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NS SL or Salomon Special 2

2K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  snowjab 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello to everyone here. I am brand new here, although I have been following for some time.

I suddenly need a new board (favorite recently damaged badly). The last time I bought a new board (some time ago) I bought the wrong one for me and I am trying to avoid this from happening again. If you could offer any help, I would be much apreciative.

I am 6 feet, 195 lbs, size 11. I am 38, have been riding since I was 12. I ride here in New Hampshire, VT, and Maine (hardpack, chunk, occasional pow). Never in the park or pipe. I like to ride fast, steep etc. My favorite board, the one that I damaged recently, was an old 1999? Salomon 163 (they only made one board that year, sized by color--mine is blue).

Anyway, in 2004--I treated myself to a new board, a brand new Rome Anthem 163. I did as much research as possible before picking this board, choosing it based on how I ride etc. I have spent countelss hours tweaking my setup, changing bindings, changing boots--all to no avail. I do not like this board (for me) at all, and I really have no idea why. At slow speeds, it does not intiate turns well at all. At high speeds, it is stable goign straight, but it does not like to turn big, it always wants to catch and hook. This makes it squirly kind of when I am trying to pull big fast arcing turns on steep. The board hooks, chops, bites and simply, again for me, sucks.

I am now at a point where I need to try again. I am boardless right now, with a full 2 months left of riding season. I wont be able to demo. I am going on reviews alone, trting to best match what people say, to the type of riding I enjoy. This, however, is what burnt me in the past.

I am open to any suggestions, but I have narrowed my list to a Never Summer SL or a Salomon Special II (two pretty different boards, I know).

Thoughts? Others?

Sorry for the manifesto and thanks!
 
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#2 · (Edited)
According to your info the SL wont fit your fast and steeps, well it CAN but there are much better boards they make for that. Your likely to have a similar issue you had with your Rome because of the boards flex which doesnt sound like it fits your riding style.

Look at the NS Premier F1 or Raptor(which i'd lean more towards for you) if that is your style of riding. Much stiffer and damp boards for bombing steeps. I cant speak for the Salomon board, but from your info i think you'd be happy with either of the other NS boards i listed around 161-163.

I can tell you for a fact that the Carbonium topsheet on the Raptor is a thing of beauty, you cant really see it in the pics though.
 
#5 ·
Thanks. I am worried that while I like to ride steep and fast, my technique, or style is dependent on a softer flexing board (or something like that). My old Salomon is very soft (hundreds of days of riding on it). My Anthem is almost too responsive, if that makes sense). I like to control my board, feel the snow. With the Anthem, it feels like I am fighting with it the entire time. By the time I get to the bottom, I am exhausted, and I had many near missed crashes, even on tame terrain.

So, if I target big mountain boards, or freeride boards, I am worried I will wind up right where I am with my Anthem.

Basically, I am either having an issue with the "type" of board my Anthem is, or I am having an issue with the 2004 Anthem itself.

So I started looking into other "types" of boards, which led me to the SL.
 
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