Nitro Alternator Snowboard Review

Nitro Alternator 2024-2025 Written Review Review by The Good Ride

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A Detailed Breakdown Of How the 157 and 160 Nitro Alternator Rides And Who It Is For

How It Was Tested:

I borrowed the 2025 Nitro Alternator 160 for an extended demo and sent it back. Thanks to Gravity Sports at Mt. Bachelor, I got to ride the 2024 model in a size 157 for a day, which better fit my specs/sizing preferences. Thanks, Gravity Sports! I also compared it to the Banker and Capita Aeronaut and United Shapes Horizon

I was not paid to do this review, and it comes from an honest, objective perspective with no brand oversight.
Size: 157 and 160
Days: 5
Conditions: Late spring, so lots of varied conditions, but I did luck into a little powder and an early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards & Union Rovers
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-190lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards
Boots: Ride Deadbolt, Bataleon Acid BOA
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Force
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Skyline Fuse Jacket, Skyline Fuse FL Jacket
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Bib, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Bib,  Skyline Fase FL Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt,

James’s Set Up: 21.5” Wide. Stance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +24/+6, +18/-9. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.

Similar Boards We Like (but not the same):

Korua Otto, K2 Manifest, Yes Typo, Jones Frontier, Ride Algorythm, Ride Shadowban, Salomon Highpath, Yes Standard Uninc, Yes Basic Uninc, Capita Black Snowboard Of Death, Jones Rally Cat, Cardiff Crane, Cardiff Lynx,

Approximate Weight

The Nitro Alternator felt pretty normal weight-wise. (We don’t put in the exact weight because, with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)

Sizing

After trying the 160 and 157 Nitro Alternator, I liked the 157 a good bit more. It turned much easier for my size 9 boots, and I did not feel anywhere close to being too heavy for it, either. Nitro’s recommended weight range of 120-175lbs seems way off. The 157 could easily handle my 190-195lbs at the time I was riding this. I think it could even handle a 200-210 lb rider without much issue. I think they are more about protecting the warranty with this recommended weight range.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards.
157: 9-10
160: 9.5-10.5
162w: 11-12

I felt Nitro was pretty conservative with their recommended weight ranges, so make sure this

Sizing a board 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. Some prefer control, so matching the boot size is the priority. Others prefer dampness over control and like to size up.

Shape

The Nitro Alternator has a pretty directional shape with a little bit of taper. It’s not enough to give it that tapered directional feel on groomers, but enough to help the much smaller tail sink a little bit in powder.

Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Nitro Alternator has full on unapologetic camber. Many brands claim full camber but usually have lifted sides or early rise or both. Those are much more forgiving than the Alternator. This is technical and catchy and not for intermediates unless they are willing to get thumped if they get off their game.

Flex Personality

I expected a lot of pop from all this camber and I wasn’t disappointed but also has a little bit of a rubbery feel to it that I appreciate. The 157 and 160 didn’t feel like a 7 out of 10 when flexing it in studio but does on snow. There isn’t any early rise to help leverage the tip/tail of the Nitro Alternator into a butter and it took some work.

Uneven Snow

I was pretty impressed with how well the Nitro Alternator 157 and 160 handled uneven semi-wet spring snow. That rubbery personality in the flex seemed to help keep this from being too bucky but still handles hard bumpy snow well too. It’s a very good all day ride.

Speed

I was surprised at how well I could go straight with the Nitro Alternator. Both the 157 and 160 have a very shallow entry into the sidecut to allow this to go straight very well. Then you factor in the chatter absorption and you can pick up some decent speed. Its very good for an all mountain board and good enough for a Freeride board.

Base Glide

The base glide of the Nitro Alternator was pretty good and when well waxed it keeps its speed well but it’s not up there with those super fast bases from many other brands. I don’t think it’s a deal breaker for most though and at least it’s clear. That means with clear p-tex and a p-tex gun you can keep the base looking good when you repair it.

Edge Hold

Competent in hard snow but not a hard snow specialist.

Turning Experience/Carving

The Nitro Alternator 157 initiates a turn medium-fast and the 160 felt more on the medium side for my size 9’s. When I got it on edge the turning experience was pretty balanced. Nitro makes a pretty shallow sidecut at the beginning of the effective edge in the tip and tail. But the middle part of the board has a deeper sidecut so it really balances out the turning experience. I could make any kind of turn I wanted without the Alternator fighting me.

The Nitro Alternator is exceptional when it comes to springing out of the turn. It’s special. You don’t have to weight your turn in any particular way, either. Front foot, center, or back foot weighted turns all work, and you don’t get that tapered/washy feel.

Powder

I thought the Nitro Alternator might struggle in pow, but it did a lot better than I thought. It’s very good for a full-camber all-mountain board. It’s not the best for a really tapered/directional freeride board, though.

If you set the 160 all the way back, you can get -3.065″ back from the center of the board at a 22″ stance width. I do wish they had 6×2 inserts instead of 5×2, and the extra 2 were positioned on the tail side. It would have given this even better float for average riders like me, who can ride closer to the tail and get more directional float. Still, the Nitro Alternator is good for giving you float and landing gear if you like getting big air in powder. You can do the same with the 157 except with a 21.25″ Stance Width.

Switch/Jumps/Pipe/Jibs

It’s a very doable switch ride for looking so directional. I found myself flipping it around without even thinking about it and not just doing it to test how it rides the switch. If you like pipe and big air, the Nitro Alternator did an amazing job. It’s not a great jibber, though.

Final Thoughts

So, usually, full-camber boards like this just don’t tickle my taint these days because they are so catchy/technical and don’t float well in powder. The Nitro Alternator is catchy and can thump you, but it is pretty good in powder and is such a satisfying board to turn. If you love old-school camber, this was one of my favorites of all the retro-full camber releases I’ve tried recently. I found it more fun and more versatile than similar boards like the Rome Rene-Gade and Capita Aeronaut and it’s something I wouldn’t mind owning.

Ethics Statement: This review has zero brand oversight. This is our best effort at an honest, objective review to help you, the consumer.
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