Women’s 2027 Women’s Proto Type 3 Snowboard
Review Info:
Size: 151cm
MSRP: $649
Rider Weight: 120lbs
Key Features:
- Type: All Mountain, Freeride, Powder
- Shape: True Twin
- Profile: Triple Camber Recurve
- Flex: 6
- Damp: 6
- Width: 24.1cm
- Mounting Pattern: 2×4
- Sidewall Type: UHMW
- Core: AllPop Wood Core
- Laminates: RDS 2 Damping System, Bi-Lite Fiberglass
- Topsheet: Co-Extruded Polymer Topsheet with T3 Twin Carbon Mapping
- Base: Durasurf XT Sintered 5501 Base
- Ability Level: All
Review
The 2026 season on the West Coast was, to put it nicely, a little underwhelming. Just when I was about ready to call it quits and chalk the season up to another year of chasing snow, I found myself strapped into a Never Summer Women’s Proto Type 3 from the 2027 line-up and suddenly, things got interesting.
I’m a creature of habit when it comes to snowboards. I’ve ridden the same brand for as long as I can remember. So I know exactly what I like and, more importantly, what I don’t. Jumping onto a new Never Summer had me curious, but I wasn’t expecting the board to change the way I approached a run.
The biggest surprise was the size. I dropped from a 153 down to a 151, expecting the shorter length to make my turns quicker and the board a little more playful. It definitely did that, but what caught me off guard was how much power it still packed. This thing wanted to rail.
I found myself throwing my whole body into wide, low carves, getting as close to the snow as I could and letting the board do its thing. It had that surf, slashy feeling that makes snowboarding so addictive. The kind of turns where you stop thinking about your edges and just start chasing the feeling. I felt like a kid again, trying to see just how low I could get. I was shocked to see how responsive the camber was from a board that little… As I type this, “little” sounds like a taboo word that brings an insult, but why does little have to be less than? After the rips on this board, I’m starting to see the benefit of adding a smaller board to my lineup. It held an edge through those deep, laid-out carves and gave me the confidence to keep pushing. I haven’t managed to actually kiss the snow in a carve yet, but this Never Summer might finally get me there.
My one sticking point was the board’s reverse camber response. I was looking for a little more playfulness and snap when popping into jumps or loading up for a quick rebound, and I didn’t always get it. At around 120 pounds, I found that I didn’t quite have the leg strength to get everything out of the board when I really leaned into those harder, more explosive movements. Less a knock on the board and more a reminder that this board likes a rider who can give it some gas. If you got a little more weight, strength, or leg muscle to throw around, I’d expect you to unlock more of that playful side than I was able to.
Overall Impressions
Overall, the shorter 151 completely changed my expectations. I went in thinking I was simply getting a quicker, more maneuverable ride. What I got was a board that encouraged me to carve harder, get lower, and ride with a little more gut. After an extra slow season, this was exactly the surprise I needed.
