- Price: £565 / €600 / $620
- Category: Freeride/Powder
- Ability Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Size: 155, 158, 161
- Shape: Directional
- Profile: Directional Camber
- Base: Sintered
We’re not ashamed to say that in last year’s guide we were somewhat gushy about the Nidecker Smoke’s dark and dangerous look. The phrase “magical aura” may even have appeared in our opening paragraph. Lucky for you – but mainly all us card-carrying Nidecker Smoke fanclub members at Whitelines – the tinted resin design of this poster boy has remained untouched for the new season.
What’s more, the Smoke remains as aggressive underfoot as it is dangerous-looking. It’s part of Thierry Kunz’s Snow Surf Quiver capsule, for which the former pro turned shaper has looked towards the dynamics of wave-riding to create a range that doesn’t ask, but demands the rider drive from the back foot in order recreate the stoke of a monster bottom turn on a big dreamy peeler. Albeit at altitude.
“As close to wavebourne fun as possible without getting a noseful of saltwater”
In order to recreate the feeling of absolutely winging it down an exploding Hawaiian slab, Kunz has used Nidecker’s N-9000 Sintered Base – the quickest, slickest one they manufacture, thanks to its dense molecular structure. And because the ability to go lightning fast is, let’s face it, absolutely useless without looking slick as hell whilst doing it, know that the Smoke’s diamond nose and tail shapes are all about upping the style and ease of big carving turns.
Perhaps the most surf-like ability of this all-mountain performance stick is how it absolutely begs you to max out the pressure you apply to its edges, so you can launch your way through your turns, low and steezy. It’s thanks to the new and lightweight Nidactive approach to building, with the rounded woodcore tops and its sidewalls both shaped in the way a surf shaper would do it.
Adding nothing more than a neat little white line to the base to recreate the effect of a surfboard’s all-important stringer, and you’re getting as close to wavebourne fun as possible without getting a noseful of saltwater.
