What the rep said:True twin; all mountain; deep sidecut; carbonium (whatever the hell that means); same shape as the Never Summer Evo, but different construction and longitudinally stiffer; don't forget about our 3-year warranty
Stats/Setup: I checked in at 6'1" and 165 pounds when I rode the Proto CT 160 with Salomon Dialogue Boots (size 9.5) and Union Force SL bindings at Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon.
Conditions: variable groomers, some ice, some ankle deep fluff from a couple days ago off the groom
First impression: Much lighter than previous Never Summer boards
The Ride: Right off the chair, it was evident this board was doing things right. Edge-to-edge it was almost telepathic. It had a 'spidey sense' of when and where you wanted to turn next. Not only could it get back and forth on short- and medium-radius turns, the Vario Power Grip sidecut had it holding on to even the high-speed, long-arcing, laid-out eurocarves. Not generally a park board's domain. It shone in the mandatory, trenched-out, banked-slalom tree run.
That's a carbonium topsheet, ladies and gents.
The Proto CT features NS's patented Rocker & Camber Technology: camber under each foot, rocker at the waist. It pops as hard as any board of this hybrid camber style while holding that edge and not washing or rotating like some full rocker or flat boards. It's similar to Lib Tech's C2 Banana Traction.
As with all Never Summer boards, the Proto CT has a long running length. This provides a stable base for landings and high speed action. It charges hard for a park board. However, this tends to diminish performance in the powder. A shorter nose leads to more nose dives in the light stuff. While I didn't test this board in pow, it's something you'll want to keep in mind. It's not a dedicated pow board, so you'll be leaning back unless you size up. And I ride a similar Never Summer SL-R every day.
Bottom Line: The Proto CT is quick, poppy and burly. It's also a true twin. It's a park board and then some. All-mountain freestyle boards are big right now and the Proto CT is at the front of the pack. Oh yeah, it also won Snowboarder Magazine's Alpine Lab Golden Seal of Approval and Outside Magazine's Gear of the Year, so I'm not the only one who likes it. Now what the hell is carbonium anyway!?
How much have bindings changed in the last 10 years? Not that much. 20 years?? 30!? A couple step-in options that came and went. A couple that stuck. Lots of small incremental changes, not much different thinking. Until Now. (The puns just write themselves.)
JF Pelchat thought the same thing. In 2004 he filed his first patent and in 2006 he began work on what would become the Now IPO. As with Jones and Yes Snowboards, Nidecker stepped up to the plate on production. With a quality team behind him, production dialed and six years of work into the product, it was time to unveil the IPO binding.
JF was on hand at the Baker Banked Slalom to demo his bindings. As such, he breezed through the setup with the speed and efficiency of someone who has been inside these bindings for six years. I have no idea how long it would have taken me, but I'd imagine no longer than an average binding. Now has one mounting disc to take care of 2-hole sliders, 3-hole and 4-hole insert patterns. The foot pillow that covers the disc gets out of the way without tools. Forward lean is tool-free as per usual. The highbacks are even pre-rotated a few degrees to solve a common problem.
I rode the Now IPOs on my Never Summer SL-R with Salomon Dialogue boots. My size 9.5 (US men's) boots went into a medium binding. Now lists 9.5 and smaller boots as their medium size and 10 and bigger as Large. JF set me up with the Medium bushings at the binding-board interface.
The fit was great. The first thing I noticed was how tight the heelcup held my boot in place. I couldn't just step out at the end of a run, I had to pull my foot out of the binding. Not difficult, but not effortless. JF mentioned that this is something they're still dialing in for future models. Once I got used to it, I liked that snug feeling. It was like having another strap that locked your heel down without actually having to buckle it. Also, the highback is sandwiched between the heelcup's two loops. This makes it a snap to take out the highback and go no-back style without altering the fit. I'd love to try that, especially on a pow day. Imagine the Japan you could tweak out. Knee to the deck! With the highback in place, flexibility was still good without being gooey.
Speaking of the straps, they are standard. Not big and puffy, not bare bones, just medium. Comfortable enough. You can ride the toe strap up top or out front.
The vibration absorption of these bindings is next level. Between the 5mm bushings and the 15mm foot pillows Now has your dogs swaddled in EVA for a magic carpet ride through the most unforgiving chop. I'd like to see thinner foot pillow or bushing offerings for a lower ride with more board feel. Again, it could make for a rad pow day.
What about response? My main preconceived concern with these bindings was that taking the binding out of direct contact with the board and setting it up on bushings would sacrifice response. Not the case. My board responded as good or better than with traditional bindings. As JF explained, the kingpin and bushing system transfers energy more directly and eliminates the performance-robbing binding warp in other models. Translation, you say "Carve," your board says "How hard?"
The bushings bring about another question for me. What about the possibility of setting up the bindings asymmetrically? With snowboards again messing around with asymmetrical sidecuts, could a similar benefit be achieved by putting the hard bushings under your heels and the soft ones under your toes? What about using thinner bushings under the instep to create a cant?
One long-term worry I would have with these bindings is the extra moving parts. Add moving parts to a system and you add liabilities. As with any new product, it remains to be seen how rugged these parts will be. The next few years will answer the durability question.
I'm intrigued to see where Now will go next. They have some room for improvement, but their IPO was a solid offering. Freestyle, freeride, big mountain, all mountain; I'd say the next big thing in bindings is right here, right Now.
What the rep said:Directional all-mountain ripper, freeride Camrock, DCP-styled
Stats/Setup: I'm around 6'1" and 165# and rode the 159 in Salomon Dialogue Boots (size 9.5) with Union Force SL bindings.
Conditions: Mt. Baker,Hardpack, chunder, ice, generally not that rad
First impression: Gnarly graphic, pretty light dangling from the foot
The Ride: Like I said, the conditions weren't great, but when you want to test a board, you want to see how it handles the muck. The first thing i noticed was the flex. Not firm, but not too noodley either. It gets edge to edge really quickly and still butters well for a freeride board. Those pow butters you always see Travis Rice and Nicolas Müller do? This board is all over those. Thank the freeride Camrock: camber between your feet, rockered outside. I'd call it a 5/10 flex and a 5/10 dampness. It was easy to get bucked that day, but this board handled its fair share and maintained stability at speed. It also had a surprisingly lively pop. As quick as it was edge-to-edge, it also held those edges as long as you wanted with a serrated sidecut. That wavy edge with a few extra contact points keeps you locked on the line you intended instead of making that nail-on-chalkboard scratching sound so common on icy days. I didn't get a chance to ride this board in pow or on rails. Just looking at the specs it should handle the pow just fine. It has a long nose and 2mm of taper to sink the tail a little. Rails aren't exactly this boards intended audience.
Bottom Line: I'm impressed with this offering from Yes. It was my first time on any Nidecker imprint and it has me sold. I'd take this board anywhere on the mountain and shred with confidence. Maybe after a while everyone will call me by my initials just like David Carrier Porcheron.
