Update: Back at SIA, the Infinity was to be released as a regular cambered board. This has changed and now the Infinity for 08-09 season will be a reverse camber snowboard. Never Summer has their own patent pending recurve camber rocker with two cambered areas from the feet out toward the tip and tail and rockered under foot and a Vario Power Grip sidecut radius.
Location: A-Basin, CO & Loveland, CO
Snow Conditions: A mixture of powder runs and groomers. The majority being powder turns at A-basin. At Loveland in early October, rode hard packed icy groomers to bumpy snow groomers.
Setup: I rode the Never Summer Infinity-R with my Rome Madison bindings and my Vans Omni Focus boots. At Loveland I rode the Infinity-R with Raiden Tigre bindings and my Vans Omni Focus boots.
Size: 156cm at Loveland, 154cm at A-basin. I prefer the 156cm for me.
First Impression: I heart the infinity…but lets see how it is with a reverse camber on it and new sidecut.
Weight: average
Flex: The Infinity is the women’s SL…the do everything board for women riders that want all mountain freestyle that you can take in the park or freeride the mountain with. The new Infinity R is the same flex as the regular infinity, easy to butter with the reverse camber and still handles powder. Really it’s meant even more for all conditions now. The flex on the infinity is forgiving, torsionally softer and you can feel the dampening giving you a lot more absorbing through chop.
Turning: I rode the board without the new sidecut at A-basin in the late season and it’s definitely noticeable that with reverse camber it’s good to have more contact points or you feel like you have less control over the board. When I rode the board at Loveland in early October it was a dramatic difference in the edging of the board. I had very good grip on the hard packed to icy conditions in the morning and when the snow softened up, I had no problems with riding switch and catching edges. In terms of response, quick edge to edge on the infinity.
Stable: In the powder, had no problems with the infinity. On some slushy, bumpier terrain encountered a bit more dampening than I was expecting…but I was also riding a smaller size so I felt more on the board. I have been riding the 156cm Infinity and felt a lot more stable during bumpier terrain on the bigger size for me. Didn’t encounter any chatter or felt like the board was unstable then.
Pop: The NS rocker is really fun for ollie’ing, it doesn’t require as much effort to spring onto the tail and pop into an ollie. I had no problems with tail or nose presses on the infinity, super easy to butter and mess around with.
Switch: It handled riding switch with no problems, no problems with jumping 180’s and riding out of the landing.
Powder: I spent this May powder day here with the Infinity. I’m riding a smaller size board than I normally would, even then there were no issues floating in the powder. I was able to keep afloat and had a fun time turning it in the powder, manuevering through trees and staying with enough speed on the flat powder areas.
Overall Impression: With the new reverse camber NS boards, the new vario power grip is the best choice. Definitely more grip to the snow on the harder packed terrain, but also the sidecut matches the reverse camber making it less catchy. The infinity with reverse camber completely suits it. Now one of the few women’s specific reverse camber boards, it’ll definitely be something the ladies will enjoy…giving you a board for everything on the mountain.
Shay’s Honesty Box: I first wrote this review in the late season on a infinity-r that didn’t have the new sidecut and that wasn’t the best choice by me. Now that I have the Infinity-R with the vario grip sidecut in my posession and am riding it, it’s a lot better…a lot!
08-09 Infinity Catalog Description
Neversummer Snowboards
July 2, 2008 at 1:41 amNeversummer boards rock! My Infinity has been durable as hell and I have definitely put it through its paces.
Anonymous
December 20, 2008 at 9:43 amHi Shay,
I am searching for a freestyle board for my girlfriend from NS with rocker. As the Pandora has no rocker it leavs only the Infinity-R. Is it comparable to the Evo-R, or would it be better for her to take the Evo-R although it is not a board for girls. She ways about 135lbs and is 5 ft 6 high. Thank you for your advise.
Shayboarder
December 22, 2008 at 12:12 pmWhat’s her boot size?
She could ride the evo-r in a smaller size, the ww might be an issue. The infinity-r is a fun all mountain freestyle board, would handle and has a fun freestyle flex moreso with the reverse camber.
Another board to consider would be the Burton lip-stick.
