Never Summer West Bound

A new deck in the Never Summer line, the West Bound takes the fun-loving, pow-slaying hybrid camber profile of the Shaper Series and brings it to a more pragmatic all-mountain design. Before we dive deeper on the West Bound, a shout-out to the Colorado brand’s Shaper Series. 

The Shaper Twin is a rad, wide board that’s at home all over the resort and shines in the terrain park. The Swift is one of our favorite surf-inspired directional powder boards—and it also comes in a fantastic splitboard. The funky Insta/Gator is a blast to carve on corduroy. The point is, Never Summer’s Shaper Series is on point, so when they brought the Fusion Rocker Camber Profile over to the West Bound, we were understandably hyped. 

The Fusion Rocker Camber Profile is built around a standard rocker zone between the feet, which is sandwiched by camber sections. What distinguishes the profile is the extended flat transition area in the nose of the board—the setback, directional design improves buoyancy in powder, without causing the board to wash out in hardpack. 

Pros:

While the West Bound is an all-mountain deck, the profile enables surfy turns in deeper snow. Never Summer judges the board mid-firm and in the middle of the road for dampness—for the most part, testers felt this combination helped balance playfulness and stability. 

A burly big mountain rider, however, judged the West Bound a little more flexible tip-to-tail than advertised and said, “She leans to the tricky side of shred, but has the stability to take the tricks to bigger slopes.” Consensus was that poppy take-offs and secure landings are within reach on the West Bound.

Testers were also hyped on the West Bound’s Vario Sidecut. The multi-radius sidecut’s edge-hold provided grip while euro-carving groomers and peace of mind when dipping off-piste into nightmarish refrozen chunder. 

Cons:

Those who are lighter may find the West Bound a touch stiff for playful all-mountain riding. Similarly, some backseat-heavy riders who are used to camber-dominant shapes might be put off by the flat transition area in the front of the board, which can cause unwanted hang-ups if you aren’t careful. 

Tester Quotes:

“A versatile board that can cater to most scenarios—a very satisfactory pocketknife to go and do what you want on the mountain.”

Key Attribute: Versatility