- Price: £470 / €600
- Lengths: 150, 153, 155, 158, 161
- Flex: 9
- Profile: Hybrid Camber
- Shape: True Twin
- salomon.com
There was never any danger of the Salomon Ultimate Ride being a one-hit wonder. Bode Merrill’s futuristic all-rounder made quite an impact in its debut season, so here it is again for 2017/18.
“Despite the slight difference in the outline at the nose and tail, the Salomon Ultimate Ride is a true twin”
Despite the slight difference in the outline at the nose and tail, the Salomon Ultimate Ride is a true twin. Take it to the park, by all means, but this one really isn’t for dithering about amongst the ride-on features. It’s a stiff, serious beast, so it’s better off in the pipe or on larger jumps and rails.
When you want to move your tricks to the backcountry, you’re well covered here. If you’re screaming down a well-groomed run-in on the sintered base (complete with top-secret wax treatment), the varied sidecut of the Salomon Ultimate Ride ensures there’s no nasty surprises when you engage an edge. Carbon in the sidewall mellows out nasty vibrations, too.
When you hit the lip, more carbon in the nose and tail gives you insane amounts of pop, aided by the mostly-camber profile. You need to have your wits about you to handle its triax-glass response, but the snowboarder who can step up to the Salomon Ultimate Ride will be richly rewarded.
Plus, everyone knows that lightning bolts on your snowboard make you ride faster, so having them on both the topsheet and base surely can’t hurt.
