2022/2023/2024 Snowboards Hype & Disappointment Thread

Salomon: the Assassin is really nice looking, not entirely sold on the Huck Knife's look. No more Villain, replaced by the Abstract. While I've never been a big fan of the Sleepwalker's design (targeted to kids, definitely not me) it looks even moreso juvenile this year... yuck. The Iris I can dig (similar to my '03 Burton Canyon) but that cartoon planet: nope.
Niche boards always look so damn good.
The Endeavour Alchemy colors are dope too!

drblast said:

Salomon's lineup is tight. I like what they've done with Pro versions of most things, it's much easier to figure out the catalog. Kind of wish other brands did that instead of having 50 very similar boards with different names and prices. With Salomon if you figure out what kind of board you want and then if you want the stiffer high-end one get the Pro.

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Agreed, it's simple and streamlined.
They're not much of a "in" brand but I'm a big fan of their stuff, including bindings and boots. I just wish the boots were warmer and that the dialogue came with the SJ and Boa lacing (like the launch).
Not much overlap in the line-up either. Many boards in the same category but all of them have their specific place/niche, even the sleepwalker, which is the priced-down version of the villain/abstract.

BoarderHack89 said:

so that’s the base I’ve been seeing all over. Looks like a few people have an all black top sheet which is the pro, and a few have the one you posted

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Yeah, I think you got it.

RadDad801 said:

Is there a big market for all mountain freestyle splits? I have been debating picking one up, but would lean more towards big mountain/powder.

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As someone who has zero need for a split and won't pick one up unless I move very far away from my current location, I was asking myself that same question...

EmreSnw said:

When its hard to find a board, colors and images are not really important.
I don’t know why Burton doesn’t craft freestyle soft or medium and true twin boards much, but alotof directional twin. As far i know, there are few true twins.

Freethinker is stiff.
Blossom but no wide option, (it may be stiff too i’m not sure).
There is only Process Camber (with panda), but stance locations are not 0. So i don’t know if its ok to say they are true twin.?

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You're not the first to say that the Freethinker is stiff but there's this girl/lady at my home mountain riding one and she told me that she was surprised how soft it was compared to her former Nitro team (which I have zero experience withf)... and she's not a powerful rider honestly (although she is good).

Revvi said:

Now that they put “Skill Level” on their gear catalog… wonder if it’ll deter newbies from buying Super DOAs….
(There’s a comically large number of 2nd hand SDOAs in my area… either they were stolen, or just too much board for most…)

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I remember the same thing happening the first years of the CustomX. People always want to go for the "deluxe" version of everything but man was it not a board for every one... I have no experience with the Doa/superDoa but I'm assuming it's the same thing right? Too stiff, too much work for a beginner/intermediate to drive adequately all day?

I also think the way they now present the strengths of the board vs terrain type will be better. That spider-web graph looked techy but people will be able to better understand the differences between boards, especially park/resort boards. Park and freestyle are vague terms nowadays so being able to better differenciate between a board aimed at jibbing and another better on jumps will be a godsend for those who don't interpret flex and profiles easily (or at all).

savageOz said:

looks like there will be ultra stratos or something like that View attachment 166176

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Tweaker looked better in black imo.

NT.Thunder said:

I’ll say I’m not a fan

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I have no use for FT boards riding where I do but I do like the look of these. Probably because they remind me of my '07 CustomX... Different strokes and all I guess.

Revvi said:

Some Aussie stores have updated their listing with ‘24 gear.

Bataleon, Capita, Nitro, Public

Ride

Did Ride like… lay-off their entire graphics department?

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I think they kinda look good myself (less spray paint job look). The shadowban still looks killer.
Was hoping to see pics of the 2024 zero, which will most likely be my next board.

money4me247 said:

I heard Burton is discontinuing the Malavitas

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Yep, Avran said that in his latest top5. Might be a good thing, maybe the little "wings" that tend to dent topsheets will be removed from the model that will replace it.

PersyDonkers said:

Has anyone ran across a leak for Salomon new catalog?

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No catalog yet that I'm aware of but Evo's got a few pics already if you haven't seen them. Here.

Thanks man. Very happy that they widened the boards a bit.

Salmonella

Melbourne snowboard center has some 2024 in stock.

Cambered234 said:

Capita seems like they are going to hit the market hard next year. Longo’s board could be really sweet if it really does get decently tall camber. And I’m glad to see pro models.
I hate their marketing, but it might work well for them.

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I have to agree with you: the marketing and graphics are mostly a big miss for me. Seems to work for the kids though so it's all good.

RadDad801 said:

Almost all of Longo's design choices don't jive with me. But hey, I'm a boomer.

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I'm just 8 years older than him and still not a fan of most of his design choices... his board looks clean but I'm not a big fan of the very amateurish painting of his. Same reason I didn't like Salomon's Abstract or Burton Blossom...
If I'm gonna have a board that looks like a kid painted it, it may as well be done by one of mine!