Curated Expert Arielle Busch got her hands on the 2023 Salomon Bellevue and put it to the test at Powder Mountain in Utah this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving and freeride categories, but don’t forget, every rider is unique; if you have any questions on the Bellevue or would like recommendations on what board would be ideal for your needs, reach out to a Snowboard Expert here on Curated.

Before we jump in, a quick note that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands, all of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Salomon claim about this board? Salomon says that the Bellevue is designed for ladies looking for precise edge control, whether they're ripping powder or carving groomers. And because it's got a wider design with the control under your back foot, it will allow for smoother maneuverability, speed, and float.

Overall Impressions

What's your overall impression of the board? My impressions of the Bellevue are pretty close to what Salomon says about it. It's a wonderful freeride board. What I really, really liked about it was that it felt very short. So I rode it in a 148, but it almost rode like a 144 even. It's got an interesting shape. They're saying it's directional camber, but it goes camber and then into flat. It’s a great freeride board, but that flat in the front, I think it gave me some fatigue honestly; or it just didn't do anything for me. I don't really understand why it's there. Why not just do camber?

Carving

How does it turn? It was really easy to turn on. And because it was a little bit wider in between my feet, it felt super nimble edge to edge.

Because it's got backseat camber, when I did get into my carves, it almost felt like I had this driving force behind me, which was really, really cool.

How is its edge hold? It is a little bit shorter and wider for a women's board, which I like, because it's super, super nimble. So even though I felt like the flat in the front affected my turn initiation, I got in my flow and going edge to edge is quick.

Freeride

How would it be in powder? This board would slay in the powder. It will nail through powder. I could already tell on some of that slush. It was like a boat floating on top. Whereas the Story board, I know it would float, but I think this board will float better.

How is it riding in the trees? How is its maneuverability? This board just made my turns very, very easy; so going through the trees was a blast.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? I think it's more for an advanced rider who likes a little bit softer of a free ride board.

Who should avoid this board, there are better options for them out there? This definitely would not be for a beginner rider. You have to know how to ride to be on this board.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Arielle or any other Snowboard Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations. Note that the 2024 version of the Salomon Bellevue is linked below - same tech, just different graphic: