Men’s 2026 Trooper Snowboard

I fell in love with snowboarding when I was about 46. I bought an old, used K2 Recon Riser 161 and became attached to it. Over the past few years, every time I looked into a new board, the huge number of styles and various technologies made my head swim. This year (2025, December) my daughter, 17, started snowboarding and when I got her a new board I got a little jealous. Yet again, I was lost in a sea of options. With a little guidance from the local shop, and a lot of hand wringing, I decided on the Never Summer Trooper. My style is pretty laid back now that I am 56, but I do like to put a little speed on and just carve the slopes. Occasionally I get turned around so I think it is also important for me to dial-in switch riding. I bought the board this morning and they had it ready in a flash. I was so stoked I went straight to the local to get a feel for it and I was blown away. The first thing I noticed on the lift was how light it is. My old board was 161 and my new NS Trooper is 161X, but the Trooper is so much lighter. Turns are far easier to initiate on the Trooper and my 2 hour session today was immense fun. Speed came on predictably, so I wasn’t just going over a rise and suddenly flying down the other side. Speed increased incrementally, allowing me to scrub some speed off under control, as opposed to panic speed-scrubs on my old board. At the end of the day, I actually started thinking about getting some advanced lessons and upping my snowboard game. The NS Trooper felt so controllable it boosted my confidence about improving my skills this season. Super, super stoked that I snagged this. Seriously becoming an “always Never Summer” snowboarder here!

I took the almighty Trooper out during a sunny 35 degree (F) day, and I had no issue at all with carves on icey spots. The board pops up quickly and felt very secure on landings. It was very easy to transition from heel to toe edge and made me feel very confident. The design is another on-brand masterpiece from NS. This board rode extremely similar to the Nokhu but they are not the same board in the slightest. I think the Trooper is a tad more playful than the Nokhu making it my ideal board for any side hit.

Wasn’t planning on buying a new board but I couldn’t resist the Trooper. Visually, it’s super cool, with moody and quietly bold graphics. Loving the color scheme, too, highlighted by a splash of green. The new board is a modified and technology-rich version of the longtime Snowtrooper model. Just like its forefather, the 2026 Trooper is stable, versatile and nimble, according to its specs. Can’t wait to take it out on the slopes.