$599 Advanced to Expert Freeride and Powder A Good Ride Favorite! Those that know the Nidecker Megalight love it! A smile comes to the face before someone starts to describe how it rides. It has a very tapered shape that is more aggressive than most powder boards but still rides better than most slightly tapered or non tapered boards on Groomers. We don't know how they did it but you won't find a board in it's class that rides this well on powder and groomed runs. The Megalight is Nideckers most popular freeride/powder board and we at the good ride feel it might be the best out there. Its a shame riders don't know more about this company. If you want a high end alternative to the popular tapered freeride boards go with the Megalight. With the exception of the Camrock option little has changed from 2010-2012 but not enough to really talk about. Check the Detailed Review Below
The Nidecker Megalight Snowboard Review by The Good Ride
Board- 163 regular camber with Ultimate Grip, 163 Camrock Days on the board- 25+ Bindings Used- Burton P1, Flux SF 45, Burton Diode, Union Force SL Riders-3 Boots-Salomon Synapse, Burton SLX, Nike Kaiju
The Megalight is soo expensive but one of the only boards we don't get angry about the price. In this case you aren't paying for the name as much as you are paying for amazing construction and tech.
Before we get deep into the review let's discuss the rocker and camber options it comes in. The Cam Rock and Traditional Camber. Either model is in a rare category that allows you to have one board that can ride groomers as well as powder with a pow specific shape. Cam Rock and it is brilliant! It has camber and rocker but unlike other rockered boards the center has a mini camber between the feet. Shortly after the bindings the board starts to curve up. It's like a regular cambered board except the nose has much more floatability. It's so simple but so ingenious. We have tried almost every rockered board and this by far is the most stable. If you want the loose catch free feeling that most rockered boards have this doesn't have that feeling. If you want the same stability as a cambered board and the floatibility of a rockered board try YES and Nidecker's camrock.Here is a diagram from their site.
Ok back to the review. The Nidecker Megalight comes with a serious reputation as one of the best Freeride boards out there. We were pretty skeptical before throwing down high end burton/palmer kind of money to buy the Megalight for what we thought would be just a powder board marketed as an all conditions freeride board. However the first time we took the Megalight out on groomers we knew it was money well spent and Nidecker was right about this being a great powder and freeride board. The more we rode the Megalight the more we fell in love with it. Each condition we rode this in surprised us. It started getting weird and we even made a few runs through the pipe to see if we could find a flaw. Well the Megalight wasn't a dream pipe board but it did rather well going in one direction. This unique freeride specific board is one of the best we have encountered.
There are so many boards with this shape that shine in Powder but few to none can offer the same experience as the Megalight when the powder is gone. The Megalight is of course light, really fast and incredibly fun to turn in any kind of condition. We don't get why it rides so well with this kind of shape. What ever Nidecker did to the Megalight shows that they have taken all their knowledge of making boards since 1984 and put it all into the Megalight. Carving was sooooooo much fun and the edge to edge transitioning was a dream. What really surprised all riders is how well you could straight line this surf style board. Despite the semi soft flex the Megalight can bomb any pitch without the tiniest bit of chatter. What a damp board.
The Megalight's edge hold is right there with the old Mervin Cambered MTX boards. It can hold on to anything but unlike MTX the Megalight still rides like a normal snowboard. What separates this from the competition is Nideckers Ultimate grip. The serrated edges between the feet bite into the snow like a rabid dog. You will not see shapes similar to the Megalight hang on to the snow like this. You often hear from other reviews of tapered boards that if the conditions are hard the tail can wash out. Not once did we experience anything close to this. Since this is just a change in shape of the rail and not the actual board it does wear away as you have to tune it but it's still great for a long time.
All in all we can't say enough good things about the Nidecker Megalight. The Megalight is Nideckers most popular board in the US and owns Europe. Everyone we talk to who has ridden this board smiles first before talking about it. You really can't go wrong with the Megalight for an all conditions freeride snowboard and we haven't found it's equal yet in the snowboard world. If you are looking for a board that performs amazing in Powder then go with the CamRock. If you live for amazing turns on morning groomers then go with the traditional cambered model. Don't get us wrong both will perform admirably and it's hard to go wrong with either. This is the kind of board an intermediate rider can handle but the more a rider has experience the more they will fall in love with it.
The Good Ride Take on Hybrid Camber For the most part there are two types of hybrid camber that we see out there these days. 1. Mostly Rocker Hybrid Camber This type of ride, like many boards, has camber and rocker but unlike other rockered boards the center has a mini camber. This is usually 1-3mm high, sits only between the bindings and then curves up right after. From a distance this board looks like a rocker board but when you look closer you see the little camber between the feet. This is not as loose as hybrid rocker but it’s very close. It is very stable between the feet and easy to one foot or flat base in any condition out there. Mostly Rocker Hybrid Camber is very versatile. You will see this design on anything from Freestyle to Freeride style snowboards. This will work well with all ability levels and riding styles.
