This is my review of the Never Summer Ripsaw snowboard.
I’m a certified snowboarding instructor who has been working on the snow for the last ten years. I have years of experience riding all types of snowboards and know what to look for in performance, build, and value.
The Never Summer Ripsaw is a board with an aggressive nature that can give you the ability to eat up the entire mountain. It’s not for everyone, but if you want all-mountain versatility and freestyle fun outside of the park, it’s a solid option.
In this post, I’ll give you an in-depth look at every aspect of this board. I’ll highlight some of my favorite features and explain how the design and construction can impact your riding.
Let’s get rolling.
Contents
Never Summer Ripsaw Overview
The Never Summer Ripsaw is a quality board from a slightly lesser-known brand. Never Summer has a reputation for putting out well-built boards that can rip, and this model meets that description nearly spot-on.
The Ripsaw is a powerful and aggressive board that can be a lot of fun to ride in the right hands. It’s a capable all-mountain machine that can charge through technical lines while still giving you the ability to throw huge freestyle maneuvers.
It gets its aggressive characteristics thanks to a stiff flex that delivers power, control, and lively response. This isn’t a board for the week of heart, and beginners will be quickly overwhelmed, so it’s best left to those with experience on the mountain.
If you are up for the adventure, you can expect exceptional all-mountain performance and the ability to ride fast, hard, and dominate any terrain that comes your way. It’s a fun board to ride but takes a surefooted rider to get the most out of it.
A rocker/camber profile gives you the best of both worlds regarding power and performance. The rocker allows you to float over deeper snow and have some fun in the park while the camber delivers a lot of pop and response along the way.
This is also a very stable board, which makes it ideal for transitioning between different areas of the resort or tackling variable terrain. It can cut through crud like a freeride board while still easily spinning through the air a rotating switch.
The Ripsaw has excellent construction attributes that make it durable, strong, and lightweight. A custom blend wood core provides you with a fantastic foundation that keeps things stiff without adding a ton of extra weight.
This is a solid choice for the aggressive all-mountain rider who doesn’t want anything to stand in their way. It’s a good value for experienced riders who need a high-performance option that they can rely on.
Detailed Review
The Never Summer Ripsaw is a high-performance all-mountain snowboard for aggressive riders who like to get out there and crush every line. It has a stiff flex that makes it powerful while still being playful when you want to fly high.
Performance
The Ripsaw is the type of board that will try to talk you into doing something you have never attempted before. Kind of like that friend who dares you to do something a little out of your comfort zone, this board will push boundaries.
It has a very aggressive nature that makes it more than capable in just about any situation. I like Never Summer boards because they are always no-nonsense in their approach to effective performance, and the Ripsaw lives up to that distinction.
All-mountain capabilities abound with this model strapped to your feet. You can take this board just about anywhere and expect serious levels of performance. That versatility is expected, but high-end performance throughout is the bonus.
The stiff flex makes the board a high-performance machine. It will allow you to tackle big freeride lines or get a ton of speed to launch off a natural feature. You can expect plenty of power and response along the way.
A twin shape makes the Ripsaw capable as a freestyle and powder board as well. You’ll get plenty of float in deeper snow, and riding switch is a breeze. It’s not a good beginner board, but if you have the skills to command it, you’ll surely be rewarded.
This isn’t the board you want if you are a jibbing artist or like playfulness over power. It’s too stiff to keep contained and will do far better when you push your skills to the limit in variable terrain. But if your goals are to dominate, the Ripsaw will help you out.
Construction
This is a well-built board that uses high-quality materials that are built to last. It will give you excellent performance season after season, thanks to some features and considerations Never Summer engineered into the design.
It has a rocker/camber profile that enhances versatility while giving the board exceptional capabilities all over the place. The rocker tip and tail allow you to float and surf over deeper snow while the camber provides aggressive pop and response.
