Nidecker Escape Plus Snowboard Review

Nidecker snowboards a family owned and operated company is celebrating 40 years of making snowboards and all that time on snow shows in how well the Nidecker Escape Plus Snowboard  performs. For smashing down the mountain and hitting everything in your path. This snowboard is perfect for aggressive riders that enjoy a camber profile.

Nidecker Escape Plus Comparison

The Nidecker Escape Snowboard features a Camrock profile which blends camber under foot and rocker at the tip in tail. This differs from the Nidecker Escape Plus Snowboard I tested which is built around a full camber profile.

Having grown up riding camber boards, and for my style of riding really hard having camber underfoot is so important. There are a few reasons the camber on this board work well.

Nidecker Escape Plus PopCarbon Plus Performance

At 43 years old I still enjoy some airtime but holly heck, when you load up weight on the tail of this camber dominate snowboard the board catapults you into mid air thanks to the PopCarbon Plus stringers. I started learning to preload the board and jump a little before the lip or I would end up with way more vertical than I needed.

Each time I blasted through the air I kept thinking how this board with it’s camber edge hold, PopCarbon Plus and ability to do just about anything that was told of it would make a ripping half pipe board as well.  I even took some park laps on the Nidecker Escape Plus and was stoked on how the board locked into rails. And offered plenty of pop to clear, if not over shoot the landings of the small park I tested on. But where the real fun of this board lies and in snowboarding overall was freeriding on the Nidecker Escape Plus Snowboard.

Nidecker Escape Series

A good snowboard is one that can be ridden top to bottom without and compromise. The quiver killer deck of sorts capable of ripping powder, holding an edge on big mountain lines, pinning it going super fast straight lining down the mountain, ripping freestyle moves, popping off every pillow and then delivery face shots with ease. Sound like fun? That’s the sort of Type A fun I got into while riding on the Nidecker Escape Plus Snowboard.

What I really enjoyed was how strong the camber bite was after landing jumps or riding fast in sup par snow. When it came to pump the breaks and stop the board the directional camber profile did a great job of biting into the snow and allowing me to stop when I needed it the most.  The increased pop and control of the full camber profiles is what I look for in a snowboard. Especially for my style of riding, going fast and making the entire mountain a big skate park.

The Fiberglass in the board is made of different densities throughout really giving a lively feel vs a dead feel to the board. Nidecker calls this snowboard technology TRIAX plus which allows you more torsional feel of the board which allows for quick, extremely fast nimble movements. Need to turn the board quickly or re-adjust mid air, this board goes where you want to, when you want to.

Nidecker even figured out a way to make the top sheet play into making the board even more responsive by adding wood veneer which helps absorbs some of the energy that comes from the power of the PopCarbon Plus materials.

Target Rider Level

Freeriders that enjoy ripping the entire mountain with there crew no matter what the days’ objective may be will most enjoy this board. As will anyone over 40 that still rides hard. And honestly for a powder board even though we have been talking about it’s all mountain freeriding ability, even being full camber the Nidecker Escape Plus snowboard can easily handle it’s own in deep untracked powder and works equally well when the snow’s chewed up and you need to trust your edges.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Versatility: The Nidecker Escape Plus is designed for aggressive all-mountain riding, performing well in various terrains including groomers, powder, steeps, and even park jumps.
• Great for aggressive riders: The full camber profile with PopCarbon Plus technology provides excellent edge hold, pop, and stability at high speeds, ideal for riders who enjoy fast and powerful riding.
• Responsive: The fiberglass layers with varying densities and the wood veneer top sheet work together to create a lively and responsive board for quick maneuvers.
• Award for one of the best snowboards of the year.

Cons:

• Not ideal for beginners: The full camber profile and stiff flex can be challenging for those new to snowboarding as it requires more weight and skill to control and initiate turns.
• Less forgiving in crud: While the board can handle some chopped-up snow, the full camber profile may not perform as well as other boards with rocker profiles in rough or uneven terrain.
• Price: The Nidecker Escape Plus is on the higher end of the price range for snowboards.

Overall Impression

At the end of the day the Nidecker Escape Plus Snowboard ($529.99) was a board that worked perfect for my riding style, I stayed on my feet when I needed to, got plenty of face shots and lots of air time. A ripping board for high intermediate to advanced riders that want to make the entire mountain their playground regardless of what mountain you ride at.

It’s been over 20 years since I last rode a Nidecker Snowboard and geez have I been missing out. The Nidecker group know owns Jones Snowboards, along with NOW bindings and what they are bringing to the table with their latest boots, boards and bindings shows how darn progressive the brand is. Everyone in Europe knows how hard Nidecker gear rips, and now hopefully the North American market will start paying more attention.

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