Salomon Speedway Split Overview
Salomon makes some of the best-value snowboards on the market and this has transferred into their splitboard range. The Speedway has shown itself to be a top performer in solid form winning awards and accolades from various snowboarding publications. As a Splitboard, the Speedway gives you a ride that will love charging on the way down. Its elongated nose and taper allow the Speedway Split to float easily in powder and the backseat camber puts the control under your back binding. Salomon has made the Speedway Split from their top-end materials producing a board that is both durable and lightweight.
ABOUT THE SALOMON SPEEDWAY SPLITBOARD
Board Profile
The Salomon Speedway Splitboard has a backseat camber profile. This is a design where the camber is placed under the back binding and leads into a flat section at the nose. There is rocker added on the nose and tail to help with turn initiation and float in deeper snow. The backseat camber design has been used successfully on Salomon Speedway and Super 8 solids which both ride well on and off-piste.
Flex
The Speedway Split has a stiff flex that helps it to remain responsive and reliable. The Speedway’s responsive flex allows the board to be incredibly stable at higher speeds and aids turn initiation.
Board Shape
The Speedway Splitboard has a tapered directional design. The nose of the Speedway is around 10-15mm wider than the tail allowing the front of the board to stay above the snow as the tail drops back to prevent leg burn. A tapered design improves powder performance without sacrificing edge hold on the piste. The Tapered design is coupled with a Quadratic Sidecut. This is a progressive sidecut which allows for easy turn initiation.
The Insides
Salomon spared no expense when assembling the core of the Salomon Speedway. The Ghost Green Core is utilised in the Speedway Split as a way to drop the weight whilst optimising performance. The Ghost Green Core uses paulownia wood which is extremely light and is found in Salomon’s top-end boards.
In addition to the Ghost Green Core, Salomon have added Damplifier to the Speedway Splitboard. Damplifier is a honeycomb effect used in the nose and tail to drop weight. Using Damplifier means that the Speedway Splitboard is lighter for the way up without negatively effecting performance on the way down.
The Base
A Salomon Sintered EG base is used on the Speedway Splitboard. Sintered bases require more TLC with regular waxing but they run much faster than extruded bases. The Sintered EG is designed for a fast ride, but also strengthens the base by utilising Gallium.
The Edges
Salomon wanted to optimise edge hold without causing those nasty edge catches that are common with camber snowboards. To achieve this the used a 1° bevel at the initiation and exit of the edge with a 2° bevel between the bindings.
The Sidewalls
Salomon uses ABS sidewalls which is the short way to say Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. Basically, these are solid and I have had them on a number of boards. The ABS sidewall dampens vibrations through the board and absorbs impacts on jumps.
Additional Features
The Salomon Speedway Splitboard comes complete with custom cut Pomoca Skins which will save you money and time. This is a really nice addition from Salomon.
The Terrain
The Salomon Speedway Splitboard is designed for use outside of the resort boundary’s where exploration is leading the way. The board can be used in the resort and will perform great on groomers. You are unlikely to find the Speedway Split anywhere near the terrain park.
The Rider
The rider of the Speedway Splitboard should be confident riding a stiffer deck. The Speedway is directional and although it can be ridden switch this is not where it excels so it would suit an omnidirectional rider.
Sizing
The Salomon Speedway is available in three sizes; 155, 160, and 165. Because of the damplifier in the nose and tail Salomon say that you can size up from your regular board length by 3-5cm so consider this when choosing your size.
