12/29/2023 0 Comments 2022 never summer harpoonStability: The stability of this board really stands out.Never Summer uses their Superlight Wood Core construction in it so it is said to be one of the lightest cores out there. Weight: It doesn’t feel overly light when I pick it up, but once riding I feel very nimble and lightweight on it.The base is fast and durable, and Never Summer uses a P-tex tip/tail protection that seems to work great as well. It also has a textured feel that seems almost scratch-resistant and works sort of like a built-in stomp pad. They advertise it as a premium top sheet and it really is. I have used it for well over 20 days already and the top sheet just doesn’t chip. Durability: I’m really impressed with the construction and durability of this board.If I’m carrying this board on my back, it is pretty lightweight so I think it would be a great choice for hiking up or hitting the sidecountry as well. It goes through powder awesome, and often in the backcountry I hit a lot of uneven terrain and the Harpoon plows through chunder and wind lips easily. Backcountry: This board is made in a splitboard as well, and I think it would be amazing in the backcountry.I find that I have a lot of control to turn quickly and stay in control even in tight moguls. Moguls: Again, this board shines doing quick turns, so moguls are no exception.I find that on a powder day in trees is where it really shines, and I can go quite fast while feeling confident I can turn quickly. The sidecut makes it easy to turn on a dime, which is perfect for trees! The Rocker Camber profile mixed with the slight setback provides a lot of control towards the back of the board, making it easy to throw around tight trees. Trees: This is one of my favorite boards to ride in trees.I feel lightweight like I’m floating on top of the powder instead of plowing through it. These two features combined offer a really surfy feel in powder. Powder: Absolutely incredible in powder! The Fusion Rocker Camber they use gives a ton of pop and snap towards the back of the board, and the early rise in the nose makes it float effortlessly through powder.Since it is not quite as stiff as some other volume-shifted boards, even slower turns are easy if I am riding with kids or doing a cruiser day with the fam. If I lay into it, I can also get bigger swooping turns, but this board really excels at tight turns. Turns: Overall, turning on this board is super fun! The semi-deep sidecut makes it easy to make quick tight turns and it feels very nimble and playful.Generally, it is recommended to ride this board a little shorter than average which will cut down on stability at high speeds a little bit as well. If I max out, over 30mph, for example, it does get a bit shaky, but in powder, it can go as fast as I want it to. Speed: This board is really versatile and it doesn’t compromise on speed too much, although it is not the fastest board I’ve ridden on groomers.The Dancehaul also looked fun, but I chose to go with the Harpoon because I wanted the rocker between the feet that Never Summer uses in their Fusion Rocker Camber for that surfy playful vibe. The Psychocandy and Orca seemed to be stiffer and potentially better at carving, which is awesome, but wasn’t quite what I was looking for in the end. I looked closely at the Ride Psychocandy, the Lib Tech Orca, and the Salomon Dancehaul. It seemed like a perfect fit for my free-ride / free-style love. I checked out a lot of reviews and comparisons online and found that the Harpoon consistently got rated high for powder, yet was rated as one of the more playful boards in that category. I wanted something that was really fun in powder, trees, and open bowls, and had a freestyle flair still. I was very curious about the volume-shifted boards since I tend to like a slightly shorter board anyways. I already owned a traditional camber board that carved great on groomers and could handle jumps well, so I was in the market for a board that was good in powder and in the chunder that forms after the snow, gets tracked out and heavy in the PNW.
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