Burton Nug Review
| Product Test | By: Brad Andrew
Last winter I got my hands on Burton Snowboard’s newest brainchild; the NUG. The NUG is the latest creation from Burton OG team rider, master shaper /designer, and product testing supervisor John “JG” Gerndt. JG is the man behind such creations as the Fish. The NUG was designed to be ridden 8-10cm shorter than your average board but still be able to hold its own at speed, through chop, and apparently in powder. I don’t really want to bore your asses off with a bunch of technical jargon but if you need all the specs then just check here. To me the NUG just seemed like another gimmick but I was stoked to try it out.
I rode the NUG 150 for about 6 or 7 days last winter and the conditions ranged from hardpack to knee deep blower. For bindings I paired the NUG with a set of Mission EST binders. My first impression was all about the size. The thing was tiny. I thought to myself, “There is no way I am taking this thing anywhere near deep snow.” So where did I go first? I went to the lodge and drank a beer. It was lunch. If there is one think I’ve learned over time it’s to never blow epic days F’ing around with new product. So there was no way I was blowing a 12+” Mt. Baker morning on some Popsicle stick. I waited till lunch to whip it out.
After I got off the lift I proceeded to put this little soldier through the paces. I ducked ropes and dropped the wall into Oye valley, lapped a few runs through the Natty Pipe, and hit some 7 trees. I was blown away. With each run I learned to push through my fear created from its minute size and slowly I trusted this little dude more and more. I put a few more days in around the area and had a blast. It could be popped like a skateboard and thrown around effortlessly. It was nearly catch free on butters and I truly did float up in the powder. This board was like a mini swiss army knife. I then decided it was time to venture into the Mt. Baker side-country for a little kicker time. We built two different mellow kickers and let it go. I threw some front fives and threes and was pretty impressed with its stability. I noticed that landing switch or backseat at all made for a leg workout due to its softer flex pattern, smaller size, and over accentuated nose rocker. But in the overall spectrum it was a rad all around shred stick.
As for where this board fits in, I would have to recommend this stick to anyone who is interested in building a bulletproof quiver. It’s a great all around play board that can still hold its own in the realm only the big boys venture. Is it the right board if it’s your only board to ride? I would say that it depends on your location. I can definitely say it doesn’t power up and through chop like a big board can but I don’t think that is the point Burton is trying to make with this board. It is a board designed to enable people to take a different approach to riding. It’s ok to try new things, and this is one I think everyone should try. The 2011-2012 NUGs are only available at Burton Restricted dealers. Stop by the Hidden Wave today and check out the new NUG.
