There is nothing quite like the feeling of a surfy snowboard. Being able to surf the snow with precision, style, and ease is one of the best feelings you can have while snowboarding. Surfing the snow is different in every condition. Surfing powder on a snowboard is very different from surfing slush on a snowboard. Never Summer makes an incredible series of snowboards for this exact kind of snowboarding. Let’s take a deeper dive into Never Summer’s Shaper Series. Learn about what makes these boards special for surfing the snow and finding out which surf style snowboard is best for you.
Brothers Tim and Tracey Canaday started Never Summer 32 years ago. For over 40 years Tim Canaday has been shaping snowboards. Always on the cutting edge of snowboard design, from the mind of Tim Canaday, Never Summer brings you the Shaper Series. Here to recapture the feeling that made us all snowboarders, the Shaper Series is all about beautifying the turn and creating a fluid style all your own! The first time you linked turns..that's when we all got hooked. That 'something' just 'clicked'. It changed our lives. The Shaper Series brings us back to our snowboarding roots and how snowboarding has been inspired by surfing. The fun and attainable style are the pure dynamics of board sports. Make no mistake. This is a very different board, from look, to profile, to performance, all inspired by fluid surf style. The Shaper Series embraces every aspect of snowboarding……groomer, park, trees, speed, big carves, huge lines.…regardless of snow conditions. The new Fusion Rocker Camber Profile is combined with an increased surface area and a streamlined taper that brings the passion back to your snowboarding. Every board has amazingly quick turn initiation, tons of pop, and trench digging edge hold regardless of size.
Tim Canaday’s Shaper Series
Tim Canaday, one of the brothers that founded Never Summer Industries wanted to do something new and exciting with their handcrafted snowboards. The Never Summer Swift was a surfboard built for the snow, the first deep powder snowboard we built meant for surfing not just powder, but slush, wind lips, groomers, and everything in between. The Swift being introduced in the 2015-2016 season was Never Summer’s lone shaper snowboard in the line for just two seasons. After just two seasons, The Swift was a fan favorite and Tim knew he could do more. Tim developed a new line for Never Summer; Tim Canaday’s Shaper Series. Introduced during the 2017-2018 season, Tim came up with three brand new models that replicated all different types of surfing. In addition to the Swift, the Shaper Series included the InstaGator, Maverix, and Big Gun. Over years of R&D and technological advancements the Shaper Series has changed and developed into what you see today. The 2023 Shaper Series includes The Swift, Harpoon, Shaper, and Women’s Harpoon.
Rocker-Camber Fusion Profile
Shaper Series Established 2017-2018 Season
Swift
2015/16 Season - Present
The Never Summer Swift is Never Summer’s first modern snowboard, built like a surfboard for the snow. Built for surfing not just powder but for the whole mountain in any condition on any kind of snow. Being the longest running snowboard in the Shaper Series The Swift is a fan-favorite. Featuring a set back stance and two centimeters of taper this board surfs efficiently from edge to edge and floats like no other in soft snow. Utilizing Fusion Rocker Camber, this board provides excellent edge hold, stability at high speeds, and floats in powder very well.
With a surf style shape and feeling like a hybrid of a shortboard and a longboard in one, The Swift surfs it all.
Shaper/Shaper Twin
Spring 2018 (Early Release - Chris Corning Olympic Limited Edition) - Present
Being sold since 2018, the Shaper is our second longest running board in the Never Summer Shaper Series. Built for the all mountain surfer looking to hit everything in their line. From railing a backside turn in the pow, or a butter on the groomers, even to a cab five off your favorite hit on the mountain, this board is built to be an all over freestyle killer. Don’t let the name changes fool you, this board has just been getting better and better every season for whatever you want to ride on the mountain.
The Fusion Rocker Camber Shaper Snowboard. Born a mutant, with 10mm of taper, a centered stance, premier switch ride-ability, and insane park performance the Shaper Twin is dominating the Freestyle Twin Category. A balanced and exceptional performance in every terrain ventured. In the tail, a Ripsaw Rocker Camber so you get trench digging edge holds on every turn, consistent snap out of turns, and huge pop. In the nose we placed Original Rocker Camber for an insane float and a surfy feel to keep you surfing the earth while landing everything.
