Coiler NSR+ Asym 182

[Mike T]

This exact board: http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=30438

First time I took the board out, the plate was on it as you see in the picture on Bruce's thread. I had ridden a Kessler 185 w/ a Hangl plate about 6 weeks previously, so was comparing this rig to the Kessler rig as much as anything else. First couple of runs, my reaction was HOLY SH*T this thing is grippy, fast, stable, and damp… quite possibly just as grippy, fast, stable and damp as the Kessler rig, or maybe even more so. But it was more fun. The Kessler w/ Hangl, I felt like I was inches from breaking a leg if something went wrong and I wound up biting it hard. The Hangl plate seemed about as forgiving as a Deschutes National Forest old growth tree trunk. The Apex plate seemed like it wouldn't kill me if I made a mistake. The whole rig seemed more user-friendly than what I remembered of the Kessler rig. I could definitely turn it tighter, and it was definitely "faster than me". When I got far in the back seat, the situation was recoverable, I could make the next turn, unlike on the Kessler when I thought I was on a SCUD missile. Conditions were typical Mt Bachelor spring… frozen cord and boilerplate turning to hero snow for 1 or 2 runs then slushing up.

Wait, this is supposed to be a Coiler review, not an Apex review, right?

Next time out, I took the plate off. Same conditions. I was expecting to find that the plate was making it such an awesome ride, but without the plate, HOLY SH*T, this thing was grippy, fast, stable and damp - more so than any other un-plated board I had ever been on. (I've never ridden a plate-free Kessler or SG; I have ridden three different Tinklers, some plated and some plate-free).

I couldn't wipe the sh*t-eating fin off my face and just enjoyed myself until it got too slushy to carve. I was either riding like a rock star that day, or something about this board was making it incredibly easy.

Third time out… same conditions all over again, frozen cord and boilerplate turning to hero snow for 1 or 2 runs then slushing up. This time, back-and-forth between my own NSR 185 and the NSR+ Asym 182. On the earlier runs, the first thing I noticed was that the NSR+ Asym was both grippier and damper, and easier to ride on the hardpack. I'm certainly not a skilled enough rider to push either board in terms of speed on slick conditions. On my own NSR, I found myself thinking about where to be on the board, and on the NSR+ Asym I found myself just being there without thinking about it. I guess the asym construction works! I also found the NSR+ was easier to turn into a tighter arc than my own NSR. Furthermore, I noticed a difference in "recover from the back seat" between the two boards, although the difference was much less than what I'd recalled between Kessler rig and NSR+Asym rig. Also the NSR+ asym had better bite at the front of the turn than my own NSR. And that's saying something, the NSR is certainly no slouch in this dept.

As the runs warmed up I started to let them both run. The NSR+ accelerated faster. I don't think I've ever found the top speed on either board but I definitely chickened out a little sooner on my own NSR.

When it started to slush up, the NSR+ was more stable in the chop, again less thinking about where to be on the board. Advantage, NSR+ again.

The NSR+ Asym is a 182 and my NSR was a 185. I rode an older NSR 182 back-to-back with the 185 at SES and the difference in length was readily apparent. The NSR+ Asym 182 didn't really feel shorter than the 185. Sure enough, when holding them base-to-base, the effective edge was different, but less than 3cm different.

If I recall the numbers Bruce gave correctly, the NSR+ Asym is a 13.7/21/17 sidecut while the NSR is a 13.7/17 sidecut. The 21 in the middle probably explains the acceleration. The nose is more squared off, and IIRC has a lower, more gradual decamber than the NSR, and a shade softer. This probably explains the additional bite at the front of the turn. The tightening of the sidecut towards the tail might explain the easier backseat recoveries. Not sure what explains the dampness and grippiness. The asym construction probably explains the "being where I need to on the board with less thought".

Regarding the asym construction - remember, it's the core thickness towards tip and tail that is asymmetric, nothing else.

I pleaded with Bruce to sell me the NSR+Asym and sold my NSR 185 over the summer. I see the NSR+ as an evolutionary step from the NSR, in several areas… all mentioned above. I also see it is an extremely viable choice for someone who wants a very racy board but doesn't want to shell out for a Kessler or SG. I cannot WAIT to get this thing into gates. Accelerates faster and turns tighter - that's what I'm tailing about!!! I'm just a NASTAR racer, but given Bruce's gold at USASA nationals on the same board, it's clearly capable of more than NASTAR.

I would describe myself as a fundamentally sound rider who still has a ton to learn, and by no means an expert, and honestly more of a finesse rider than a power rider. Last spring I weighed in at 195 and this fall I'm down to 175, and I honestly like it better at the lower body weight. One thing to know about me, I like to ride centered and I like to use my feet to flip the board from edge to edge. If you employ a technique and style that is more about moving across the board, you may find this and other new-school shapes unappealing.

If you intend to ride one of these with a plate at all times, a stiffer front end might be warranted. If you intend to ride it without a plate at least half of the time, I liked it as is.

It's my new favorite board!!!

[Steve Prokopiw]

Wow! Sounds like quite a board.I'll bet Bruce's wait list has lengthened by another year in the last nine hours, hehe.

[bobdea]

the conditions were kinda soft and weird so keep that in mind with the following.

I like mine, it is somewhat less user friendly than the standard NSR I've been on. I think that's related to the difference in the sidecut, mid turn I kept feeling like I was about to fall over but I just FELT that way. did not go down once today.

the board is quite similar to the NSR but also a different animal in the sense that it's much less comfortable from the start but it does work really well and I think I just need to trust it more. a couple times I layed it way over and thought I was gonna go straight for the woods mid turn. really unsettling but I can see where that would really work well running gates.this board really needs to be up to speed to be turned and does not like a rider that does not trust it. once you're up to speed the board become incredibly stable but at the same time very sensitive. I like.

bottom line here is it does have a learning curve but the board is really amazing. I want one in a SL size, ohh god do I ever.

I'll be posting more as I get it dialed, I suspect I'll get it dialed and will be totally in love.

[bobdea]

okay, got it out today, moved the bindings around and was in better conditions.

OMG, really fun board!

got a little air between turns, not done that in awhile.

still less user friendly than the NSR but the pay off is more fun for the freecarver that likes speed and likely works better in the gates.

it does need more room than any of my other recent board but that's what I bought it for.

did I mention the top notch build quality or the extremely competitive price? talk about bang for the buck.