The Details:

The Salomon Derby made its debut two years ago, when Josh Dirksen gave the Salomon Powder Snake a significant design overhaul. Given its creator’s propensity for blasting through deep powder and cranking turns, this thing is designed to excel at both.

This is another short-and-wide model that naturally offers a tighter turning circle than its longer, thinner brethren. This takes a little getting used when cruising the piste, but once you’ve figured it out you’ll find it to be seriously nimble and reactive.

That’s also (along with the tapered shape) what makes it so good in the powder; if you’re looking for something that can handle tight tree runs, this is a strong contender. Dirksen’s a regular visitor to Japan, and it’s no wonder that he always has a Salomon Derby in his bag when he goes.

If you’re not lucky enough to get to Nippon yourself, there’s plenty of other ways to have fun on this board. That wide waist makes laying down carves a piece of cake, and the rocker sections at each end mean that it’s ripe for buttering.

You won’t want to get massive amounts of air with this, but it’s poppy enough to launch off sidehits with ease.