Nidecker Smoke Snowboard Review

A Written Breakdown of How the Nidecker Smoke Rides Review by The Good Ride

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An Un-Paid, Un-Biased Breakdown Of How the Nidecker Smoke Rides

How The Nidecker Smoke Was Tested:

I borrowed the Nidecker Smoke and sent it back.

I’m also sorry but the footage I had was accidentally deleted and I don’t have riding. Usually I do, so you can check any other review or the older Smoke Review to see how I ride to get my perspective.

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Size: 158
Days:2
Conditions:Mostly good clean to semi-firm groomers
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 190lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards
Boots: Ride Fuse, Nidecker Rift Lace
Insoles: Footprint Kingfoam Orthotic Elite
Bindings: Union Atlas
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak,Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant
Helmet: Smith Method
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

James’s Set Up: 21.5” Wide. Stance Angles +18/+3, +24/+6

Similar Boards We Like (but not the same):

Jones Hovercraft, Gnu Gremlin, Korua Transition Finder, Jones Mind Expander

Approximate Weight

Nidecker makes this on the lighter side but the Smoke is not heavy either (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)

Sizing

The Nidecker Smoke in a 158 felt great for my specs (listed above) and my personal riding preferences. I wouldn’t want to size down but the 162 is something I could handle as well but it comes at the cost of some easy all day turn initation for harder carving and higher speed.

Sizing is all about balancing what fits your boot size and your weight for how you like to ride. If your boot is too wide, you can’t turn it; if it’s too narrow, you get the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag. Your weight is a close second to boot size because it determines how the board will feel under your foot.  Height comes in a distant 3^rd but it’s still relevant. Some prefer control, so matching the boot size is the priority. Others prefer dampness over control and like to size up.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for the Nidecker Smoke and I suggest ridiing this a little wider than a traditional width just to get a little less toe/heel drag on a harder turn.
154: 7-8
158: 8-9
162: 9-10

I would stay close to Nideckers recommended weight ranges. If it comes down to boot size or weight, I would ensure it fits your boot first and then your weight a close second.

Nidecker Smoke Design (What Matters To Most)

Shape & Stance Location

The Nidecker Smoke is not that set back on sidecut or very tapered but it’s pretty set back on board and has a very directional, set back feel for sure.

Sidecut

The 158 has an 8.3 Meter Sidecut that seems to be pretty deep (depth isn’t published) with a wrapped edge and no disruption

Construction

There is a high end base, carbon inlays and a pretty light core with a topsheet that doesn’t seem to amplify the poppy construction in a good way.

Base

There is a very high end easy gliding base that holds it’s wax pretty well.

Flex

Very stiff from the tail to well past the front foot with a slightly softer nose than tail. It’s a very stiff tortional flex too and it’s a step above any other Nidecker board I’ve tried. The 2026 might be a little softer in the nose but overall it’s very stiff where it counts.

Camber

There is a high camber going from the tail to a little bit past the front inserts. Then there is a good bit of rocker before the long nose. There is122cm of effective edge but only a contact length of 102cm which shows how much early rise and nose happening with this board.

How The Nidecker Smoke Rides

On Snow Feel

So you put this high camber profile and stiff flex personality all together and it makes for a more technical ride than you would think for this much early rise. It’s best for Advanced to Expert riders and it’s more challenging to skid a turn than you would think. It tracks incredibly well though and has a very consistent feel underfoot in all conditions. What I do like about the Smoke is it doesn’t always need to go full throttle and while it shines at higher speeds and harder turns it doesn’t feel totally dead and bored with you if you want to mellow out.

Edge Hold

There is a lot of grip with the Nidecker Smoke even though there is no disruption in the sidecut. It’s very competent in hard snow but you do have to dial back your turns in truly icy snow.

Uneven Snow

The stiffer flex and poppier personality should make this a cranky mess in hard uneven snow but it’s not as bad as I expected. It’s best in soft messy tracked up snow and I’d go as far as calling it a chunder buster for it’s 158 length. Hard uneven snow isn’t as good but it’s far from being terrible and they are doing something here to make this a good all day ride for this kind of stiff/light construction

Butters/Ollies/Air/Switch/Park

Not easy to butter on the tail. The Nidecker Smoke is better in the nose but it’s still not super easy. It takes a stron and/or technical rider to get this to pop easy but the faster you go the easier it pops. Not that easy switch or in the park but that’s expected for the Smoke.

Turning & Speed

This is why you get the Nidecker Smoke. It is a joy to turn for technical/strong riders that want a very stiff hard carving ride that can still do other things, like float in pow, vs. just carve.

The Nidecker Smoke initiated a turn pretty easy thanks to the not super wide width over the inserts combined with a little taper and the deeper sidecut. It’s a board I felt comfortable turning in tight tree lines or semi-technical steep terrain that needs quick adjustments and turns.

When I get this board on edge and really commit to a turn at medium to high speeds it really drives hard and springs well out of a turn. I could front foot, center weight or back foot weight my turns almost equally well but it seemed to like back foot weighted turns slightly better. Slower speed turns were a little on the dead side because this stiffer flex doesn’t like to go slow as much but it’s actually not that bad for a board like this.

You can make all kinds of radius turns but it really likes that medium radius area for sure. Circle carves are doable for sure but take a little more work. Across the groomer turns are very fun and so are medium radius turns. More narrow down the line turns are really fun and this can pick up a lot of speed. Going into a long sustained straight line is very doable as well and the Nidecker Smoke holds it’s composure really well. The nose doesn’t chatter that much either.

Pow

All this set back on board with a big long nose really pays off in powder and this will float well. I didn’t get this Smoke in pow but extensively tested the older smoke with a very similar set back on board and shape so I know this is a very competent floater.

Final Thoughts

So overall, I think the Nidecker Smokes stiffer flex isn’t for everyone but it’s going to make hard carvers who want a one board quiver for pow and carving super happy. Not many boards can do both of these things that well.