Anonymous
March 19, 2009 at 4:45 pmI’m torn between this board and the Gnu B-Pro BTX. which one do you like better? i’m 5’9 and 130 lbs. i currently ride a Ride no4 (156), but want a softer board to mess around in, but can still handle high speeds. I was thinking of going down a size too, to 154. what do you think?
Shayboarder
March 19, 2009 at 9:48 pmYou could definitely go down in size, 154 is more suitable to your weight than the 156 and it’ll be easier to press. Infinity vs B-pro is tough. B-pro felt more stable but the infinity handles chop with the dampening better. Between the rockers, infinity is more freestyle than the B-pro…but still a close comparision.
Candice
July 20, 2009 at 12:30 pmHi Shay,
I am a new snowboarder with about 3 seasons under my belt. I have learned on a really cheap snowboard and am looking for a nicer one. I am new so I stay on the regular trails but am hoping in the next couple of years to get in the park. I want a board that can do everything. I love the looks of the black infinity. My question is, when i look for one online the only one that comes up in the black color is the regular infinity not the infinity-r. Is there a huge difference in the two? The regular infinity is also much cheaper than the white one with the rocker. If there is not a huge difference I would like to go with the regular infinity.
Shay
July 20, 2009 at 4:48 pmHey Candice,
Great to hear your upgrading and progressing your riding! Infinity is definitely the do everything board that will treat you good and help progress your riding even more. I just looked for the black infinity that I believe you are talking about at evogear, it’s the infinity regular version.
The difference is camber vs reverse camber. Camber is when you lie the board flat on the ground and between the bindings it will be lifted upwards off the ground. Reverse Camber with Never Summer is there is rocker between the feet (so the opposite of camber) and camber outside of the bindings.
The regular infinity won’t be an adjustment to you since it sounds like your already riding a cambered board and it would be a good improvement. Having reverse camber helps when you start to go into more park riding, easier to press and butter, plus less catchy. There’s nothing wrong with camber though.
Charlie
August 6, 2009 at 11:41 amShay,
Your site is incredible! I am currently getting my sister a board for her birthday. She is a beginner and we are looking at a few boards: Never Summer Lotus, Infinity, Infinity-R, Rome Blue, K2 Duchess, and Eco Pop. Two other brands that caught our attention were Bitchboards and Forum Boards. (Sorry for the long list)
She is 5’5″ tall weighs 121 lbs and her shoe size is 7.5 womens. We will be doing mostly freeride, and would like a board that has some durability to it.
I currently ride the Never Summer Legacy and loving it.
Any advice would be great help!
Shay
August 6, 2009 at 4:44 pmHey Charlie,
Awesome to hear thanks! Great on the birthday present for your sister. Out of that list, the blue, duchess, eco pop and lotus are the stiffer more advanced boards. Solid boards but might be a little out of her riding ability right now. The Infinity is a really good board for everything, the reverse camber will help it be more forgiving and a good progressing board to start out with.
I’ve never ridden a forum board so can’t speak on them, bitchboards I don’t think they offer anything for technology for women so just a regular cambered board with some nice graphics. The infinity-r would be suitable for her and help her progress without being too much of a board for her riding. Plus Never Summer’s are durable and 3 year warranty.
b.raines
October 11, 2009 at 1:54 pmShay, my gf got the NS infinity this summer and we need to get bindings and boots. What type of bindings would you reocmmend for the infinity? we ride mostly freeride. Last year she was burnt by her old gear and this year is really excited about stepping up her riding a bit… jumps etc. what recs for bindings and boots? thanks
Shay
October 11, 2009 at 5:12 pmB.raines, Awesome on her getting new gear for this winter! Definitely go get the boots first, have her try on different brands and make sure she gets a good fitting boot for her that she’ll be comfortable in this season. Once you have the boot it’ll be easier to decide on the binding and making sure it fits, her boot size.
Depends on bindings how responsive/stiff she wants to go. All around bindings like the rome madision, union trilogy, burton lexa, ride sigma, raiden eris are a good place to start. The more responsive ride dva or burton escapade are great for freeriding and should be considered.
b.raines
October 12, 2009 at 8:28 pmShay! Thanks for the quick reply!!
What’s an example of a boot not fitting in the binding? I got these dc calibers that dont sit well in the ride contrabands, is that maybe an example of a boot not fitting well in the binder? Also, besides the obvious “it feels comfortable” are there certain things she can pay attention to in making sure the boots are good for her? Thanks a bunch for your expertise!!
