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Salomon Man’s Board 2015-2016 Snowboard Review

It's a man's world after all

The Details:

Stiff, directional and loaded with tech, the Salomon Man’s Board is designed for those who see freestyle as a chance to push physical limits. If you’re still not sure what we mean, think Bode Merrill – after all, he’s the man who brought this into the Salomon line back in 2011.

Like last year, this has a camber profile with rocker sections at the contact points, giving you plenty of snap but also a little more powder float and buttery forgiveness than the classic bend.

The slight directional shape makes crazy high speeds more manageable – as does the sintered base – but switch riding is still very much an option. Carbon built into the triax glass adds to the responsiveness when you’re riding aggressively, which you really had better be if you’ve picked this up.

Should you need something that’s stable enough at speed to shoot the Pyramid Gap one-footed, this’ll do you, but for most mere mortals the real benefit is a solid, comfortable ride in all conditions.

It’s got some green cred too, with specially-sourced wood in the core and cork dampeners (which are more environmentally-friendly than the rubber equivalent). There’s no compromise for performance, though, so expect this to really open up the able rider to bigger and better things.

TESTER’S VERDICT:
Ed Leigh – BBC

“Lately I’ve been riding powder-orientated cruiser shapes which aren’t as obsessed with weight, so stepping onto the Salomon Man’s Board was a proper shock.

It is ridiculously light – I actually found it very difficult to get my head round how something so light could retain so much power.

Usually I’m not a fan of carbon in boards or bindings, as I find it’s so stiff it usually steals the life out of things, but Salomon have hit the sweet spot here. I rode this board two years ago and found it too stiff, but this year they have got it just right.

If you are an intermediate-to-advanced freestyle rider you simply have to try this board. I’m 183cm and 78kg and would consider moving down to the 156 simply because of the power-to-weight ratio of this board. I reckon I could almost relive my 20’s on it.”

It is ridiculously light – I actually found it very difficult to get my head round how something so light could retain so much power”

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