Shape, Profile and Sidecut

The outline of the Sight definitely lends itself more to traditional freeride, with a tapered shape and setback stance adding some extra volume in the nose, however it’s not so substantial that you’ll find yourself unable to land switch or ride outside of your preferred stance if you decide to. It will, though, make your turn initiation a touch smoother, make you a bit more nimble edge to edge and add a bit of bite when the snow pack is hard.

The profile, however, is decidedly all-mountain. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, CamRock has got to be one of, if not the, most versatile profiles available. Smooth, surfy and playful in the nose and tail, with some added dynamic energy and beef between the bindings.

It’s a win-win for pretty much every type of terrain, and this is why we think the Salomon Sight is a great first step into freeride without buying a full quiver deck, because you can reap the benefits of the more powder oriented features when the snow’s good, but you’re also able to take it out on any day of the season.

“You’ve not got as much tech packed in as you would with some of Salomon’s higher end models, but that said, you’ve not got the price tag either”

Construction and Materials

You’ve not got as much tech packed in as you would with some of Salomon’s higher end models, but that said, you’ve not got the price tag either. Still, you’ll find a host of nifty tech features that made it a snowboard that got the thumbs up from our team of testers.

Salomon’s Popster Core mills the wood as differing thicknesses throughout the length of the board. Thinning out directly underfoot and in the tip and tail for more malleable and playful zones, while thickening up outside the inserts to ensure snap and pop, and a boost to those more reactive zones at the contact points.

The sidewalls are inlaid with cork, a lightweight and springy material that’ll help you bounce back from dings, but will also help to absorb some of the chatter when you’re high tailing it down the piste.

Aspen is the wood of choice for the core, but Salomon have designed it to allow for high density wood strips down the sidewalls and by the bindings. These strips help to boost energy and durability in these key places, but also give a bit of extra pep in your step for ollies.

“Smooth, surfy and playful in the nose and tail, with some added dynamic energy and beef between the bindings”

Roundup

It’s a pretty soft flexing board, so we’d probably steer clear of the stomach clenching technical descents and lean more towards wide powder fields and tree runs. But the beauty of freeriding is it encompasses such a huge scope of snowboarding, you can be a bona fide powder hound and never have ridden anything steeper than a blue run. Not all of us can be Bode Merrill or Annie Boulanger levels of backcountry wizardry, right? Or at least not just yet…

Pros:

• It’s a super budget friendly option
• The Sight is a great stepping stone for those looking to get into freeride

Cons:

• It’s possibly a bit too soft for high intensity snowboarding

“Brand new Shape derived from the new High Path boards. Slight taper directional shape, FSC certified wood core, Quadratic Side cut for precision whilst turning. Cork Rails inserts to dampen chatter and vibration. Designed to rip the whole hill in any condition and not break the bank.”

Buy the Salomon Sight: £490 at Blue Tomato UK 

Buy the Salomon Sight: €550 at Blue Tomato EU