The twin shape also lends to the all-mountain versatility of the Ripsaw. It also has a Vario Power Grip sidecut that increases edge control when riding fast and hard. A low-profile tip and tail help maintain contact with the snow and increases ollieing abilities.
The superlight wood core utilizes a custom blend of woods that makes it very lightweight and easy to maneuver without compromising an inch of strength. Never Summer uses this on most of their boards, and it also helps them remain super durable.
The Ripsaw also comes with a carbon VXR laminate that adds to the aggressive nature of the board. This tech effectively increases response across the board and helps you transfer energy to get outstanding performance characteristics.
It also comes with a Durasurf sintered 4501 base. This is a super-strong and durable plastic base that uses high-density materials to give you superior wax retention. It’s easy to maintain and highly effective.
Additional Features
The Ripsaw also comes with several additional features that add to its already solid performance while increasing value. It’s not as full of features as some other models, but this is because it already has such a great starting point.
An RDS 2 dampening system helps increase stability and reduce vibrations. This works by using skinner laminates and results in better performance in both freeride and freestyle situations. Elastomeric underfoot stabilizers also help reduce foot fatigue.
Durability is enhanced thanks to sintered P-tex sidewalls. This is a unique feature that Never Summer includes in most of their boards. It makes the sidewalks almost immune to cracking, and they function well at any temperature.
The Ripsaw also comes with added protection, again provided by P-tex material, in the tip and tail. This hard and durable plastic is built into critical sections of the board to give you another layer of strength impact absorption.
A polymer top sheet helps reduce the risk of chipping or scratching, and it also has a natural texture that can work like a stomp pad without actually attaching one to the board.
Value
The Ripsaw makes for a good value snowboard if you know what you are getting into. It’s not a beginner-friendly option and has an aggressive nature that won’t work for every single rider out there under the sun.
This is an excellent value if you tend to ride hard and need a board that will give you aggressive performance and response in all-mountain situations. It over-delivers for anyone who needs a board that can dominate.
This isn’t the best value if you are a more laid-back rider who likes to play in the park and resort. The board is too stiff for beginners and is far from what I would call playful. It’s capable as a freestyle board but is not gentle.
Overall, the Ripsaw is a well-constructed, high-performance snowboard that has exceptional versatility and a dominating personality. It’s an enjoyable board to ride if you ride hard and is priced in the middle ground of higher-performance options.
The Alternatives
If the Ripsaw seems too aggressive for your tastes, or you just want to see what else is out there, take a look at any of these recommended alternatives.
This aggressive, high-performance machine is an excellent option for experienced riders who want to conquer the mountain. It has a full-on freeride focus and can handle technical terrain with ease.
Magne-Traction edges give you fantastic edge hold and control when the conditions are less than ideal, and a C2 camber profile provides a ton of power and response. This board can eat up any mountain.
==> Read our detailed Lib Tech T. Rice Pro review to learn more.
The Mountain Twin will give you a similar experience to the Ripsaw. This is a twin-shaped all-mountain destroyer that can flat-out get the job done just about anywhere you want to roam.
It has a progressive sidecut that gives you great edge control and powder while giving you the versatile performance needed to tackle any line inside the resort or off-piste. It’s a fun and effective board all around.
==> Read our detailed Jones Mountain Twin review for more.
The Custom Flying V is another highly effective all-mountain snowboard. This one is not quite as aggressive as the Ripsaw but will still give you outstanding performance characteristics that can match the needs of demanding riders.
It has a Flying V profile that keeps rocker under your feet for a little added play while still giving you camber to generate power and pop.
==> Read our detailed Burton Custom Flying V review to learn more.
My Verdict
The Never Summer Ripsaw is an aggressive all-mountain snowboard that can meet the needs of advanced-level riders. It has a stiff flex that gives you a ton of power and a twin shape that lets you have fun at the same time.
The Ripsaw might be too much for the average rider, but if you are up for the challenge or need a board that can live up to high standards, it’s a solid option all-around.
About Lorraine