Curated Snowboard Expert Arielle Busch got her hands on the 2023 Nitro Optisym this spring and put it to the test at Powder Mountain in Utah. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every rider is different; if you have any questions about the Optisym or need recommendations on which board would be best for you, reach out to a Snowboard Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Nitro claim about this board?

Nitro claims that the Women's Optisym is the official friendly freestyle snowboard with an asym twin, and a cam-out profile.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board?

My overall impression of this board was that it was pretty stiff for me. I was on the right size board for me, especially as a more freestyle friendly board, but whether it's just my weak little legs, or just the day to day, I wasn't able to flex this board as much as I wanted to, and really get into my presses. But where I felt like this board excelled was with that cam-out profile, the pop on this board was insane! I took it through a bunch of rollers, and I just felt like I was flying and getting enough air without even having to really ollie.

Carving

How does it turn?

Because it is an asymmetrical twin, our bodies are not symmetrical, so a lot of the times we can get further on our toe edge, but not so much on our heel edge. And with this asymmetrical twin, I was actually able to rail harder on my heel side carves, which was super, super cool. This asym wasn't as hard to turn as I have found other asyms to be, which was great.

Was it stable?

It was a super stable board. It's a six out of ten flex, so it's kind of stiffer, but for these firm conditions it was perfect.

Freestyle

Could you speak about playfulness and pop?

I struggled a little bit to make it feel playful. To me, this board actually isn't that playful. It's a pretty stiff six flex, and I'm riding it in a 142, so it's like the stiffest 142 I've ever been on. I need a little bit more playfulness in a board, but there's definitely a rider out there that this is good for, because not everyone wants to get playful. So, yeah. Super stable, not playful. But It's a fast board for sure. Easy to turn. Held me in everything.

How is it with jumps?

I feel like this board excels on a jump line. With that cam-out profile, it’s going to give you that pop and really send you to the stars. I was able to take it on some rollers through a border cross track, and there was a moment where I looked back and didn't even remember what I did, because it was just so much fun and so easy to just ollie, and get some really nice air. I would love to take it through a jump line.

What kind of terrain would it perform well on?

Although this board is said to be a freestyle-oriented board, I really felt like it excelled outside the park just as much as it probably would excel on a jump line. I was able to lock into some really deep carves and really feel stable on this thing.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to?

I would not say this should be your intro to park board. This board is definitely meant for a more aggressive park rider. Someone who knows what they're doing on jumps, someone who knows what they're doing in the air, and someone who wants to have a little bit of extra pop in their jumps.

Who should avoid this board, there are better options for them out there?

Because I feel like this board is meant for a little bit more of that aggressive rider and someone who truly knows how to work a snowboard under their feet, I feel like a beginner to intermediate might have a harder time maneuvering this board.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Arielle or any other Snowboard Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations. Note that the 2024 version of the Nitro Optisym is linked below - same tech, just different graphic: