Never Summer Cougar Snowboard Review

The Never Summer Cougar Snowboard is another great cambered snowboard in the lineup of Never Summer’s all mountain freeride boards.  I had the opportunity to test the 2025 Never Summer Cougar at the end of last season at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort on some really deep powder days. I was joined by one of the most legendary photographers in snow sports to capture how the board handled the big mountain terrain around the resort.

Never Summer Recurve Profile

For years Never Summer has really loved having rocker in their boards and lots of it. So when I started preferring to ride mostly cambered boards or blends at times riding Never Summer was a hard brand for me to ride, that was until I started jumping on the boards featuring more camber like the Easy Rider I tested last year and now the incredible Never Summer Cougar Snowboard.

Never Summer built the Cougar Snowboard around a triple camber profile. This profile shown above has 3 distinct camber contact dozens under the board with 2 much smaller rocker sections towards the middle.

With the Never Summer Recurve Camber Profile you get a more traditional camber board feel. The board offers great edge hold, the ability to go really fast on this high speed snowboard and has the legendary pop camber has been known to provide.

Cougar Build

Never Summer’s Cougar Snowboard and all their boards are built by hand in Denver, Colorado many times by dudes that actually snowboard. The company has always been known for making durable boards and that continues with the stout construction of the 2025 Never Summer Cougar. The cougar features a Superlight Wood Core with strips of Poplar and Paulownia running from tip to tail and some Birch under the inserts for added durability.

The tip and tail of the board feature carbon fiber inlays and to be honest with the stiffness of the board I’m glad the carbon stayed in the tip and tail areas.

I liked really opening this board up and going fast, the board felt powerful underfoot and I was able to trust in how it wanted to ride. Think fast and hard.  The hiccup with this board is it felt really stiff for my riding style. I tend to be really light underfoot and make very fast twitch movements when riding.

Flex and Stiffness

Never Summer Rates the 2025 Cougar Snowboard as a stiffness rating of 7 out of 10 and a dampening rating of 5 out of 10.  I felt this rating may be a little off and would say the stiffness is closer to 8 or 9 on the scale. The stiffness would be perfect, like absolutely perfect for someone getting big lines in AK or really opening up the board in big mountain terrain, think Silverton Colorado.

This stiffer aggressive Never Summer board is not for beginners, and even though it’s called the Cougar, most likely it’s just men that will be rocking the board, even with the fun name that ladies will appreciate.

Powder Riding on the Cougar

I spent 72 hours smashing this snowboard around a really deep snow cycle in Jackson Hole. With a setback stance of 1.25″ and a stiffer profile with just enough dampness underfoot I was able to float the Never Summer Cougar on one of the deepest storm cycles of the year. And thanks to our relationship with the ski resort, we got up for early Tram before the resort opened to the public.

Talk about an honor being able to test the latest and greatest Never Summer Snowboard and at one of the best ski resorts in North America. The Cougar handled the mountain from top to bottom with ease and riding in powder is where it really shined. I never really had to lean back the board just seemed to want to plane above snow.

When it came time to catching some air the carbon laminates combined with the wood core and mostly camber profile agave me lots of air time, and really allowed me to load the tail for even huger airs. When it came time to stomping landings Never Summer added extra dampening and materials underfoot where it matters the most.

Who Would Like this Board?

The Never Summer Cougar Snowboard is best for aggressive riders that enjoy a stiffer snowboard. Most likely guys in their 40’s that have been riding hard for decades will appreciate this board. As will the new generation of riders that is moving back towards more camber dominate profiles.  The board is not meant for beginner riders or anyone that really rides too light on their feet. At times I really had to push the board around with my style, which works but can lead to a more tiring day on snow.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Excellent performance at high speeds: The camber profile and stiffness provide exceptional edge hold and stability for fast riding.
• Exceptional powder performance: The setback stance and stiffer profile combined with the deep camber profile create a board that floats effortlessly in deep snow and can handle big mountain terrain.
• Durable construction: Hand-built in Denver with quality materials, the Cougar is designed for demanding riders and challenging conditions.

Cons:

• Stiffness may be too much for some: The board’s 7/10 stiffness rating may be too stiff for lighter riders or those who prefer a more playful ride.
• Not for beginners: The Cougar is designed for aggressive riders and may be too demanding for beginners or those with less experience.
• May be tiring for lighter riders: The board’s stiffness requires more effort to maneuver, which could lead to fatigue for lighter riders who prefer a more agile ride.

Verdict

Like to ride fast? Want to hit some big mountain terrain with deep powder, cliffs and things to send airs off? In that case for the all mountain rider wanting to shred his entire mountain the Never Summer Cougar Snowboard ($649.99) is a solid board to checkout and a great addition to the never Summer lineup over the past couple years.

Related Snowboards We Reviewed

• CAPiTA Defenders of Awesome Snowboard
• K2 Alchemist Snowboard
• Burton Custom Snowboard