Snowboard Review: 10-11 Never Summer Lotus

Location: Steamboat, CO

Snow Conditions: Hardpacked snow to powder conditions to bluebird park laps.

Setup: I rode the Never Summer Lotus with Union bastardized bindings and Vans Veil Boots size 8.

Size: 157cm.

First Impression: Since my last Lotus was stolen, getting this one was a sigh of relief since I’d been missing that board that could handle my 80% freeride/powder, 10% park, 10% pipe.

Weight: average to a little heavier than average.

Flex: The lotus is the women’s premier, so it’s noticeably softer and a bit more forgiving than the men’s version.  It has a softer nose making it float and stiffer tail for powder.  Between the feet you have some carbon to help make the ride stable but also give it good torsional flex when you want quick response edge to edge and enough stability when charging.  The dampening in the board helps absorb any rough terrain you encounter.  Never Summer’s RC technology features rocker between the feet and camber outside the bindings with a flat section that’s new for 10-11.  I didn’t notice a difference in how it rides compared to previous years.

Turning: You get really quick edge to edge and response from the lotus, it’s flex works with you to help control turns and feel comfortable once in them despite the aggressiveness of the board.  The RC does take some adjustment since the sidecut is different, it goes from deep to shallow to straight to shallow to deep.  So you get quick into the turns for those short radius turns you want fast, but you can also draw out the turns with the shallow sidecut sweet spot that you can hold into. The lotus has the V-twin carbon which helps give it power in and out of turns, you can really power the tail of the board out of turns and you have good stability with it.

Stable: For freeriding cruiser runs, the lotus can handle the charging and going fast.  The stiffer women’s flex in the board really lets you cut through anything and the dampness will absorb rougher terrain (which is where this board stands out from others).  In powder, the 157cm does good in a couple inches especially the lighter stuff.  I’ve noticed when there’s a lot more snow, the size is struggling for me more and I have to lean back a bit.  But usually the 157cm is fine for me and I usually ride bigger for powder anyway.

Pop: The lotus gives you pop and snap from the tail of the board which makes ollies fun off rollers and just messing around, it also helps in powder if you want to pop ollies through some soft spots.  The reverse camber gives it more playfulness and I’ve taken my lotus into the park without feeling it catch on boxes and still have fun with for a couple laps in the park.  In the pipe it holds an edge on the walls, good pop and comfortable board.

Switch: The lotus is a directional board with a setback stance so it does take some adjustment to riding it switch.  I’m used to the board so I can ride switch with it, without feeling it dig in and catch me.

Overall Impression: The Lotus continues to be that charging board for women, based off of the men’s premier F1-R the lotus gives women a slightly softer flex and narrower waist width.  It still continues to be the snowboard for women meant for freeriding but also able to handle other parts of the mountain.

Shay’s Honesty Box: This is my board, it’s the board I take on road trips when I can only bring one snowboard because in my opinion it does it all.  It’s that board that’s able to handle freeriding or powder runs but I can also take it into the park/pipe and while it’s not the best there it can do the job.  It’s more freeride focus but I love that it can charge the mountain and the RC technology gives it some playfulness when I need it.  The premier F1-R was my fav for years and this women’s board can hold it’s own against the men’s version which is why I ride the women’s version.

Ready to buy? Head over to evo for the Never Summer Lotus or shop their full line of Never Summer snowboards

On Snow Photo

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Never Summer Lotus description

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Review Disclosure: I test this board for Never Summer Snowboards.