Curated Snowboarding Experts Matthew Kaminski got his hands on the 2024 Nitro Prime Raw Snowboard this spring. 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 Prime Raw or need recommendations on which board would be best for you, reach out to a Snowboarding 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? [Matthew] Nitro claims that this snowbird is a quiver-killing, do-it-all type of snowboard. You can take it through any condition, get on any kind of rider, and do anything you want to do with it.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board? [Matthew] This is a super-easy board to ride. It was very approachable. Coming from 20 years of snowboarding as an advanced rider, it felt a little squirrely. It’s not what I’m used to with a full camber profile. The board looks awesome, and the graphics are sweet. I love this little yin-yang-type vibe on the bottom. Nitro is crushing it with attractive boards all around, as the stoke level is pretty high to get on this thing. And when I got out there, I realized that it’s definitely a beginner board. That’s what it does. Overall, I was impressed with this board. It’d be ideal for that day-one beginner or any beginner still getting confident in your skills.

Carving

How does it turn? [Matthew] Edge to edge, this board turns super easily. It’s ideal for those riders who are looking to build confidence and get better on their edges.

What is the edge hold like? [Matthew] Sometimes, with my presses, I feel like I couldn’t dig in and hold that edge. It almost felt like it was just really surfy.

How damp is the board? Do you feel any underfoot chatter? [Matthew] This board is pretty torsional, and it has some dampness to it. You’re able to flex and twist it. It is really easy to get all around.

How does it perform at speed? [Matthew] Going at higher speeds, it is going to feel a little bit washier.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle snowboarding? [Matthew] It’s really easy to lock in on rails. It's a really fun board for riding in the park. It's freestyle capable, if you wanted to get into that kind of stuff.

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Matthew] You get some surfyness with a softer, flexing, flat profile board.

Is it good for riding switch? [Matthew] Riding switch felt so natural. I couldn’t tell the difference between switch to regular.

How is it for buttering? [Matthew] This board wants to butter, press, and do all the fun things we want to get into as we learn to snowboard. But it’s not like the best at doing that. If you want something soft and able to press, there might be a couple of better options out there.

How is it on jumps? [Matthew] I did find myself off sidehits, like almost being in the front seat more, and I think that’s just because I’m used to riding a directional board. I set this up with the true twin stance, and I always found myself being in front of the board when I landed. I wanted to get confident doing some rotations, but I didn’t feel the board out enough to feel confident enough to start spinning. I did a few little switch ones and stuff like that but nothing big on the jumps in the park, just really controlled air. It felt really solid landing off the big airs. It didn’t feel like I was washing out.

Freeride

How is it for freeride snowboarding? [Matthew] Riding this in the park, I was really impressed.

How is it in powder? [Matthew] I didn’t get the chance to ride this board in powder. It would do all right. The softer flex is going to help keep the float.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Matthew] Running into some uneven and chundery terrain, it absorbed a lot of that stuff. The softer flex has made things approachable and easy to ride in most areas.

How is it riding in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Matthew] I took this thing through the trees. I found a nice little bike path. This trail led to a pretty technical drop; you had some grass patches you had to avoid, and I was impressed. This board was maneuverable and easy to put through those tight areas.

What terrain is this board good for? [Matthew] I took it on a bit steeper of terrain here and there and went on some bigger areas that usually an intermediate rider would hit, and it actually held up well.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? [Matthew] This was the perfect beginner board. I’d feel confident putting a day one snowboarder on this board, letting them figure out how to get comfortable on each edge and find their way down the mountain. Also, for any rider out there who’s just starting and wants to learn those maneuvers and get confident on both heel-toe edge, going forward, going backward, all the maneuvers, this is a great board to dive into that stuff.

Who should avoid this board, are there other better options out there for them? [Matthew] If you’re getting more to the intermediate, almost advanced side of things, you’ll probably want something with a bit better edge hold or a little more pop, get something with a camber, or even something like a hybrid profile.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Matthew or any other Snowboarding Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations on the best board for you.