Nitro Cannon 163 Snowboard Review

An In Depth Breakdown Of How The Nitro Cannon 163 Rides Review by The Good Ride

• User Reviews
• Product Specs
• Product Images
• Questions?

Overview

How It Was Tested

I rode the Nitro Cannon 163 with my Nitro Team BOA boots and my Union Force bindings. It was a horrible season, but I was lucky enough to have this board on one of the best powder days, as well as some groomers.

Check out Jordan’s take on this same board. She brings a lot of experience to her perspective, which I think many of you will appreciate.

I borrowed the Nitro Quiver Cannon 163 for an extended demo and sent it back, but I would love to own this.

Size: 163
Days:2
Conditions: Good pow and good groomers
Riders: James (Size 9 E, 5’10”, 185-190lbs). I’ve tested and compared 850+ boards, 200+ bindings, and 120+ boots
Davey (Size 12, 240lbs, 6’4”)
Boots: Nitro Team BOA, Nitro Team TLS
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Force, Union Atlas Step On
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Skyline Fuse Jacket, Jones Mtn Surf Anorak
Pants: Skyline Fase 3L Bib Pant, Skyline Faze Pant, Jones Mountain Surf Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout
Goggles: Smith 4D Mag Low Bridge Fit
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

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

Similar Boards We Like (but not the same):

Weston Japow, Gentemstick Barracuda, Soul Shift, Nidecker Beta, Nidecker Beta APX, Korua Pintonic, Jones Storm Chaser 2025, Stranda Tree Surfer, Salomon Wolle Nyvelt Fish, Burton Smooth Operator, Korua Pencil, Amplid Time Machine, Amplid Surfari

Ethics Statement

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Sizing

How it Fits Me

When it comes to all of the Quiver Cannons, from the 203 to the 173 that’s now discontinued to this Nitro Cannon 163, they all fit me really well for what they are.

I wish they had more sizing, though, because you basically have 40cm between this and the next size. But even if they had different sizes, I think this 163 is a really good length and width for me.

How It Might Fit You

Sizing is highly subjective and personal, and many factors come into play when choosing a board. I rarely use “all caps to emphasize something, but NEVER TRUST ANYONE who just references their height and weight. Here are all the factors to consider

Boot Size

Always start with your boot size. If your board is too wide for your boots, you can’t turn it; if it’s too narrow, you get the dreaded toe and heel drag. This is the most important part of sizing a board, which is why so many snowboards come in widths like Narrow, Normal, Mid-Wide, Wide, and Ultra-Wide.

Most brands don’t include a recommended boot size because it’s very complicated and time-consuming.

Here is the sweet spot for turning the Nitro Cannon’s easily with mid-response bindings/boots without booting out. You can go wider if you carve really hard or have very responsive bindigns/boots.

163: 8.5-9.5
203: 9-10

You can ride the Quiver Cannons with smaller boots, but the smaller they get from the recommended sizes above, the harder it is to turn, so the more responsive your boots/bindings are, the better.

Weight

Your weight determines how the board flexes underfoot, giving you more or less pop, speed, etc. An easier-flexing board can also be easier to turn.
Nitro’s recommended weight is very fair. You can, of course, go under their recommended weight, but it will be harder to get the board to flex, so the stronger you are, the better.

Height

Board length affects swing weight/control. If it’s short, it’s easy to spin, and if it’s longer, it floats better and can help with speed.

Boots and Bindings Response

Always factor in your boot and binding’s responsiveness to determine how well you can turn and control a board.

Stance Width

Compare your stance width to the reference and/or the set-back stance to see if it fits you.

Personal Preference

Some prefer control, so they match boot size to board width first, then weight. Others prefer speed over control, so they size up to a wider/longer ride and have very responsive boots/bindings.

Design

Construction/Weight/Base Glide/Durability

On durability, construction, and weight, this is a bit on the heavier side, but it’s very well built. It’s very durable.

While this white matte topsheet is prone to scuffing, it’s still not that bad, and it should last a really long time.

Shape & Setback

This is very directional, very set back, and it has a decent amount of taper. Not a lot for snowsurf, and it’s a very different ride compared to a lot of alternative freeride boards out there, like the Nitro Slash and the Dinghy.

Those just feel nowhere near as directional and set back as this does. And that’s why I call it snowsurf.

Camber/On Snow Feel

When it comes to camber profile, the Nitro Cannon 163 is mostly camber with a little bit of early rise, especially when you weight it down.

It’s a bit more technical and catchy, and I’d say it’s better for advanced to expert riders. There are much easier boards for intermediates who want to get into snowsurf.

This can feel a little catchy if you get off your game and you have to skid a turn, but it tracks really well one-footing and flat-basing and has a very consistent feel underfoot in all conditions.

Flex Personality

The Nitro Cannon 163 is medium-stiff underfoot. There’s some give there. Not a lot, but there is some.

Then in the tail there’s some give, but it’s pretty stiff for a swallowtail. When you press on one like you would be on snow, there’s a little more give.

The nose is a good bit softer than the rest of the board. It’s easy to butter in the nose. It’s not that hard in the tail either, and the pop on an ollie is very good.

It has nice spring and an easy-to-access dynamic flex.

On Snow Performance

Edge Hold

When it comes to edge hold, the Nitro Cannon 163 can hold an edge pretty well in hard snow, but it’s not that icy snow specialist. I’d cut it off there.

Uneven Snow

If you’re getting the Cannon out in uneven snow, this pretty damp construction handles that hard, micro-bumpy snow really well.

When you get it in soft, thick, tracked-up uneven snow, it’s not a chunder buster, but it’s very good for what it is, especially with this much pop.

Turning/Carving

Turn Initiation

When it comes to turning, this initiates a turn super quick. This is a great board for turning through trees.

Carving/Committed Turns

Then if you want to commit this edge to a harder carving turn, the spring out of the turn is exceptional. And you’re above a lot of camber on both feet.

Even though this has 10mm of taper and it’s pretty directional, I felt like I could front-foot, center-weight, or back-foot weight turns equally well.

Turning Experience/Sidecut

Like a lot of boards, Nitro has a multi-radius sidecut that starts out at 7.1, and as you get towards the tail it comes out at 6.3.

As the nose transitions into that 7.1m sidecut, it’s a mellow transition that allows the board to track well. But this is the kind of board that likes more across-the-groomer to circle carves.

If you front-foot weight those turns more, then it’ll make more medium-radius turns and even some down-the-line, longer, drawn-out turns.

But if you really want that more across-the-groomer to circle carve, it likes a little bit more of a back-foot-weighted turn. And it’s really fun to play around with all of it.

I love that I never felt the tail get washy on me.

Speed

If you want to point it, the Nitro Cannon 163 can go straight and go fast pretty well. It’s not the best out there, but it’s pretty stable and composed without a lot of chatter.

It never felt hooky.

Base Glide

Base glide is very good. I like the structure.

It’s not amazing, but it’s upper tier for sure.

Powder

For powder float, the Nitro Cannon 163 is a floater.

If it’s an ultra-deep day and it’s super low-angle, give me the 203. But this 163 is really good for low-angle powder, as well as medium-angle and even moderately steep-angle powder.

You can leave this on reference if you want. It’s going to sink well, but if you set it all the way back, it’s not going to be one of those boards that drops the tail down too much, especially on those quasi-pow days.

I really enjoyed this float.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I had a blast on the Nitro Cannon 163.

I love seeing it in this shorter size, and I’d love to see them grow this Cannon line and create all kinds of sizes.

So there you have it.