Never Summer have been picking up momentum really quickly over the last couple of seasons and are globally recognised as manufacturers of high quality snowboards which are super durable and backed up by a three year warranty. For the 11/12 season they have announced a new board to their range – the Proto CT. Like the rest of the range the Proto features Never Summer’s patented Rocker and Camber technology. This is the dual camber with rocker between the feet and camber outside of the bindings. The boards also uses the Vario Power Grip sidecut – a flat section in the middle of the board, then a shallow radius followed by a deeper radius. This gives the board more contact points with the snow and therefore grip.

As this is one of the top of the range Never Summer boards it comes fully loaded with all the tech we come to expect from NS plus as it is part of the high end carbonium range – it has extra carbon laminate rods, a superlight core and a sintered 5501 base. The Proto CT is true twin all mountain freestyle board. It is to the Evo what the Heritage is to the SL. This will no doubt be the most wanted board next season.

Day 1 of riding
Today we arrived at resort after a heavy night of snow. The thought of powder was pretty exciting in itself but having a board like the Proto to test made it all the sweeter. The conditions were perfect for it. Visibility was very low on parts of the mountain but the board gave me loads of confidence. It gave me the same sense of security the SL always has but it was playful too. Not as playful as the Evo but enough to mess about and have loads of fun. The base feels fast – it just glides over the snow effortlessly. It terms of stiffness it is very comparable to the SL. Some areas of the slope had been ridden heavily and were very bumpy. It is still snowing so I am looking forward to testing it again tomorrow morning in fresh snow.

Day 2 of testing
It kept snowing overnight though not much. Together with yesterdays snow it made for a fun morning. We were up for the first lift and rode hard till midday. The board was a dream. At times riding a 154 was just not ideal and I couldnt hold enough speed in the flatter sections and as my legs grew tired, and the bright sun made the snow heavy it all became hard work. The base is very durable and took a number of bumps without leaving a mark. I did take a tiny bit out of the base but that was from a rock which stopped my dead and sent me head over heels.

Day 3 of testing
Today is more of a piste day – the sun is out and the pistes are in perfect conditions. The odd bit of off piste is still good but a lot of it is cruddy and not great. The board is holding up well though – I dont think I could ever get bored of riding it. It works fine and is playful on piste with loads of pop. It is still stiff enough to allow for charging the mountain and not having to worry about it feeling twitchy.

Day 4 of testing
Another bluebird day with great on piste conditions. There are loads of cruddy off piste sections which are still very rideable and fun. There are little kickers scattered all over the mountain too which are great on the board. It moves between the piste and the crud with ease. I took it for a quick run through the park and found the board to be nice a playful and a lot of fun. The boardercross track was running and the board felt like it held up really well on the fast carves.

Conclusion
This is a super versatile board that will be capable of charging the mountain, hitting big booters in the backcountry and running through the park . It is a true quiver killer. The 154 was perfect for me. The board will be available for demos around the UK this summer and available in shops to buy from September. It will be available at a standard width and a mid-wide. Sizes include 152, 154, 157 & 160. The mid-wide sides will be 152, 155, 158, 160.

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