2012-2013 Nitro Team Gullwing

I can relate to Nitro’s description of loose trucks on a skateboard, but I don’t know how I feel about that on a snowboard. Basically, a skateboard with loose trucks is limited to a lower top speed before it gets the “speed wobbles,” which is when the board begins to oscillate side to side (often resulting in fright and / or gnarly road rash). The only way to avoid speed wobbles is to slow down, and the same was true on the Gullwing. It was super responsive and loose feeling, which can be great in certain conditions, but it also has a speed limit after which the stability of the board diminishes.

Nitro Team Gullwing, Blister Gear Review
Justin Bobb, Kitchen Wall, Taos Ski Valley. (photo by Ryan Heffernan)

I was taking a run down Kirby’s, which is north facing through steep trees into a series of rocky chutes. Boarding out to the area, I noticed the Gullwing was very responsive, but also noticed the wobble a little bit on a few dips and bumpy parts of the “kitchen wall.” I felt like I was being bucked off moguls and irregularities as a result of having less contact edge during the descent. I would pre-ollie over bumps and land in the troughs, trying to keep chatter down. The only way I could do so was to understand the reason I was being bucked and felt little control: I had breached the board’s speed barrier. Once I realized I was maybe going too fast, scrubbing speed was also tough to control. I initiated a toe-side scrub down “Kirbies right,” but the contact length was less than other boards because of the Gullwing shape and therefore not as effective.

Different temperature conditions affected the board as well. I made a run through some great moguls, which were super fun (playful, which this board is), to a catwalk that had slightly warmer snow. The base didn’t carry across the snow as cleanly and smoothly as other bases I’ve been on. (This kind of transition is normal, however the Gullwing seemed stickier.)

The Team Gullwing was semi-soft, with a stiff overall flex but a soft feel on the nose and tail, which could be pressed easily (aided by relatively catch-free edges and the Gullwing design). The pop on this board was certainly among the best and most powerful of any board I’ve ridden, though I did notice that landing took a little more concentration because the rocker would literally rock me into a back wheelie. The flared up nose and tail also made “the run” harder: hopping and bouncing off the nose and tail in alternating presses to move across flat spots or gain elevation.

Nitro Team Gullwing, Blister Gear Review
Justin Bobb, Two Bucks, Taos Ski Valley. (photo by Ryan Heffernan)

The Team Gullwing is a very fun board without being too serious. It fits certain areas of snowboarding well, such as popping hits, low-angle jibbing, and hucking off jumps, but is not quite a one-board quiver in my mind. The main issue I found was the speed limitation. I like to go fast, and I felt a large lack of control at high speed, which is a common feel to boards that have such a drastic angle of mid-length camber, such as Banana Tech from Lib Tech.

Bottom line, if you don’t mind sacrificing a little speed for playfulness, the Team Gullwing is a very solid option.

1 comment on “2012-2013 Nitro Team Gullwing”

  1. Hi Justin Bobb,
    First good review I’ve found on the web, finally!! I just have a few questions.
    I’m seriously looking into buying one of these, Im an intermediate rider and currently riding a stiff old Burton Mayhem 158 from 2010, which I’m pretty bored of. I was wondering if this would be a suitable upgrade? I want a playful all mountain stick, capable of buttering/ pissing around, but also capable of handling powder well. What is the flex like on this board?
    I’m guessing this is Nitro’s version of the Burton Process (or Custom?) Flying-V or Ride’s new Berzerker, from your experience how does it compare to these, as these are my other options.
    Also would it be ok to team this board up with my Burton Mission bindings?

    Thanks for your help
    Anthony

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