

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How This Review Happened:  We borrowed this for an extended demo and then returned it. .
Size: 156
Days: 6+
Conditions: Varied spring conditions going from super hard to super soft
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Zobel (Size 11.5, 6’ 180lbs), Jimbo (Size 11, 5’11” 160lbs),
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV, Adidas Response
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles,  Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata

Similar Boards (but not the same): Lib Tech TRS HP,  Never Summer Proto Type Two, Nitro Fury,  Yes Greats, Lib Tech Hot Knife, Stone Message, Prior Wildcard, Marhar Darkside,

Set-Up:   22” Wide. 15 front -15 back.  Centered.

Approximate Weight: Feels normal

Sizing: So the thing with the Niche is the waist width leads you to believe it’s more of a mid wide best for 10 ish sized boots but it worked well with my size 9’s too. It’s a little slow for me but pretty good for Jimbo and Zobel with their bigger boots.

Flex/Buttering: The Niche Aether butters easy on snow. It doesn’t feel like it would when you flex it in the shop. It has a nice balance between being damp and poppy. We didn’t try the 2019 Aether but the other 2019 models we tried were really light, poppy and chattery. We think the 2019 might be that way as well.

On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns: This is the kind of board that a beginner could ride and it’s still forgiving but it won’t bore an advanced to expert rider either.  The rocker between the feet to camber underfoot that doesn’t come all the way back down. If you like full camber or camber dominant rides then check out the Crux. The feeling underfoot is on the stable side of semi-stable but it’s got that loose feel underfoot when one footing and flat basing. In softer snow, it’s less noticeable but in harder snow, it really comes out.

Edge Hold: Super hard grip and as long as you keep that edge engaged and don’t try to flat base this board kills it in hard to icy conditions. It’s on par with the original full Magnetraction from Mervin.

Turn Initiation: So for my size 9’s it’s predictable and easy to turn but a little slow. For Zobel and Jimbo with 11’s it was quick.

Turning Experience/Carving: The grip on the Niche Aether is soo strong that it can carve better in harder snow than some boards with a lot more camber. This quickly switches in softer snow though. Overall, it’s a good carver that doesn’t feel super springy or too boring either.

Powder: For a true twin that grips ice soo hard the Niche Aether floats well with a centered stance. If you like to set it back find another board. You can’t set this back far.

Speed: The tip and tail can chatter a bit and it gets a little squirrely flat basing at higher speeds. That’s expected with this type of camber profile but it’s pretty doable for those that like a bit of mountain speed.

Uneven Terrain: The 2020 model we tried really absorbed chunder and hard bumpy snow well. It’s not easy to turn for me in bumpy snow but it was for Jimbo and Zobel.

Switch: Very doable either way.

Getting Air/Park: There is good pop for an ollie and it has a nice platform underfoot to approach kickers well. It also has the flex to go bigger if you are one of those who can push past the realm of the average. It was ok for jibbing and it grabs a pipe wall hard.