While the Swindle has always been advertised as an urban rail slayer, this year it fits that profile more than ever.
I got my hands on the Swindle Earlyman (A special edition collaboration with the metal band Earlyman) through High Cascade's demo center. This was a summer demo meaning snow conditions ranging from salt-crusted to deep slush. High Cascades expansive park layout let me test the deck on jumps, rails and in the pipe, while Mt. Hood summer conditions gave me some rocks and gullies to play around on.
First, this years Swindle is noticeably softer than previous models. While it's fun to butter around and easy to maneuver, I found the pop to be serious lacking. Rocks I was nollie-360ing over with ease using Nitro's Gullwing camber (a play on reverse) I could barely clear with the 2011 Swindle.
Compared to past models, the pop/snap in the 2010 was surprising given the switch to zero camber and the 2009 (traditional camber) boosted; the 2011 was for lack of a better word "dead" underfoot.
Kickers have never been the Swindle's strong point, however the deck will handle most medium sized booters (up to 35 feet). The Swindle is too soft for anything bigger and will buckle at high speeds and larger compression.
On a plus, the softer torsional flex from thinning the core let you get insanely creative with tweaking grabs.
Cruising with the 2011 Swindle turns any groomer into a playground; The board is loose underfoot, and again pretty soft, so have fun buttering and flat-spinning your way down the hill. For charging or eurocarving this isn't the deck to go for; it doesn't absorb chop too well and will give way with high speed carves.
On rails the Swindle is as good as ever. The looser feel edge-to-edge was tailor made to setting up your approach for rails. The deck does phenomenal presses, and I've always loved zero camber for locking boardslides dead centered. I've been pretty hard on the pop for the 2011 model, but I want to point out it still does it's job getting you on whatever jib might tickle your fancy.
Not much worth mentioning as far the halfpipe goes, but I will say that the Swindle is fun to play with in the minipipe.
Overall I think Nitro set out this year to fit the Swindle to the urban/rail category they've had it in for a while; while in past years it was an overall slayer all over the mountain, this year I would limit the Swindle to being a playful spring park/jib deck.
Check out the Swindle and Nitro's other decks on their website.
