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  5 of 5, "Excellent quiver killer." 30/04/2007 @ 05:06 |
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| Revision #4 (Last edited: 08/05/2007 @ 09:14) |
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| Price Paid |
| $240 (50% off) |
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| Bought From |
| http://www.sierrasnowboard.com |
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| Times Ridden |
| 2-5 Times |
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| Review Detail |
For some background about me, I am an intermediate rider. I have only been riding extensively the past two seasons (during which I put together only 20 days or so), but I progressed at a very solid pace. I can lay down clean turns (no skidding!), bomb down Tahoe blues and blacks with relative ease, pull basic flatland 180s, and pull some basic presses. Obviously MUCH better at freeride than I am at freestyle. Not super impressive credentials by any means, but I am competent enough to judge boards.
The Salomon Special is a exceptional stick. For comparison purposes, I've put some time in on the Burton Custom, which is supposed to occupy a similar niche (all-mountain quiver killer) and I think the Special is clearly the superior board.
The ERA tech seems to work as advertised. It's moderately playful at slower speeds, but stiffens up quite nicely for exceptional edgehold and stability when you start bombing down the hill. I rode this board on at a very icy Mt. Rose the first day I took it out and was amazed at its edgehold and dampening considering it's marketed more as a freestyle board... not once that day did I feel it chattering or washing out on me. The base is also quite fast and it has great pop off the tail, meaning nice lofty ollies and great crispness in turns. Very fun stuff.
I would not suggest this board for anyone who cannot at least confidently link turns at speed. While it does rider softer at slower speeds, it is still stiffer than average and not the most forgiving board around.
The biggest issue I have with the board is that I wish Salomon had a few more sizes... I was stuck between a 159 and a 163. Preferably I would have ridden something like a 160 or 161. A centimeter or two isn't that big a deal, but it would have been nice.
The Special is a touch narrow at the waist (248 mm on a 159). I ride with size 10 US and I am probably at the upper limit of what's reasonable.
If you are the type that likes a centered stance with anything greater than 24.5" or less than 22.5", you'll want to look elsewhere... there's only one set of inserts that gives you a centered stance, fixed at 23.5 inches. If you have slider discs, you can increase or decrease that one inch. I ride everything at 23.5, so it's not an issue for me.
If you are a jib/ground trick specialist or a big mountain pow freak, this probably isn't the best choice, but if you want something that can handle everything and excel at all-mountain freestyle, this is definitely a board to check out. |
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| Strengths |
- ERA tech works, leading to a very versatile stick.
- Fast base.
- Great pop.
- Looks quite sexy in green (the 159). |
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| Weaknesses |
- Would like a 161, had to choose between a 159 and a 163.
- Limited stance options for centered riding.
- Too narrow for anything over a size 10 foot (US).
- If you lean towards extreme freestyle or freeride exclusivity, you're better off looking elsewhere.
- I suppose the ERA ridges might make stickering a bit more difficult, if you're into that sort of thing.
- Allegedly a little heavy, though I've never noticed it. |
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| Similar Snowboards Ridden |
| Burton Custom, Ride Decade |
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| 5 of 5, "Quality board - more snap than a bowl of Rice Krispies!" 04/04/2007 @ 14:23 |
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| 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: |
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| Revision #1 (Last edited: 05/04/2007 @ 13:42) |
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| Price Paid |
| $330 - around £170 (in sale) |
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| Bought From |
| Powdertools - Steamboat CO USA |
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| Times Ridden |
| 2-5 Times |
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| Review Detail |
I was looking for a new board to develop my freestyle ability without compromising my love of just caning and carving around on the mountain - this board delivers perfectly. I really had no idea where to start, i just asked a few shop attendants what they recommended (all of them season-style "dudes") and they all straight away suggested Salomon boards and specifically - the Special. I demo'd the Salomon Strobe (one below the Special in terms of expense/technology) which was ok, but then the shop dudes lent me the Special for the day and i loved every minute of it. Riding was a breeze, everything was much easier, especially ollying and nose/tail pressing. I rode the 159 (i'm about 5ft 10/11) and the board was so responsive going down some sketchy, icey slopes making my life a lot easier!
The technology Salomon have put into securing the tension of the middle of the board combined with the extra pop at both ends gives you a board that holds excellent turns/edges whilst still being able to offer loads in terms of freestyle capabilities. |
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| Strengths |
Excellent pop/flexibility whilst remaining responsive and tight during speed
Perfect for learning to freestyle whilst still enjoying the mountain
Looks alright for a snowboard made by a ski company! |
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| Weaknesses |
| None so far (although i haven't ridden it for more than 2 days!) |
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| Similar Snowboards Ridden |
| Salomon Strobe... |
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