• Price: £490 / €540 / $500
• Category: All-Mountain, Park/Jib
• Ability Level: Intermediate, Advanced
• Size: 150, 153, 156, 158w, 159, 162, 163w
• Flex: 7/10
• Shape: Directional Twin
• Profile: CamRock
• Base: Sintered
• BUY DIRECT FROM SURFDOME

Over the years the Salomon Assassin has become a firm all-mountain freestyle team and fan favourite, if you’re looking for one board that does it all then this cutthroat kamikaze could be the one for you. This Assassin might not be bumping off political figures, but it definitely kills it on the mountain.

It remains mostly unchanged for 2021, but then again, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and all that jazz, right? The Assassin is specc’d down from the pro version, with a softer, more forgiving flex and slightly different ingredients internally, these reflect in the friendlier price tag and make it a good option for intermediate riders looking to up their game.

“This Assassin might not be bumping off political figures, but it definitely kills it on the mountain”

Like the Pro, the profile is flat between the feet, delivering stability and predictability as you’re hooning around. Transitioning into camber directly underfoot for power and response, and early rise rocker in the nose and tail for those flatland combo tricks.

The Aspen SLCT Core is a slightly heavier construction than in the Pro, but the Assassin uses Salomon’s Popster Eco Booster to deliver power outside the bindings, with bamboo rods transferring that energy directly into the nose and tail. This’ll give you a little extra pep in your step when you’re throwing it down in the park and thanks to its directional twin shape you’ll have no issues switching up those take-offs and landings.

“The Assassin uses Salomon’s Popster Eco Booster to deliver power outside the bindings, with bamboo rods transferring that energy directly into the nose and tail”

Salomon have replaced their rubber sidewalls with Royal Cork Rails in this model to protect your edges and dampen vibrations so you don’t have to worry about your nose and tail flapping around when you start picking up speed.

It’s nice to see Salomon thinking about mother nature in the construction of their snowboards this season, with the Annecy-based brand using bamboo veneers on the Assassin’s topsheet to reduce fibreglass and resin content – another reason not to feel guilty about picking up this stone cold killer.

Ridden by backcountry booter badass Victor Daviet if you’re looking for something that feels just as comfortable in the pow as it does in the park then the Assassin is the one for the job.