I have had a salomon 550 and a w4, both I really liked, even though the w4 cracked but that might have been due to workmanship. The salomon boards are know to be stiff. If you plan on riding deep powder and big mountains you may want to increase the length and the width. Burton boards are known to be more flexible. I have a buddy who rides a supermodel and loves it.
Shorter boards are preferred for freestyle and pipe riding.
Longer boards are preferred for free riding. Flexible boards are usually more forgiving and better for the bumps. Hope this helps and Good luck. We want your comments .