Nitro Highlander Snowboard Review

An Un-Paid, Un-Biased Breakdown Of How the Nitro Highlander Rides Review by The Good Ride

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How The Nitro Highlander Was Tested:

I borrowed the Nitro Highlander for a really short demo and sent it back.

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Size: 159
Days: 1 but a few with the past model in the same size.
Conditions: Late spring messy but pretty fun groomers. They felt better than they looked.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-195lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards and close to 1,000 if you count different versions of the same Model over the years.
Boots: Nitro Team TLS,
Insoles: Footprint Kingfoam Orthotic Elite
Bindings: Union Force
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Skyline Fuse 3L Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout, Smith Maze
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

Similar Boards We Like (but not the same): 

Amplid Souly Grail, K2 Alchemist, United Shapes Cadet, Korua Otto, Ride Algorythm, Ride Shadowban, Salomon Highpath, Yes Standard Uninc, Capita Black Snowboard Of Death, Cardiff Crane, Nitro Alternator, United Shapes Horizon, Gnu Antigravity, Lib Tech Dynamo

Approximate Weight

The Nitro Highlander felt more on the light side of normal for a board with this much surface area but it’s not a full on ultra light. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)

Sizing

The Nitro Highlander is a mid/wide so it’s best for size 10 boots and up so this 159 isn’t ideal for my size 9 boots and I for sure felt it. This handled my weight no problem and I felt it could handle a much heavier rider. I really wanted to try this in a 156 but they didn’t have one to demo and they didn’t have a 162 for Davey.

Nitro doesn’t have suggested boot sizes which is very old school/not very helpful as that is super important…especially for a mid/wide board. Then they are very conservative with their recommended weight ranges but at least with the Highlander they don’t have a max recommended weight which is good.

2025 Sizing
Size	156	159	162
Waist Width	255	260	264
Nose / Tail Width	297 / 296	303 / 302	309 / 308
Rider Weight (kg)	60+	70+	75+
Rider Weight (lb)	130+	155+	165+
Good Ride Boot Size	9-10	10-11	11-12

Sizing is all about balancing what fits your boot size (most important), weight (second most important) and height (third most important) for how you like to ride. Size down for more control and size up for more speed/stability/carving power. Most Brands, Including are very conservative with recommended weight and very liberal with recommended boot sizing Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards.

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

Shape & Setback Options

The Nitro Highlander only has 1mm of taper but has a directional sidecut with a much longer nose than tail.

Here is the breakdown of where you will stand on the board in grooomers and in powder.
Set Back On Sidecut On Reference: -15mm at a 21.25″ stance width at the mini disc reference
Set Back On Board On Reference: -2″ back at a 21.25″ Stance width on mini-disc reference
Pow Setback On Board:  2.5-inch at a 22-inch stance width. (very usable)

This has a pretty directional look but on groomers it feels a lot less directional mainly because you are so centered on board.

Camber Profile

The Nitro Highlander isn’t messing around and has full on old school camber with no detectable early rise that I can see. It flexes up a touch in the nose/tail when weighted down but many camber boards do that. Still, this full camber and super stiff flex between the feet is mainly for mostly mid/wide expert riders, some advanced riders but intermediates need not buy unless they want to pick up bad habbits and catch an edge a lot. The camber does allow you to track super well one footing/flat basing and it doesn’t feel hooky.

Edge Hold

The edge hold of the Highlander is very competent, especially on hard patches of snow. While it performs well on hard snow, I wouldn’t call it an icy snow specialist.

Construction

There is a lot of tech in this flex personality to make it what it is. There is Koroyd to lighten it up and not increase chatter, lots of carbon to make it super stiff/poppy. A milled core between the feet that makes it less tortionally stiff than it already is (thankful for that) and to top it off it has the same Anti-Phase technology Amplid has to reduce chatter and mellow out all that carbon in the construction. The top sheet seems better than many high end boards in terms of reliability

Flex Personality

The Nitro Highlander has a medium/stiff nose but is really stiff from a little past the front to the tail. The board’s flex is supper poppy and dynamic but its not easy to access if you are an average rider like I am. If you are a stronger, more technical rider this will pop like a dream.The torsional flex is nearly non-existent, making it incredibly stiff. Many boards offer more twist and flexibility, but the Highlander is designed for riders who prefer a rigid and powerful ride.

Uneven Snow

Surprisingly, despite all the carbon layers and stiff construction, the Highlander handled uneven snow much better than expected. It’s equipped with antiphase technology, which I’ve seen in Aplid and Amplid boards and its not marketing hype. This is legit. This technology really helps smooth out the ride on bumpy or choppy terrain, making it more forgiving than most carbon rich boards like these in bumpy/chatter inducing conditions. It powered through chunder like a champ and handled micro-bumpy snow far better than I anticipated.

Turning/Carving

If you size this right for your boots the turn initiation will be medium/fast to fast and it won’t be slow like the 159 was for my size 9 boots. There is some tail behind you so it’s not ideal for really hard lefts or rights in the trees but it’s great slaloming through them.

One of the highlights of the Highlander is its turning and carving performance. The combination of full camber, poppy flex, and energetic response makes for a very fun and dynamic carving experience. The board has an 8.3m sidecut that transitions to a deeper 6.5m, that gives it different personalities depending on how your weight your turn. If you size this right and lean into the back foot on a carve it will feel more across the groomer carvy. If you center weight it feels balanced. Then if you front foot weight your turns it’s much more down the line/straight line friendly. The board never washes out and works with any way you want to weight your turns.

The flex is very stiff torsionally despite the milled core between the feet but if you have the strength to get this board to twist and flex through a turn the pop is exceptional.

Speed

The Nitro Highlander is definitely not a slouch and this board can point it without the sideccut fighting you or the board getting chattery. There aren’t many boards with this shape/style that can go so fast.

Base Glide

The base of the Highlander is on the upper tier end as far as base glide goes and a big thanks to Benny or whoever at Nitro waxed it for us.

Powder

Despite the full camber profile and lack of a significant setback, the Highlander manages decent performance in powder. The longer nose helps lift the board, and camber enthusiasts will enjoy how the board handles float. However, if you’re used to boards with more “cheater” float, this one may feel a bit less forgiving. Still, for a camber lover, this board provides a respectable float in powder for an All Mountain board. There are many Freeride boards that are more set back/directional and float better.

Switch & Park

The nitro Highlander was pretty easy to ride switch for being this directional. With a much longer nose than tail, it’s not perfect but very doable. The Highlander excels in more aggressive settings, like kickers, pipe and carving, but definitely not the jib park.

Final Thoughts

The Highlander is a very specific board suited to advanced riders who appreciate a classic, full camber setup. It’s designed for stronger more technical riders that prefer a mid-wide board with a powerful and precise ride. Overall I could see this boards potential for bigger booted riders and would love to try the 156 in the future.