Construction and Materials
At only 148 or 152cm the Mosquito was never going to be heavy, but with the inclusion of Nidecker’s lightest poplar/paulownia core it’s positively featherweight. That makes it even easier to throw around, yet flex-wise it’s no pushover. A combination of biax and triax fibreglass ensure it’s stiff enough for a full size rider to enjoy rail-like carves when you’re putting the hammer down.
Edge grip is further improved via a novel approach to sidewalls called ‘Nidactive Sandwich’. Essentially, it’s a kind of halfway house between tried and trusted sandwich and cap construction. There’s still a sidewall to protect the core and minimise the chances of delam, but it’s elegantly thin, while the fibreglass wraps around the top edge to meet it. In theory, that means more direct power transfer into the edges, and though it’s hard for us to verify where the response is coming from (construction or simply flex) we can confirm that the board snaps quickly across the base and turns feel locked in. A dampening layer within the lay-up takes care of any excess vibrations.
Despite its short size, speed will never be a problem for the Mosquito thanks to a sintered N9000 base that’s the fastest in the Nidecker line. Just bear in mind you’ll need to keep it waxed to get the most out of it.
There’s not a lot to say about the graphic except it’s… black. Like black leather. Simple, beautiful, classic. In fact there’s something about it that’s so black it’s like, well how much more black could it be? And the answer is none. None more black.
“Speed will never be a problem for the Mosquito thanks to a sintered N9000 base that’s the fastest in the Nidecker line”
Roundup
The latest iteration of Nidecker’s smallest surf-inspired board represents an evolution rather than a revolution. They’ve fiddled around the edges (literally) but kept the same nippy character that’s earned the Mosquito widespread acclaim. Sure, it makes an excellent powder board, but leaving this beautiful deck in the board bag on all but the deepest days would be to waste an opportunity to attack almost any terrain with the pure turning performance that only a directional shape can offer.
Pros:
- Super agile performance
- Lightning quick base
Cons:
- It certainly ain’t made for riding switch
Tester’s Verdict 2022/23
Coming soon…
Trade Secrets
Antoine Floquet – Senior Engineer & Product Manager, Nidecker
“I absolutely love seeing people ride this board for the first time. People come back like “What the hell is that?! It’s freakin’ grippy, freakin turny, freakin reactive, I’ve never ridden such freakin’ board!!” If I got paid according to the smiles that this board creates, I’d be a millionaire by now.”