Salomon Dancehaul Snowboard Review

2022-2024 Salomon Dancehaul Review

How This Review Happened:

Precious Good Ride dollars were spent buying and reviewing this.
Size: 152
Days: 10+
Conditions: Good Groomers, excellent groomers, some messy snow, some knee high wind affected somewhat thick pow.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-190lbs)
Boots: Burton Kendo & ThirtyTwo TM-3XLT
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas
Jacket: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom TDF Infuse 3L Gore-Tex Jacket, Burton Banshee Gore-Tex Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Guide Glove, Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Drop Tahoma Mitt

Similar Boards (but not the same): Gentemstick Mantaray 156, Yes Hybrid, Endeavor Scout, Jones Hovercraft, Lib Tech Orca, Never Summer Harpoon, Niche Pyre, Yes Hybrid, Yes Y, Cardiff Powgoda, Gnu Gremlin

Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-3, +18/-9. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.

How It Was Tested

On some days, I compared it to the Lib Tech Orca, YES Hybrid, and Gnu Gremlin with the same boots and bindings.

Approximate Weight

The Salomon Dancehaul is on the light side of normal. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

I was a little heavy for the 152 Salomon Dancehaul but not too much that it was a deal breaker. It worked really well with my size 9 boots too.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can, of course, go bigger or smaller, but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
152: 9-10
154: 9.5-10.5
157: 10-11

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Salomon Dancehaul has a pretty tapered directional shape but a centered stance on the sidecut, so it feels pretty centered when in the reference stance despite that bigger nose and tail. It needs a little more back-footed weight than a twin, but not by too much.

Salomon calls the camber profile Rock Out Camber, which is mostly camber with only a touch of early rise. However, when you strap in, the weight lifts the tip/tail, and it doesn’t feel like a mostly camber ride. It borders on being stable and somewhat forgiving instead of super-locked in.

Flex Personality/Uneven Snow

The medium flex really gives the Salomon Dancehaul a buttery and playful ride with easily accessible pop for average riders like me. I loved how easy it was to ollie and how well it springs out of a turn. On top of that, the way this performs in all conditions is much better than many Salomon boards that don’t have ABS sidewalls, like the Sick Stick and others out there in the line. It is a great all-conditions ride from micro bumpy hard snow to soft, messy snow. Don’t get me wrong, it can’t hammer through it all at high speeds, and it does buck and bounce you around, but it just doesn’t get cranky and send the chatter up into your joints like the old, sick Stick 151 used to.

Speed/Base Glide

The Salomon Dancehaul base glide is good when well waxed—not exceptional, but definitely good. I like the base’s structure, too. It makes it good in wet spring snow as well. The Dancehaul isn’t a bomber, but it can handle short straight lines without a problem.

Edge Hold

The Salomon Dancehaul has a very competent edge hold. It doesn’t have a disrupted sidecut, but it held well enough in hard snow for my taste.

Turning Experience/Carving

What I love about the Salomon Dancehaul is how the board initiates a turn pretty easily for its width. When you get this sidecut engaged, it has a balanced turning experience that leans more on the turny side of things. Across the groomer, carves and quick, hard carving turns were super springy. If you like a stiffer board for a carve, you won’t be super stoked, but I really enjoyed how easy it was to make it happen.

Powder

Set all the way back at a 21.75” stance width (same as reference); You can get 4” back from the center of the board. On the 2025 Dancehaul, you can get -4.375″ back at a 21″ stance width because there is an extra set of inserts on the front foot. Add in the 12mm of taper, a big nose, and a small tail surface area, and you have a very easy directional float. In knee-high powder, the Salomon Dancehaul stayed on top of the snow well, and I could tell it could handle a lot more snow before it was challenged.

Switch/Pipe/Jumps

Given how tapered and directional the Salomon Dancehaul is, it’s a very doable switch. I think this is a pretty fun park ride, too.

Conclusion

Overall, I really like the construction and overall feel of the Salomon Dancehaul so much that I’m glad I bought it. It won’t be going anywhere, and it is a very recommendable ride for a quiver or as a daily driver. For 2023, there are some slight tweaks to the core profile, but it is still very much the same ride.