Curated Snowboarding Experts Everett Pelkey & Yuri Czmola got their hands on the 2024 Nidecker Play 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 Play 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 Nidecker claim about this board? [Everett] Nidecker claims that this is a beginner board that gets you into the spirit of why snowboarding is so much fun.

[Yuri] Nidecker has this listed as an awesome entry-level snowboard at about $320. It’s an amazing bang for buck for those looking to upgrade out of rentals and begin embracing their snowboard career.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board? [Everett] This thing packs a punch. It’s a little more poppy than you think. It's a little more snappy for a true beginner board. It allows you to progress and feel how fun and creative you can get on a board like this. It is in between a twin and a directional twin. It was where I would put this board, which makes it super fun and easy to learn on, and progressing is a cinch on this thing. This board is definitely for a beginner to open up and explore more, but it can do more than you expect.

[Yuri] I was lucky enough to ride this board at Belleayre Mountain. The conditions were super slushy, a little bit of rain, a little bit of everything. But it’s cool. It’s just snow softener. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and honestly, I was impressed by how well it slid. I liked this snowboard for what it’s designed to do, and it does a great job at it, getting you towards owning your own first setup.

Carving

How does it turn? [Everett] The flat profile is what’s going to make it super forgiving. It is not a total rocker board, so it will not be like a noodle underneath your feet. But on a softer scale and that flat profile, you’ll be able to figure out as you go, how to turn, stopping and going at a safe speed, building that confidence, and not catching an edge. You’ll get a little more stability out of that flat profile.

[Yuri] The camrocker profile on this is built for a very inviting feel, with rocker on the nose and tail and a locked-in feeling underfoot. So, if you’re having issues linking turns or if you’ve just started linking turns, this is a great board to explore.

What is the edge hold like? [Everett] It can hold a decent edge. This thing is actually going to hold you confidently but not be too much for anyone to step on and play around on it.

How is its energy/acceleration? [Everett] It's going to give you a little bit of pop.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle snowboarding? [Everett] As someone who is way more playful of a rider who likes to mess around and freestyle all over the mountain, I can actually have a lot of fun on a true beginner board that I want to keep going after a few laps. I wanted to see what more this board could do.

[Yuri] I would look further up Nidecker’s line to maybe the Score, most likely the Merc, if I was looking to enter into freestyle a little bit more.

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Everett] This thing is super fun. It is playful, no doubt about that. It can hold turns much better than you would expect for such an affordably priced board.

Is it good for riding switch? [Everett] It’s a directional twin on the much softer side. It’s easy to keep the nose forward while you’re going, but it is still playful and doesn't feel super directional.

[Yuri] It was awesome riding it in either direction, switch or irregular.

Freeride

How is it for freeride snowboarding? [Yuri] It is inviting for the park. I didn’t mind it for that introductory level. For inviting in and out of turns, dabbling in the park, and beginning that intro carve feeling, this board can hold you down.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Everett] It’s going to handle chunder decently. I could rip this thing in more than just beginner terrain, which was super fun and quite impressive. I took it on more complex aspects that it didn’t need to go on but still held its own.

[Yuri] I was pretty impressed that it could hold me down on even more intermediate terrain.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? [Everett] This is something that can fit a beginner to intermediate rider who wants to get more playful, really wants to build that confidence but doesn’t want anything overpowering, doesn’t want anything that’s too much but is not too soft to feel like a piece of boiled pasta underneath their feet.

[Yuri] If you are looking for that first snowboard after taking a couple of lessons, trying it out, or upgrading from rentals for a board that will hold you down better, this is a great option. I would look to this board to upgrade from that secondary sales deal and to get off the Facebook marketplace.

Who should avoid this board, are there other better options out there for them? [Everett] I would not recommend this for someone a little bit more aggressive. This is not going to fit that spot.

[Yuri] This is not an expert-level snowboard. It’s not priced out as such, so for expert riders looking to ride technical lines freeriding, look elsewhere.

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