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ns raptor vs salomon burner?

5K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  leeoniya 
#1 ·
Hey peeps,

Been freeriding an '09 NS Titan 160 (i'm 6'/155lbs) for a few years and would like a lighter board that handles better on jumps. However, I don't want to give up too much speed, stability, dampness, edgehold. Since NS has pretty much gone all R&C, I've read that the Raptor feels quite different and less stable at high speeds and cannot pull turns like a full camber board.

So I've been looking around for a fast (probably plain camber), light freeride board and read lots of rave reviews about the Salomon Burner which is supposed to be blindingly fast, stable/damp and better at jumps but worse edgehold than the Titan (maybe cause it's tapered). I know NS is renowned for board quality and durable construction & topsheet. Salomon has much less history with boards, so my concern is quality. The Burner is priced in the same range as the Raptor, so I would hope it can take several years of punishment and be a deserving replacement, but who knows?

any helpful advice or possibly other worthy boards in this class would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
 
#3 ·
fwiw: don't worry about weight. plenty of other tech to consider that your board probably lacks.

2 glasses of water = the difference in weight between most boards. (most people are dehydrated by at least this much water/day)

I rode a B-Line (pre-NS NS) a few years ago that is lighter than most of the modern NS's I've seen.(for example)
 
#5 ·
I bought an 11/12 Salomon Burner last year and used it for 5 days at Mt Bachelor, Oregon and absolutely loved it.

I'm 5'9" 160lbs and bought the 163. The board was light for its size; lighter than the NS Premier F1 161 it replaced. I'm a guy that loves to just straight line it and the Burner was more than up to the challenge. I never felt unstable on it. It handled steeps, powder, groomers, trees, chop, etc rather well.

The board has a strip of rubber that runs along the effective edge that definitely helped reduce vibrations. The board had great float in powder for a traditional camber board, but it still won't be as effortless as it would on a Raptor just because of NS' RC tech.

But, the one thing I definitely loved about the Burner over the Premier F1, was the pop you got coming out of a turn. I forgot how great that feeling is on a traditional camber board.

I only used the board for about 10 days last season, so I can't comment on the durability. The only reason I want to get rid of it is because I'm an idiot that buys a new board every season :D. Speaking of which, I still have the Burner along with a pair of Caliber bindings if you're interested.

And if you're still not convinced about the Burner, then just ask Josh Dirksen:

 
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