The Shaper Snowboard is one of the best choices for riders who want a widely versatile board built for various terrain and conditions. We like to compare our Shaper to a shortboard with lots of volume and narrower width even though this is not reflected directly on the engineering of the Shaper
Harpoon
2020/21 - Present
Taking two of our award-winning Shaper Series Snowboards, the Insta/Gator and the Maverix, The Harpoon was born as a new weapon of choice. The best performing, tapered, volume board ever imagined. Amazing nimbility complimented by smooth and freakish stability. Swim better than a whale. Cut better than a knife. Hold a line better than a rocket. Pull the trigger. You'll ride better for it.
This board is built like a surfboard for the mountain like you couldn't even dream of. Stable and holds an edge for every carve or straight line, yet when you want to let loose and throw up some snow, The Never Summer Harpoon does just that. Really a dream when you’re trying to surf the whole mountain. From big snow waves to small snow pockets, you’ll love the Harpoon in any condition.
The Never Summer Harpoon has a hybrid camber profile for all-mountain riding which we call Fusion Rocker Camber. The board features a perfect medium flex that is great for all abilities of riders with lots of responsiveness and forgiveness allowing for nimble turns while maintaining control. A lot of our team riders even take this board out in the park. It’s a board everyone should try, just to feel how fun this thing is for surfing the mountain.
Women’s Harpoon
Spring 2021 Release - Present
The Women’s Harpoon is built with all of the great things that the men’s features, but just tuned specifically to women. A dream come true for any woman that wants to surf the earth. The feeling that this board gives is something that just cant be described without being felt in person. Join a Women's Ride Day and shred with the awesome ladies of Never Summer or we offer lots of demos all around the country.
The Never Summer Women's Harpoon Snowboard is the most versatile and high-performance board suitable for the widest range of riding styles and conditions. Being designed specifically for women who are looking to surf the mountain, this board is truly a unique ride that you won't find anywhere else.
Insta/Gator
2017/18 Season - 2019/20 Season
The Never Summer Insta/Gator snaps in and out of turns, spins like a machine, and rails turns like a train. This board was built to be sized down about ten centimeters and be comparable to more of a shortboard on the waves. Amazingly nimble with stability that is incomprehensible in a board this size. 12mm of taper and massive surface area will have you happily downsizing without losing the performance or ability to ride anywhere. It's a new world…adjust your stance width, placement, and angles for ride variations that fit the days mood, conditions, and style. This board was built for playing without losing performance.
The Insta Gator Snowboard is best known for its short tail, versatile shape, and durable construction. A unique shape combines the features of a powder board and an all-mountain board, so you get the best of both worlds. Incorporate the Fusion Rocker Profile and you have one of the most fun shortboards to surf the mountain.The board features a wide nose and tapered tail maintaining stability and control on groomed terrain as well as providing effortless float in softer snow. With an additional variation of this board just for women, it is a board built for everyone
Big Gun
2017/18 Season - 2020/21 Season
Coming in at its smallest sizing being a 165 centimeter the first year Never Summer released the Big Gun, this board is really built for being a big surfer on the mountains. Gun surfboards are made for the biggest waves. The Big Gun was made for the biggest style of surfing around the mountain. 19mm of big taper with huge surface area, the Big Gun is stable at insane speeds and through any type of snow. This board is built for big hard charging, but don’t let it fool you, it has short board tendencies when you want and need them most. Aggressive taper to give you maximum maneuverability from edge to edge and Never Summer’s hybrid rocker camber profile (Fusion Rocker Camber) while being a hard charger gives you everything you need in a day charging the mountain.
The Never Summer Big Gun is a high-performance snowboard that is designed for more advanced to expert level riders who want to hard charge through big mountain terrain.
Maverix
2017/18 Season - 2019/20 Season
The Never Summer Maverix is very unique. Recommended that you size all the way up to a ten centimeters difference than your normal size, smaller or larger. The Maverix features a wider than average waist width, 17mm of taper, and significantly larger surface area. This board was built to fill that spot in your quiver you couldn’t quite find or place, but had been looking for all along. Want a super nimble, wide, shorty with amazing edge hold and versatility? Size down the Maverix. Want a cushy ride that's super responsive in a larger size? Size the Maverix bigger. Either way you're going to get amazing performance and stylized fluidity that fits all conditions..not just the best conditions.
The Maverix has a medium flex rating, a great choice for intermediate to advanced riders who want a versatile snowboard that can handle everything it may come across on the mountain from groomers to powder. Featuring the Never Summer Fusion Rocker Camber profile, this board surfs with ease. You would be surprised what this board brings to your snowboarding and how custom ride you can dial in.