2 Mostly Camber Hybrid Camber There are all types of designs but this type usually looks like a Camber board and rides much closer to an old school Camber board. ONe thing you will notice is usually when you step on the board the tip and tail rise up a lot more than a normal camber board will. Some are mostly camber and others have a bit more rocker but you will always notice they have camber. This allows for a stable, fast carve friendly feeling you get with camber but also makes it more catch free and floaty in powder. This doesn't float effortlessly like hybrid rocker, mostly rocker hybrid camber or flat to rocker but it does better than camber. You will mainly see this on aggressive freestyle to all mountain to freeride style snowboards.
Despite its aggressive air, the Megalight is not just a race board. It is adapted to all riding styles, and excels in all snow conditions. Its construction combines high-tech materials with traditional craftsmanship and goes from groomers, to ice, to powder without a single care. This board was designed to perform, with virtually all of our available technologies incorporated into a single weapon. Comes with regular camber, but is also available with CamRock, for those who want to add more fun to their edge-to-edge transitions and powder riding!
Performance
Freestyle
Freeride
All Mountain
Race
Freeride CamRock ®
The CamRock Freeride will give you everything you need for your backcountry line. There is more rocker in the nose to add float and improved maneuverability, matched with a smaller amount of camber under foot to keep your snowboard responsive. A small amount of rocker in the tail will give you stability and maneuverability.
Directional
A purely directional board is best for all-mountain freeriding. The nose is longer and wi¬der than the tail, giving you plenty of control in any terrain, and the stance is set back to help you float above the pow. Plus, we stiffened the tail to help snap you out of turns and keep your speed up.
3D N Concept
Our 3D N Concept takes snowboard construction to the next level, providing the rider with the ulti¬mate feeling of control: Inde¬pendent Torsion Flex. Combining carbon fiber, Kevlar, and a host of visionary compo¬site materials into a hyper-responsive control matrix, it’s the future…in the form of a snowboard.
Ultimate Grip Ultimate Grip (UG) will allow you to ride hard, artificial, and/or icy snow as you have never done before. The serrated edges maximize the edge contact area with the snow and mean that your grip increases by 200% over a regular board in the same turn. How does it work? The best comparison is to a normal knife and a serrated knife. The serrated knife cuts far easier and requires less force than the normal knife. Not only that, but if you want them at maximum efficiency, you need to sharpen the normal knife far more often than the serrated knife. So...join the UG revolution! You’ll never go back. More safety with less effort. More fun due to less fatigue. Holds its edge longer without sharpening. Freeflex 2.0 In this patented technology, the nose and tail of the board are specially molded in a very thin composite material that is laye¬red with a proprietary elastomeric covering. This cancels out vibrations and helps provide a unique light feel in transitions, due to its reduced thickness. Free Flex 2.0 has one of the lowest swing weights in the industry, meaning less chatter for you. Shock Absorber
Our Shock Absorber is a specially designed elastomeric interlayer, which offers additional comfort to the rider, while eliminating vibrations.
Master Wood Core
MasterCore construction is the result of our long history of experimentation in materials and woodcraft. It is the perfect harmony of different wood densities and wood species, which lightens up the core and re¬sults in a superior weight-to-performance-to-power ratio and an ultra-strong, uber-responsive, lightweight, and high performance core.
Fiber Multi Carbon
This fiberglass, produced especially for Nidecker, allows more effective edge response and overall control. We added a bi-directional carbon fabric to allow for more finely tuned responsiveness. This is the premium fiber composite used in snowboards today.
Multi Fiber
The Multi is the best way between vibration and reactivity. Nidecker’s ’s exclusive light Triax which is made with pride in Switzerland. This laminate incorporates a multi layered, multi axis fiberglass which is stitched together resulting in a straight fiber laminate. Incorporated with this are dual Carbon and Kevlar Fiber beams which work with the fiberglass, creating prolonged and unequalled longitudinal snap and liveliness.
9000
Our 100% eco-friendly base is the fastest base avai¬lable in the market. Produced with carbon nanopar¬ticles, it has a very dense molecular structure, making it our most durable base material. Diamond
Stone & Diamond structured base on 2 axes to maximize glide and to optimize the dura-bility of the base. Die-Cut
Die-cut is a system in which we cut out different colors & shapes of base material. We then join the pieces together to create bright & very ap- pealing base designs.
Standard Nidecker Alu Protect
State-of-the-art, high-strength aluminum tip and tail protectors. Elastomer is bonded to the aluminum to absorb vibrations. Topsheet Duraclear
The most popular topsheet on the market, the Duraclear is strong and tough, able to withstand constant punishment.
Nidecker Megalight 2011 Description Despite its aggressive air, due to its construction, the Megalight is adapted to all riding styles and excels in all of snow conditions. Its construction combines hitech materials and traditional craftsmanship.
