Hello and welcome to my Salomon Man’s Board review.
In this review, I will look at the Man’s Board as an aggressive all-mountain snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Man’s Board a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other aggressive all-mountain snowboards.
NOTE: The 2018 model was the last model of the Man’s Board that Salomon produced.
Overall Rating
Board: Salomon Man’s Board
Price: $549 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Aggressive All-Mountain
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating Score: 83.1/100
Compared to other Men’s Aggressive All-Mountain Boards
Out of the 14 men’s aggressive all-mountain snowboards that I rated:
- The average score was 82.5/100
- The highest score was 92.7/100 (see #1 below)
- The lowest score was 75.3/100
- The average price was $577
- The Man’s Board ranked 6th out of 14
Overview of the Man’s Board’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Man’s Board’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
| Style | Aggressive All-Mountain | Flex | Medium-Stiff (7 out of 10) |
| Ability Level | High Level Intermediate to Expert | Feel | Locked In |
| Weight | Normal | Turn Initiation | Medium |
| Camber Profile | Hybrid Camber (camber dominant) | Shape | Directional Twin |
| Stance Setback | Setback 10mm (0.4″) | Edge-hold | Hard snow |
| Price | $549 (USD) | Base | Sintered |
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 153 | 156 | 159 | 162 | 165 |
| Waist Width (mm) | 249 | 252 | 256 | 258 | 261 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 110-154 | 132-165 | 132-187 | 154-198 | 154-220 |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 50-70 | 60-75 | 60-85 | 70-90 | 70-100 |
Who is the Man’s Board Most Suited to?
This is the type of board that you have to tame. It’s wild and aggressive and not for the faint-hearted. But once you do tame it, you have one hell of a weapon between your feet. One capable of doing things that tamer boards can’t do.
It’s definitely for those that like to bomb the mountain at speed, hit aggressive lines and for the advanced rider for sure.
Not a beginner board this one – and not really for freestyle riding either. It only knows one direction down the hill and one speed – fast as hell (when you’re not in a family zone, of course!).
The Man’s Board in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Man’s Board is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Salomon Man’s Board, 159cm (256mm waist width)
Date: April 9, 2016
Conditions: Icy at the start of the day, but softened up in the afternoon under the sun. Not a cloud in the sky! It was the ideal day – in terms of the weather – just wish I hadn’t forgotten my sunscreen!
Bindings angles: +18/+3
Powder
This board is pretty good in powder. There wasn’t much to speak of on the day I rode the board but what I found and by the feel of the board, I’d say above average in powder.
It’s got a 10mm setback stance and it’s a little wider overall than your average board so there’s a good bit of surface area there.
It’s also got rocker in the tip and tail which also helps it to float – but not heaps of rocker, the camber sections of this board are more dominant.
To be better in powder, you could set it back a bit further – though that can sometimes feel weird in terms of where your feet end up relative to the camber profile, but another 10mm back would help it to be even better in powder.
Carving
This is one of the strongest areas for this board – which it needs to be, to be an aggressive all-mountain board. Not the best carver I’ve ridden, but up there.
When you really get this board up on an edge and lean into a turn, this board feels at home.
Speed
This board is made for speed. It feels really stable and un-chattery at speed. Once you lock this thing into a line and put the foot down, it really responds. Definitely happier on this thing at high speeds than low speeds.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
They show the man’s board on jibs in this video. To me it’s not great for jibbing but if you’re an experienced jibber it’s doable. Note this video is for the 2016 model. Not too much has changed for the 2017 model – except the graphic (which has changed quite a bit!)
Uneven Terrain
It’s not the best on the bumpy stuff. It feels more like you want to skim over the top of bumps than try to ride with the curves. I felt like this did better on nice groomed runs or over powder off the groomers.
Jumps
Really nice for jumps. Particularly for larger jumps – that extra stiffness helps and all that camber makes it pretty poppy. Perhaps the best part of jumps on this board is how stable it feels on landings.
Switch
If you are really accomplished at riding switch you can do it pretty well on this board and the more you rode the board, the more you would get used to it.
It has a directional twin shape and a 10mm setback stance so those things aren’t ideal for switch but it’s easier than a tapered directional, 60mm setback board!
Also because of the aggressive nature and relatively stiff feel of the board, it won’t be the easiest to ride switch if you aren’t that adept at it yet.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Carving: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Speed: | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Jumps: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Powder: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 2.5 | 5/10 |
| Pipe: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Switch: | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 83.1/100 |
Probably not politically correct these days to say that this is a “Man’s” board – but using this term in the old sense of the word, it’s pretty manly – this board is for those that want to ride aggressively and take no prisoners.
You can slow it down somewhat and you can even ride it switch when you want to – but mostly this is for charging hard in one direction. Also really good for jumps, especially larger jumps that benefit from a stiffer flex and stable landing platform.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in the Man’s Board or want to research prices or availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other aggressive all-mountain snowboards or want to see how the Man’s Board compares to others in the same category, check out the next link.
>>My Top 6 Men’s Aggressive All-Mountain Snowboards
I have an early model (1st year) 2013 I think. I rode 100s of hours a year on it on ski patrol and still ride it 5 nights a week. The board still pops like new. I often ride switch and slay the mountain with it. You need to be on it like a dragon slayer or it will toss you like a little B. Great board..
Hi Andrew
Thanks for your input. Always good to hear. Yeah, definitely a board you want to be on your game for – but when you are it does reward you for sure. I think the 2017 that I rode was like the 2nd to last model they made of this.
Hi Nate!
Now I’m riding Capita DOA which is great board except powder where it’s just awfull:)
I’m looking for second all mountain board that will be good at powder, can handle speed and deep carves, but still able to some spin and butters.
I have next option (from low to high price): Salomon Man’s Board, YES Standard, Jones Mnt Twin.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Scroller
Thanks for your message.
Not surprised you feel that way about the DOA in powder – not its forte that’s for sure.
In terms of spins and butters, the Standard is the best option there, followed by the Mountain Twin, followed by the Man’s Boards.
In terms of powder, I’d say the Mountain Twin is the best in its normal setup – but the Standard is just as good in the slam back inserts. Centered I would say that Standard is equal to the Man’s Board, which isn’t bad in powder but just not as good as the Mountain Twin/Standard in slam backs (in my experience).
In terms of speed and deep carves, the Man’s Board comes out on top there, IMO. But the Standard and Mountain Twin aren’t too far off.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision.
How does this compare to the Ultimate Ride? I don’t think you reviewed it. I am more curious how the assassin pro would compare to Ultimate ride. Probably more aggressive feeling as stiffer than AP. Thoughts?
Hi Eric
Thanks for your message.
I haven’t tested the Ultimate Ride, but based on specs, it looks like it could be a little stiffer than the Assassin Pro. I think it would feel stiffer even if it’s around the same flex – it’s mostly camber and looks like it’s quite a lot of camber. So, regardless of flex, and it might still be a little stiffer, it’s likely to feel more aggressive than the Assassin Pro. It’s what I would describe as an aggressive all-mountain-freestyle board. It’s still got that centered stance and true twin shape, so it’s still got that freestyle orientation – but definitely likely to be more on the aggressive side. Perhaps even more so than the Man’s Board – it certainly seems to have a more aggressive camber profile.
But, like I said, this isn’t a board I’ve tested, so I couldn’t say for sure but based on the specs, I’d say it’s quite aggressive and certainly more so than the Assassin Pro.
Hope this helps