Salomon Assassin Pro Review

Hello and welcome to my Salomon Assassin Pro review.

In this review, I will take a look at the Assassin Pro as an aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.

As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Assassin Pro a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.

Overall Rating

Board: Salomon Assassin Pro

Price: $549 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle

Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff

Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating Score: 87.4/100

Compared to other Men’s Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards

Out of the 19 men’s aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:

• The average score was 85.1/100
• The highest score was 90.8/100 (see below)
• The lowest score was 76.4/100
• The average price was $513
• The Assassin Pro ranked 6th out of 19

Overview of the Assassin Pro’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Assassin Pro’s specs and available sizes.

Specs

Sizing

There has been some changes to the sizes for the Assassin Pro for the 2019 model.

2019 Model Sizes

2018 Model Sizes

Who is the Assassin Pro Most Suited to?

The Assassin Pro is like a beefed-up version of the Assassin. It’s a little bit stiffer and it’s supposed to also be lighter. It didn’t feel lighter on snow than the Assassin – but it certainly felt just as light – and given how light the Assassin feels, this board is very light.

And when you add stiffness often it makes a board feel heavier than it actually is – so to retain that light feel, and at the same time adding stiffness is great, if you like your riding aggressive.

But, of course lightness isn’t everything – this board is great for anyone who likes to ride the whole mountain and ride freestyle everywhere on the mountain. So, if that sounds like your style, and you like the idea of a light board on top of all that, then this is a great option. It’s also pretty decent in powder compared to a lot of other boards in this category.

Compared to the Assassin, it’s a little better for carving and a little better at speed and maybe a touch quicker edge-to-edge (see video below for the technical differences). It’s also a more aggressive feeling ride overall.

It’s a bit too lively and a bit too stiff for beginners but for anyone at a solid high-end intermediate level and up, who likes to ride this kind of style, this is a great board.

The Assassin Pro in More Detail

O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Assassin Pro is capable of.

Demo Info

Board: Salomon Assassin Pro 2018, 158cm (253mm waist width)

Date: April 9, 2017

Conditions: Mix of sun and cloud. Perfect visibility all day. Snow was also perfect for demoing – soft packed in most places, with some powder to be found but also some harder spots in places too. Not slushy which is rare this time of year. Quite cold too, especially first thing in the morning.

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Bindings Used: Flux DS 2016

Powder

You’ve got to work a little bit in powder to keep on top of it. But it’s actually OK in powder, particularly the 2019 model, which is now a directional twin. That and a nose and tail that aren’t as short as they often are on aggressive all-mtn-freestyle boards. There’s also rocker before the nose and tail which helps.

Carving & Turning

This board is fun to carve, and it springs out of turns really nicely. Just felt that little bit livelier, springier and more solid than the Assassin.

But it’s still easy enough to skid turns on, when you need to – not the most forgiving of skidded turns that I’ve ridden but relatively forgiving.

Speed

The upgrades to this board also make it feel a bit more stable at speed and just that little bit faster overall, than the Assassin. It’s not an all-mountain or freeride bomber – but it’s up there in terms of speed for this category.

Uneven Terrain

That extra stiffness over the Assassin just makes it that little bit more difficult to navigate uneven terrain – but overall it’s not bad.

Jumps

This board has plenty of pop and is just super fun to hit jumps and lips and rollers – and basically anything that you want to get air off. It’s great for rotating in the air too.

It’s super solid on landings and it can handle anything from little pops off rollers to large jumps in the park.

And that lightness certainly helps to get this board into the air.

Switch

Now that’s a directional twin, the 2019 model isn’t quite as good as the 2018 model. But it’s still pretty well suited for riding switch.

Jibbing

Jibbing isn’t its biggest strength – there’s a fair bit of camber in there and it’s not the softest board going around, so I didn’t expect it would be. But if you’re relatively adept at hitting rails/boxes etc, then you can definitely take it through the jib line.

Changes from the 2018 Model

The 2019 model got a major overhaul. The major changes include:

1. A change from a True Twin shape (2018 model) to a Directional Twin shape (2019 model)
2. A lot of sizing changes (see sizing tables above)
3. Some subtle changes to effective edge and width
4. Sidecut has changed (now using Salomon’s Quadratic sidecut – 2018 it was their equalizer/radial sidecut)

So a lot has changed – but there are also a few things that remain the same – like the same core, flex and base.

Note: The 2018 model was the last model of this I rode, so I can’t say how much difference these changes made to the ride for the 2019 model. The scores in this review are based on the 2018 model, with some tweaks based on the changes.

Changes from the 2017 Model

The Assassin Pro is new for 2018 so there aren’t any changes. It isn’t the same thing as the Assassin Classicks from 2017. It’s got a whole new core going on there.

But otherwise it is pretty similar, so these are the main differences between this and 2017’s Assassins Classicks:

1. Enhanced, stiffened core on the Assassin Pro
2. Lighter
3. Gunslinger sidewalls in place of the Royal Cork Rail sidewalls in the Classicks
4. A more all-mountain focused bevel on the edges (1-2 degrees instead of the 2-3 degrees on the old Classicks and on the Assassin)

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

Overall, the Assassin Pro takes the Assassin and makes it more – faster, more aggressive. And that all adds up to one awesome aggressive all-mountain-freestyle ride! It’s light as hell, poppy, snappy and stable.