The Salomon Assassin Pro is the stiffer upgraded version of the Assassin, but it isn’t a board to be intimidated by. In short, it does everything pretty well, but doesn’t stand out in any one way.
Board size: 159cm
Boots: Vans Infuse 9.5
Bindings: Salomon Highlander
I am 6 foot tall and weigh 155lbs – or 183cm tall and 70kg.
I rode this at Mt Hotham, in Victoria, Australia, with very wet and heavy snow conditions.
Camber Profile
The Assassin Pro has the Rock Out Camber profile, which is a very common profile that Salomon use on their boards. I have spent quite a bit of time riding boards with that profile – the Dancehaul, Villain and the regular Assassin, so I am quite used to how it rides.
With the combination of rocker on the nose and tail, with camber/flat between your feet, you get a good mix of performance, without being too aggressive.
When you ride the board with a flat base, like on a cat track, it doesn’t feel catchy. You can be pretty relaxed, and feel comfortable that the board wont suddenly grab and do something that you don’t expect it to. The rocker sections nicely take the pressure off the nose and tail, which can help save you when you aren’t riding perfectly, or you don’t get a spin the whole way around.
Once you are on an edge, it has some of that feel of a regular camber board, which keeps an overall stable feel.
Flex and Pop
Overall, the Assassin Pro would have somewhere around a medium stiff flex, but it isn’t super stiff like the “pro” in the name might make you think. The flex did take me a while to get used to, it felt like quite a change from the Mercury that I often ride.
The Assassin Pro felt softer through the middle of the board – between the bindings, but stiffer on the nose and tail. To me it meant that it felt easy enough to press or flex it a little, so that it didn’t ever feel like you were riding a stiff plank.
The nose and tail did feel relatively stiff. It caught me out a couple of times, when I really put my weight into an ollie, it pushed back quite hard, with much more air than I expected.
Edge Hold
There is nothing to complain about with the edge hold. Once you got the board onto its edge, it gripped well with a strong and reliable feel through the whole turn.
Turns
Turns seemed quite smooth and easy, which is pretty decent for a board that is almost a regular twin.
Float
I was able to ride in Assassin in very heavy, wet snow that had fallen a couple of days before. Not fun, or a good test for the board, but it was able to get through it without me having to lean back too far and burn out my legs.
Speed
It is a fast board – and I had waxed it just before riding, so everything moved quickly and easily. With a fast base and a solid flex, if you want to ride fast, this will do it easily.
Overall
The Salomon Assassin Pro is a safe choice if you want a medium stiff, all mountain board and want to stay close to a twin shape. Although it is a good step up from the Assassin (which is quite soft), the flex of the Pro isn’t anything to be scared of.
It is fast, stable and aggressive enough it you want it to be, but will still ride just fine if you want some cruisy, relaxed laps.
Although it does do things pretty well, it is a bit boring. It will tick all the boxes for an intermediate to advanced rider who wants to ride everything, but is not amazing in any one area.
Features of the Salomon Assassin Pro 2024
Directional Twin
Close to a twin shape, which means that there will be a tiny bit of help in powder, but not enough to be super noticable.
Rock Out Camber
Overall the board has a cambered profile, but is made up of a few different sections when you look at it in detail. Rocker on the nose and tail, camber under your feet with a flat section between your feet.
Ghost Green Core
Ghost Carbon Beams
Carbon beams that run on the nose and tail of the board, for extra pop.
Sintered EG Base
Freestyle EB
The freestyle edge bevel means that there is a 2 degree base bevel on the board, that blends into 3 degrees between the feet. It gives you a bit more forgiveness for riding a new board on rails, without having to do a serious detune.
Quadralizer Sidecut
BA MD Fiberglass
GreenPoxy 28
Popster
Gunslinger Sidewall
These sidewalls added carbon.
Sizes available in the Assassin Pro:
- 150cm
- 153cm
- 156cm
- 158cm Wide
- 159cm
- 162cm
- 163cm Wide
Similar boards
This would be the option if you don’t want a board as serious/stiff as the Pro, but still like the idea of an almost twin shaped board to ride everything. Softer than they say, it is a very easy board to move around.
The Super DOA has a similar profile, similar flex to the Assassin Pro, but with a much lighter weight. It has a much more premium feel to it, with the high price tag to match.
I think that the Mercury is a good alternative to the Assassin Pro, that overall has a similar set of features, but with a flex pattern that for some reason I like a whole lot more.
Salomon Assassin Pro Technical Specs
| Length (cm) | Effective Edge (mm) | Waist Width (mm) | Sidecut (m) | Suggested Weight (kg) |
| 150 | 1130 | 248 | 7.3 | 50-70 |
| 153 | 1155 | 251 | 7.5 | 55-75 |
| 156 | 1180 | 253 | 7.7 | 55-85 |
| 158 Wide | 1195 | 263 | 8.0 | 65-95 |
| 159 | 1205 | 255 | 7.9 | 65-90 |
| 162 | 1230 | 258 | 8.1 | 70-105 |
| 163 Wide | 1240 | 266 | 8.2 | 70-105 |
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