Comments on: Snowboard Review: 12-13 Never Summer Cobra

By: Peterborough

Peterborough — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:58:09 +0000

I nearly bought one of these boards (I found a batch of them at Salty Peaks last Spring).

Some thoughts.

I am a former NS Premier and Titan rider. I now only have one NS left, and it’s a loaner – I don’t ride it anymore.

Reverse camber and graphics (first a Skate Banana – nice, as second skate banana – even nicer, and then a Banana Magic – best all around board for my style) pulled me away from Never Summer. Never Summer just never seemed to make a board that reflected my idea of perfection – a medium stiff, twin (or near twin) with combo camber that is mostly banana (ie it is combo camber, but only slightly – the tip and tail still don’t touch the snow when unwieghted). Lo and behold – Never Summer introduces the Cobra. In my mind, this is NS’s answer to the needs of the same type of rider who would choose a Banana Magic – an advanced to expert rider looking to do it all. A confident rider who likes playful riding, and doesn’t want to focus on just freeride, or just freestyle.

Why didn’t I buy one of the Cobras I found at Salty? Well, my Magic is holding up well and those boards were ugly, I mean ugly even by Never Summer Standards (in my opinion). I heard that the response from trade shows, reps and shops was that the Cobra needed a better graphic treatment. Want to see the ugly board I saw? Check Shay’s on-hill pic vs. the website grab.

I must say that the new graphic is an improvement, but graphics still play a major role for me – I’m not ready to ride boards that look like NS boards (please don’t attack this stance, its just my opinion, I grew up on skate graphics, and I’m picky).

Would I buy this board with different graphics? Yup. If it really rides the way I think it does (and Shay’s review makes it sound like it does), it’s a winner.

By: Evan

Evan — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 19:30:18 +0000

For an somewhat intermediate ride, riding all mountain and not in the park would the cobra be a good choice over an sl

By: Shay

Shay — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:18:37 +0000

In reply to Sammy. Definitely! the evo sounds like it'd work for you. Enjoy!

By: Shay

Shay — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:18:01 +0000

I’d agree with Shawn. The Raptor is what I would mostly ride for freeriding/pow. The Cobra definitely can do it but the Raptor charges a bit more.

By: Shawn

Shawn — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:37:54 +0000

Lonerider…I would probably suggest looking more toward the Heritage or Raptor for freeride/pow, that is if you dont mind speed! I havent ridden the Heritage, but i own the Raptor and I couldnt imagine a faster accelerating, more stable board for freeride. Dont expect to take that stiff monster in the park, but trees and natural hits are a breeze with it. By the way, I ride a 165 wide, and weigh in around 260lbs. I loaded up on the front of the board in 2 feet of pow and couldnt sink it. Food for thought.

By: Lonerider

Lonerider — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:59:03 +0000

Cobra or SL for mostly freeriding/powder? (I already have a park board)

By: Sammy

Sammy — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 05:34:23 +0000

In reply to Shay. The reason I was looking at the evo over the infinity is simply because I have found that I have more fun on softer boards all over the mountain, and because I would prefer a true twin. Ideally, I would love to demo both boards but on the east coast that can be difficult to do. But thank you so much for your advice, it is very helpful to know that I can ride the evo without problems!

By: Shay

Shay — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:47:32 +0000

In reply to Sammy. Sammy, have you considered the Infinity? It's more all mountain freestyle in the range of sizes that suits you. The evo is a great park board but definitely on the softer freestyle end of the spectrum. You could definitely ride it with size 8's.

By: Sammy

Sammy — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:31:34 +0000

In reply to Shay. Shay, thanks for the advice! I am planning to do a good amount of park/freestyle but also take the board all over the mountain. I was originally looking at the pandora but 149 is just a little short for me (5'8", 160lb), so as long as my small feet won't pose a problem the Evo seems perfect! It sounds like I should be fine, it might just take some getting used to. Thanks for the help!

By: Shay

Shay — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 02:38:32 +0000

In reply to Sammy. Sammy, I'm pretty comfortable with it because I learned on men's boards and switched to women's boards years after. Generally not as quick as a narrower board but still rideable and fun. Since the Pandora only goes up to the 149, the evo would definitely be a good choice for the 152-154 sizes. Are you planning on riding park/freestyle?