From well groomed slopes to powder without a single worry. This board knows how to handle any kind of terrain, thanks to its performance driven construction and shock absorbing features. Also available in a «CAMROCK» shaped version for those who want to add more fun in their edge to edge transitions and powder riding !
Nidecker Megalight 2010 Description
A new generation of boards is born! Result of collaborations with our tech partners and engineers, this new Megalight combines comfort and absolute precision on any mountain and any snow conditions. Its patented construction, directional dual shape and pintail will make you rediscover the meaning of the word “snowboard”.
I purchased this board in the 163 XL for the 2011-2012 season. I researched for over a year (whilst waiting for my big trip)and this board had nothing but great reviews. It was hard for me to get (I live in Australia) and expensive but worth every cent. I set it up with burton prophecy bindings, and SLX boots. I did Silver Star, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Whistler Blackcombe, Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek and Aspen, in a 5 week trip, snowboarding almost every day. Conditions were absolutely everything from rock hard groomed runs to deep powder, green runs to double blacks to areas way beyond my skill level. This board never let me down. I started the trip having not boarded for 10 years, and was nervous as, but it looked after me, and by the end of the trip I could do anything. Awesome carving, fast runs, steep deep powder runs, and slow heavy tree runs. The only thing I didn't use it for was riding switch or park. It is light, strong, fast and a beautiful looking board. The more agressively you ride it, the better it gets (especially fast carving), but at the same time it is easy to cruise on. I am thinking about buying another one just for the future when I wear out my current one. Moving the bindings around can really change how the board rides for different conditions, and when you get it right it is perfect. The only negative I could say is that my binding did puncture the top laminate layer on one corner, and I do have a few scratches on the bottom.....but rocks and trees will do that. I would definately recommend this board to my friends.
Overall Rating:
5.0
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Reviewed by Stu
February 25, 2012
trust this board
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
i got my new Megalight camrock 2011 after using the campered version for 3 years.i got the 163 ,i weight 73 kgr.all in all a fantastic,very easy to get used to it board.i rode in groomers ,powder,iced for 5 days.so easy edge to edge,nice grip(i got the ultragrip version)very playfull in tights trough trees,feels like much shorter.really light.for high speed carving or killing the mountain in open bowls,icy conditions,or mach speed mode, i would reccomend the camber version with closed eyes.my new camrock version does not ask that much in muscle power from the rider.everything goes on so easy,so relaxed ,so fluent.you cant press the tail to exit turns as hard as the camber version and accelerate for the next one but you can ride for ages without asking for a break.switch is so much more fun on camrock.take offs and landings too.in powder you just look where you want to go and thats it.i am riding for 20 years ,got a racing backround,ten years on softies.the Megalight camrock is the best choise for backcountry riding in the freshies..and a top 5 freeride board.i would place the new camrock version with out doubt as the best all mountain-freeride board.
Overall Rating:
5.0
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Reviewed by lakis Stratis
August 15, 2011
Best for those in for a ride
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
I got my first megalite, 08/09, for my 21st birthday. To that point I was strictly a sims and Burton rider. Going from stiff, heavy park boards to the nidecker was like waking up from a nightmare and walking into a dream. The first day out was a epic 3 foot Utah powder day with blue skis. The board responded to every input instantly. I was amazed at how easily it was to transition in turns. Next I took the board hiking. Having a feather lite board (in comparison) made a huge difference. The energy I conserved from weight loss showed in the turns I made, I even went back for more because my legs were so fresh. Next, the board proved it worth after I had knee surgery. The ease of the ride meant I could still ride close to normal without much knee pain. The board carves like a race style board, both in the powder and on the groomed.
The only downside to this board is it's lack of durability. There are only a few inches of sidewalls on both the heel and toe side. If you do strike a rock hard enough, you will blow out the edge which is usually a $50 repair. The bottom is also easily damaged. A rock will cause considerable damage, but a little TLC and petex will get you back on the hill and going strong.
So, once I find this board back on the market, I'd definitely give up a few Starbucks coffees and nights at the bar to get a new one. Match this board up with a good/solid lite weight binding and you've got one of the best boards on the entire mountain. If you are a serious rider who can sacrifice some time and money, this board is for you. Have fun, and ride hard!
Overall Rating:
5.0
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Reviewed by Junior
August 12, 2011
POWDA
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
I bought the camber version for a powder board - best powder board I have ever ridden. Does high speeds perfectly, turns in powder like its in butter, and carves everything from chopped in-between-trees to untouched powder fields to groomed runs perfectly. Highly recommend for powder and high speed riding. Definitely not a park board, and is a very non-durable design - my only complaint. by the end of the first day its black glossy finish had more imperfections than my 3-year old burton with weeks of riding every season
From well groomed slopes to powder without a single worry. This board knows how to handle any kind of terrain, thanks to its performance driven construction and shock absorbing features. Also available in a «CAMROCK» shaped version for those who want to add more fun in their edge to edge transitions and powder riding !
