Are you a man? Maybe the manliest man that has ever lived? Do you catch fish with your bare hand? Can you call an eagle from a 1000 miles away? Do you have a beard? Well if you answered yes to all of these then this should be your snowboard of choice. If you’re not a man just stop reading now.
Board: Salomon Mans Board
Size: 159
Camber Option: Cross Profile. Camber between the feet and rocker in the tips.
Bindings: Rome 390 Boss
Stance: 22.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy
Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10
My Weight: 175
Resort: Breckenridge
Conditions: Sunny with a slight mix of clouds. 9 new inches of snow had fallen in the last 24 hours and it was that typical light and fluffy Colorado snow.
Flex: There’s a reason they call it the Mans Board. It’s a stiffer twin making it ideal for charging don’t expect as much give as other boards in the Salomon line up. The flex is consistently stiff I didn’t find one spot where there was more or less give.
Stability: This board is damp and stable yet lively. When charging through mogul fields covered in pow it sucked up any chatter and dropping off random poppers or bush gaps it took landings like a champ.
Ollies: There’s a fair amount of snap out of this deck which makes it ideal for popping off natural features.
Pop On Jumps: If you’re Bode you can send it to the moon. This board excels at hitting jumps.
Butterability: Not this boards strong suit the flex just doesn’t work well with playing around. High speed pow butters might be more up its alley. So unless you wake up and scream, “I am all that is man” this might not be the board to try butters on.
Jibbing: Much like buttering do able but not its strong suit. The flat spot in the blunted tips does lock in nice for presses but due to the flex you have to work it twice as hard.
Carving: The sidecut on this is designed to rip and grip. You can leave a trench in your wake as you plow down the hill running over man, woman, and small children. Just push that back knee in to center flex the board and feel the arc of awesomeness across the snow.
Rider in Mind: Bode Merril or someone like him. Seriously look into it that’s who this board is for.
Personal Thoughts: The flex pattern is still too much for me even with a healed knee. The shape is amazing and lends itself to powder/all mountain riding nicely. Over all if you’re a heavier guy you might like it but for someone in the middle of the weight range it’s too much work to be a daily driver in my opinion.
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Disclaimer: This board was loaned to us for review from the Salomon Snowboards Rockies Rep.
15 Comments
Angry, What are the difference between the Mans Board and the Time Machine? From your review it seems like mostly flex.
Pretty much nailed it. For the guy that says the Mans Board is too much the Time Machine is its softer counterpart.
Angry. Thanks for the response. Trying to decide what binding to pair up with this board, have narrowed it down to the Salomon Quantum and the Burton Diode. Any experience or opinions?
I posted this question before reading some of your older reviews on shadowtech bindings. I have ridden with the same style solid heelcup bindings for 15+ years and have no idea what it would feel like to have increased ankle articulation. Sounds like the Diode will be more familiar and I would know what I was getting into.
Chris, That would be a fair assumption. Think of Shadowfit like being on a skateboard and having the ability to set your ankles up when you pop and carve. If that’s something you like the feel of go for it, if that’s something you’re apprehensive about then the Burtons are the way to go.
shadowfit sorry
Thanks for the input Angry! I just ordered a 165 mans board and some Diodes (Burton says there are 2 still available but will be delayed in shipping which I hope isn’t jake speak for “they aren’t coming until we get em back from the reps at the end of the season”).
Hi what’s the difference between the 2013 version and the 14? Demo’d the 14 today and loved it
Dave I believe the flex pattern was tweaked a little to make it softer for 14.
Hey Angry
I ride a team gullwing 162w. Would like something a bit more stable at high speeds. I’m 6’2 240lbs with 11.5 Rulers. Considering the mans board, skunk ape(sorry), k2 ultra dream, ns heritage, ride slackcountry ul. Any suggestions? Would i go wrong with any of these?
The Ultra Dream is great if you’re riding pow, otherwise you might benefit more from the Turbo Dream or Slayblade instead.
Hi Angry
I’m considering this board and noted your comment saying it might suit a “heavier guy” like myself, dragged up on rugby, pies and beer. Wanted to ask if, broadly, it is true that for us ‘bigger boned’ riders, a stiffer flex board like this one will ‘behave’ more like a med flex in use? I don’t need a stiff flex ride but have often found med flex boards a bit noodly in use.
I’m looking to get an all mountain deck around 158-160 length, camrock-ish profile, quite damp, suitable for charging about, hitting the occasional kicker (nothing massive) and that will ride well off the piste after a dump, hence the interest in the Man’s Board.
I avoid the park save for hitting medium jumps sometimes; prefer to rag about and explore.
Also considering Rossi One MagTek and, if i can find one, Rome Mod Rocker. Any other suggestions?
Thanks for the excellent, bs-free write-ups.
Rich
Rich as your weight is what drives the board this is where it comes into play. I’m sure we both could ride a 154 that a company claims is “mid flex”, but with me weighing less it’s going to flex differently than for you. So the idea that a bigger guy on a stiffer board that’s a little smaller will make it flex more is accurate.
Thanks for the info and the quick reply, Angry.
The above will definitely help my buying decision(s).
Cheers,
Rich
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