I’m starting to see the 2011 Never Summer snowboard line appearing in online stores, and now that they’re actually available to purchase, they look even sexier than they did in that preview brochure that I snagged a few months ago. This year’s Legacy looks pretty cool and it should definitely be more of a playful board than the old 04/05 model that I have, but I really dig the Heritage with that wicked cool carbonium top sheet as a replacement all-mountain deck.
The only issue is the sizes available… I’d be very comfortable snapping up a 61w but they don’t make one; the Heritage comes in 59 or 63 wides. I’m leaning towards the regular-wide 162cm, although some people over at the forum think a 159 wide would be fine. But I just don’t know if I feel comfortable downsizing that much from a 63 regular camber and 61 wide flat-rocker.
Maybe I’m too anal, because 80% of my shred happens on molehills in Michigan and I’ve been playing around doing more park the last season or two, so with that in mind, the 59w would be perfect but I have the Machete to take all that park abuse, I don’t need another “all-mountain” board that I’m only gonna rock in the park.
So many decisions to make, and the Heritage is a limited edition if you want one you better find one ASAP. I know we’re still 5 or 6 months from snow, but if you wait too long you might miss out altogether.
Someone on the forum recently was looking for a longer (162+ cm), that he could split for backcountry riding, and that got me thinking about my NS Legacy which I’ve all but officially retired. Part of me wants to hang on to it for sentimental reasons, but I know I’ll probably never use it again even though it’s still a solid board with some life left to it, and still rips on glades and groomers alike. 
But the only thing I could really do with it, if I’m not riding it, is hang it on a wall somewhere as a piece of art.
It was kind of bittersweet when I rode my old Never Summer Legacy the last three days of our trip in Utah, because in the back of my mind it was a “retirement ride” for a deck that’s traveled all over the continent and across 5 or 6 winters, good and bad. It was a fitting send-off, I think, because the very first time I rode that board (ever) was in Park City in 2005, so everything kind of came full circle.
As much as I don’t want to part with this board, I think it would be really awesome to be able to give her a new lease on life and extend the stoke a little bit.
For the time being, the jury is still out. Maybe I sell her to this aspiring split-boarder, maybe I hang on to her for sentimental value.
But I’m really looking forward to Never Summer’s 2011 lineup, and I’ll probably replace the Legacy with the 2011 Heritage which just looks bad ass, and has the new Carbonium laminate technology. Selling my old deck will help finance a brand new love affair with Never Summer snowboards.
