Nitro Relic Review: A Revamped Directional Deck With More Power and Stability

Introduction

The Nitro Relic went through a big overhaul this season, and the changes are more than cosmetic. Nitro reworked the core profiling, bumped the flex up, and dialed in what the first generation was clearly trying to be. The result is a more stable, more powerful directional deck that keeps the playfulness that made the original appealing.

The board uses Nitro’s directional Cam-Rocker profile: a long rocker section in the nose with camber through the rest of the board. That combination gives you pop, snap, and drive from the camber, while the rocker delivers easy entry and exit in turns and better powder float. It is available in 151 and 156.

Who This Board Is For

This is the volume-shifted board for the rider cruising the whole mountain, someone who wants a bit of power, a bit of snap, and just a tiny smidge of play. It fits riders who like a directional shape but still want to mess around on side hits, rollers, and the occasional butter.

If you are a slightly heavier rider, the retooled core should be good news. This version should not buck on you, should float better, and should deliver a little more power than the previous generation.

Main Strengths

The headline change is stiffness. The new Relic sits around a middle-of-the-road flex, whereas the previous version was slightly below that. The nose is still the softest section thanks to the rocker, and the board progressively stiffens toward the tail. Torsional flex is easy to engage, and while it is a little snappy on rebound, it is not overly quick to snap back to its natural shape.

That stiffer nose changes how the board rides. It pushes through snow more easily, so it plows through slush and chunder, and when it hits something firmer it climbs up on top rather than letting the impact reverberate underfoot. On groomers, it simply crushes chop. There is a bit of flap at speed in the tip, but you never feel it underfoot.

It also has more snap than the old version. It takes slightly more to engage, but when you load it up you pop higher: what you put in is what you get out. Minimal effort gets a modest boost, maximum effort and you will genuinely boost off a side hit. It pushes around well in fresh snow too.

The biggest change shows up when you are driving the board hard. On the previous model, aggressive riding flexed the rocker too much and bucked out the front foot. Now you feel locked in, with a ton of power from the middle of the board back through the tail. You can slingshot through a turn and use your front foot to guide, without worrying about it popping up and out.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The tail is the stiffest section of the board, and it will fight you. Sit on it and there is not much to work with, so presses off the tail are a losing battle.

Flat-base speed is another limit. Coming off a roller, it gets you where you need to go, but do not expect record-setting flat-ground carry. It is a directional board, not a dedicated park weapon.

Ankle steering takes a little effort, though it remains smooth and fluid edge to edge. Short, quick, tight carves and medium mellow carves are totally fine.

Butters and Nose Presses

Right where the camber meets the rocker there is a flex point, and it is the best part of this board for playful riding. Pop a 180 off the nose and you feel it press and lock in; disengage with a little flick of the ankle. Nose rolls and swizzles come easy.

If you already know how to butter on a directional board, you will have no problem here. If you do not, it is actually not a bad board to learn on.

Buying Advice

Compared boards worth looking at include the Telos Backslash, the Ride Super Pig, and the Rome Service Dog. If you want alternative binding or board recommendations in the same lane, the Rome Katana, Union Force, and Ride C-8 came up as comparable options.

The verdict is simple: retooling the core profiling made this board better. It has more snap and more power, and this appears to be what Nitro ideally wanted from the first generation before production let the core fall short. If the original Relic felt a touch soft or squirmy, this version fixes exactly that.

Conclusion

The revamped Nitro Relic is a more stable, more powerful take on an already solid directional all-mountain board. Stiffer flex, a reworked core, and a locked-in front foot make it confident through chop and aggressive turns, while the Cam-Rocker profile keeps turn entry easy and float in powder. If you want one board for the whole mountain with a little power, a little snap, and a little play, it belongs on your shortlist.