K. Smith
October 21, 2009 at 7:41 amHi Shay!
I just purchased the Never Summer Infinity R in a size 156. I am about 5’7 and 180 pounds or so and am wondering what you think about the board size for me. I have been riding a 151 Santa Cruz Muse for a few years now but wanted to try the reverse camber/camber after reading about it. I like to ride all over and want to hit some jumps this year. I also noticed that my Santa Cruz is super hard to ride in powder. Did I make a good choice? Thanks!
Help with picking a board - Snowboarding Forum - Snowboard Enthusiast Forums
October 24, 2009 at 7:14 pm[…] A friend of mine was demo-ed a NS infinity last year and she loved it… u can check out a review here too… I know that the 09/10 burton lux have a softer flex then previous models so its more […]
K. Smith
October 25, 2009 at 11:55 amHi! Thanks for the input =) I received my Infinity r yesterday and just put my bindings on it. From what I can tell it seems like its going to be a great board, its more flexy then my other board for sure. I’m really excited to try it out, thanks again!
Shay
October 26, 2009 at 3:15 amB.raines, making sure there isn’t extra width on the right or left side within the binding, you don’t want the boot moving around side to side within the binding. Just making sure it adjust well to the boot and doesn’t slip when riding, that’s what you want for boot to binding fit…non slippage. For boots you always want comfortable, have her walk around in them. Eventually she’ll figure out if she likes softer or stiffer flexing boots, so have her flex her knees forward like she’s snowboarding and see how she likes the boot flex. Hard to tell cause every person has different preferences for that.
K.Smith, Definitely the infinity with the RC will make powder riding easier floating than camber. The size will be a huge adjustment but will make a world of difference since the 156 you’ll be riding is more suitable for your weight. I can’t wait to see how you like it on snow, it’s going to be a lot of fun…just be prepared for some size adjustment since you rode a smaller board.
K. Smith
October 27, 2009 at 1:36 pmHey Shay! Thanks for the response. When you say size adjustment, what is it that will be different? Will it be harder to manuever?
Shay
November 25, 2009 at 8:57 pmHey K,
5cm difference is noticeable and just might take some more effort to maneuver it than your smaller board. You’ll get used to it though.
Katy
December 16, 2009 at 8:41 amHi Shay,
I’ve been doing alot of research on the NS Infinity R vs the Lotus R because I need something that will float me in powder well that I can easily turn as well. I’m currently riding a Rome Vinyl 146 on groomers and hard-pack and it’s great. I want a flexible board that will float me in powder that’s not too stiff. What would you recommend and, more importantly, what size should I choose for a powder board. I’m 5’1″ and weigh 115lb. Thanks!
K. Smith
December 21, 2009 at 7:01 pmHey Shay!
I got 5 days in on my infinity R 156 and I have to say that I LOVE IT! As far as the manuvering goes it required only slightly more effort and the edge to edge was fabulous. I rode powder to icy gromers and the board was solid as a rock! A definant step up from my Santa Cruz Muse 151. Thanks for all your info and your reviews, they were a major reason why I chose to buy the Infinity R. =)
Shay
December 21, 2009 at 8:55 pmKaty, the reverse camber will help you float in powder and if you don’t want a stiff powder board you’ll want the infinity over the lotus. I would look at the 151cm for your powder board size…but how much snow are we talking?
K smith, Nice you’ve gotten a bunch of days in on your infinity! Great to hear you love it and it’s a good improvement from your muse! Stoked to hear it!
b. raines
December 27, 2009 at 2:22 pmShay, Thanks so much for the recs on boots and w re to the rome madison bindings for my gf. She got the boots first, then went ahead and got the rome madison bindings. She loves’em!! she feels great up on the hill this season riding the never summer infinity with the rome madison bindings. Quick qestion, you know of any dude riders that have reviews and a blog like this? Bc i got the never summer titan and am looking for good recs re bindings. thanks again!!!
Shay
December 28, 2009 at 8:07 amB.raines, awesome to hear she’s enjoying the setup!
