I’ve ridden the Salomon Villain 2013/2014 and I loved it. This board was loaned to us for review by Salomon Snowboards marketing department.
Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Look to the Sabotage or Craft to fill the void of what the Villain once was.Ĭheck out the past reviews of the 2015, 2014, and 2013.Ĭomparable Boards: Rome Gang Plank, Flow Era, Yes Basic The quote of the day while riding the chairlift with a friend was “this board used to be fun, they made it suck.” That is the only way to sum up this board. Personal Thoughts: They added a few new features to this board that in theory should have made it more snappy. Rider in Mind: The rider that wants a stiffer and less lively version of the 2015 version of this deck. If I tried to push my luck with long drawn out deep carves I found that proverbial wall was there limiting me from getting to a lower body angle and dragging my arm. Doing quick hard short radius aggressive carves were this boards best bet. At times it would just feel sluggish and non responsive.Ĭarving: You can carve hard on this board to a certain point then it just sort of hits a wall and doesn’t allow you to push it to the limit. To get to the sweet spot you had to over exaggerate all movements to land in a proper press. Jibbing: In the past this board really held its own in the jibs, this years model though? Not so much. That was the best way to get this thing to play around on the snow. You had to really man handle this deck to get the snap you wanted.īutterability: Put your weight into the nose or tail when you flex it and really press into the board. Pop On Jumps: There’s some boost, but not as much in previous years. If you weren’t loading up you weren’t boosting, it was that plain and simple. Ollies: Unlike the previous years you had to pre-load the tail to get ample snap out of it. The board is noticeably less lively this year. You do feel micro vibrations and some chatter at higher speeds in varying conditions. Stability: It’s a little more stable this year compared to last years, but not by much. The torsional give isn’t as abundant as in years past. The tips still have the most play, then of course it progressively stiffens up underfoot through the middle. Rocker in the tips, camber under feet that creates an elevated point to a flat area between the feetĬonditions: Grey skies, cold temps, some wind, low light, and about 1 to 2 inches of fresh snow on top of perfectly groomed corduroy.įlex: They stiffened this board up for this year.