I actually have more male readers than female but still ride a mix of gear for men and women, bindings are men’s right now. There’s a couple other dude bloggers out there that put up reviews but they aren’t like this blog 🙂
Nice on the titan! I’ve been riding a titan prototype the last couple weeks and loving the way that it’s going.
b.raines
January 10, 2010 at 10:01 pmRight on Shay. Actually pretty stoked to hear I can ask you about dude gear too. So I’ve got two great boards: ’09 gnu rider’s choice w/ btx and magna traction and that never summer titan I mentioned last post. I’ve got decent boots, just one pair, the dc caliber w/ speed lacing. I’m struggling finding a good binder for either board. I’ve got the ’09 ride contrabands and the Bent Metal Missionary. I’ve come to find that both have pretty major setbacks: bent metals are real heavy and the bolts, screws, and nuts come loose after a days riding; the contrabands are super light which i love but they get your foot all twisted and by the end of a couple rides the toe on the open side of the binding is on top of the metal frame. You know if I’m just not using these two sets of binders correctly or maybe the setbacks are pretty right on for the gear? If the bindings do just suck, what would you recommend for those two boards? I really want a light binder for the gnu and then something good for that pow for NS.
james
May 29, 2010 at 6:32 pmHi Shay, since you test a lot of mens and womens boards I thought I’d ask to see if you think the womens boards perform as well as the mens boards ? It’s hard to find narrow boards with good tech that are longer than 153. If you have any input on how an Infinity-r compares to an SL of similar, or shorter size, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.
Shay
May 30, 2010 at 3:02 pmB.raines, sometimes it can be the bindings aren’t adjusted to your boot or just a bad fit to your boot. Contrabands especially need to be adjusted right and sounds like new screws with lock-tite for your bent metals. You could try another binding but the easy fix is to see if you ever adjusted them or just get new screws.
James, I would have answered differently years ago but they are on equal footing. The women’s Infinity is the female SL, softer and narrower but still as high quality as the men’s board. Depends on the rider but i have heard of guys riding women’s boards because their boot size is shorter and the boards are just as good for them. I ride men’s board and completely happy with them.
snowbunny
September 12, 2010 at 5:41 amhi, I’m looking for a all mountain freeride board- something advanced. i currently ride a river fever 147 & 143 k2 va va voom in park (which is seroiusly small for anything but jibbing). im 4.9 around 128lbs and wanting to do more freeriding pow stuff – i think my ride could be too small. i was looking at the gnu b-pro, but its really hard to find one, so i was thinkin about a ns infinity. i want something that i can ride pow in but still hit big kickers on – any suggestions – also on size as i heard you go a size down with reverse camber boards? thanx
Shay
September 12, 2010 at 9:32 amSnowbunny, the infinity is definitely more all mountain freestyle, it can handle freeriding but if you are really looking for a freeride pow board, i’d go with the NS Lotus. If you stick with the infinity, then size up on it so you have more stability like a 151cm. B-pro is a good choice as well and on the charging side like the Lotus.
With reverse you can size down but you won’t want to if you want more stability for jumps.
Ania
November 1, 2011 at 6:47 amI know this is an old article but hopefully you will see this post 🙂
I only have 2 seasons under my belt and want to purchase the Never Summer Infinity. I’m still in the beginner phase. I found on eBay the 2008-2009 brand new Infinity – traditional camber for $279. A shop where I bought my shoes only carries the brand new 2011-12 Infinity boards for $460. Do you think the difference in price justifies purchasing the 11-12 or should I save the $$$ and go with the 2008-09??? Thanks! Ania
Shay
November 1, 2011 at 7:14 pmAnia, just left a comment on your other post. Are you sure the 08-09 version is traditional camber or is it RC technology? If it’s traditional camber I wouldn’t pay more than $200 for that board since it’s a much older model and the tech is old for NS. If it’s RC it’s a good deal. The 11-12 has RC technology, reverse camber which is more forgiving and playful than the camber so depends on your riding style and what you want out of the board.
Ania
November 2, 2011 at 6:19 amThanks Shay! I thought it was R-Camber based on description of the board but the seller insists it’s traditional camber. Here is the link for the board:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-NEVER-SUMMER-INFINITY-SNOWBOARD-149-/110764929419?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D2%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D3912004915672839849
So, I find that confusing because I thought Never Summer’s R-Camber came out 2008-2009. Could the seller be mistaken??