New Snowboards, Gear and Features
Construction of a Burton Board
It is important to understand some basics for snowboard construction before deciding on a product to purchase.
Most snowboard cores are made from different types of wood. Each section of wood is placed in strips facing different ways to create maximum stability, but retain flex in boards. As seen on the image to the right, Burton Snowboards are created with different pieces of wood placed in differed areas dependent on what each area is used for. Most wood core boards are constructed similar to this.
Boards are constructed in a sandwich type of pattern:
- Base: Dependent on pore size, holds wax
- Core: Can be made of various woods, metals, etc..
- Top Sheet: Biaxial or Triaxial, helps with torsional softness
Once the board is completely pushed together an outer edging is added. This edging can be made of various things and various ways depending on the company.
All the experts interviewed from The Wright Life and Outpost SunSport stated the same thing about finding snowboards. Find a snowboard that fits your style, level, and comfort. No one board is right for everyone; you just have to find one that fits you.
Men’s Boards
Burton X8 with Living Color
Twin-tipped with a smooth flex and all the premium upgrades, the X8 unites skate-style fun with the speed, precision, and weight savings expected of high-performance boards. The X8 is a modern all-mountain freestyle board with a true twin shape and updated core system to enhance mountain to park rides.
While this board may look simple at first glance it actually entails color changing technology activated by cold weather. If you look closely the silver 8 on the top of the board will slowly turn black once it reaches 34 degrees.
This board is also friendly to the environment by using a castor base top sheet which helps cut down on the use of petroleum and recycled sidewalls keep old board scraps out of the landfills.
Burton Vapor
The Burton Vapor offers some of the newest technology and boasts being the only company to offer the aluminum honeycomb technology that gives boards strength but helps maintain the board’s lightness. This technology isn’t new to other industries such as marine, rails and architectural designs.
The Burton Vapor is also one of the lightest snowboards ever made and is extremely durable. It offers a smooth, easy ride for any level of rider. Along with its versatility to go anywhere on the mountain, it is a great purchase at any level of experience.
Brett, a snowboarder in his fourth year and a former member of SnowRiders stated that the Burton Vapor is one of his favorite new boards. He spoke about the ride of the board with the aluminum honeycomb technology. He stated that some other companies create this technology but it does not feel like riding a wooden core board. Burton has really customized this process and made the board feel like you are riding a normal wood board, just a board that is lighter and faster.
Ladies Boards
While it may seem a good idea for women to fit into their guy friend’s old gear, it seems to create more frustration than excitedment about the sport.
A snowboard must fit your physical size and shape, so while there are some women who can properly ride mens’ and unisex boards, but most women will have an easier time on a women’s specific board.
According to Snowboard Magazine, women generally have a smaller, narrower foot which requires a narrower snowboard. Having a narrower board will help the rider easily and quickly transfer their energy from edge to edge. They are also lighter which helps balance a lighter body mass.
Salomon Ivy
The Salomon Ivy offers ERA technology or Extended Riding Application technology which has a core that is very stiff but rides soft. This is due a Gallium infused base which is a metal liquid powder that is placed in the base to make the board faster, take turns better, and hold the structure longer.
This board is also constructed of a high end wood core made from Aspen and Poplar. It has sides and a center filling of Aspen to maintain shape, but offers a poplar filler to create a softer flex in the board. This is great for lady riders who generally need a softer flex in their boards due to less body mass.
Holly Wright, the owner of The Wright Life, a snowboard specialty store in Fort Collins, also spoke highly of the Rome line of women boards. As a long time snowboarder and avid product researcher and tester, she found that having more flex in a board creates a better, easier ride. She found that while Burton and Salomon create high quality boards, Rome has created a board that fits her personal riding style.
Burton Feel Good
As far as boards go for women it seems that the Feel Good offers the most versatility and confidence inspiring fit in the board world. It allows an easy ride, but also has a good shape for turning and edges well.
The Burton Feel Good is a board that is made for the physical capabilities of ladies. This board is especially good for women because it allows them the ability to ride in comfort and style.
Through trials and errors of using other people’s gear and renting, it is a good idea to look into renting women specific gear or buying your own. For me, I wanted to buy my own so I could keep my bindings and my own board that fits my physical type.
Salomon Relay XLT
The Relay XLT by Salomon offers a unique cable system that holds the high back of the binding together. This titanium cable system is a very responsive, stiff cable that helps center the boarder on his/her board. It allows the boarder to lean more forward or back to get responsiveness in powder.
The high back is made of carbon-fiber and is very stiff. However, it is important to try these out. They are a bit on the stiffer side and the cable system makes them a unique ride for more experienced boarders.
Josh Desrocheres, an experienced snowboarder who works for Outpost Sunsport in Fort Collins states, “While this binding is a favorite of a lot of advanced riders, it does take a while to get used to the ability to move forward and backwards in your bindings, which is a sensation even some of the most experienced riders aren’t used to.”
These bindings also offer a comfortable soft heel loop that is extremely padded. This creates more of a cushion on the foot which gives a rider more comfort creating longer rides.
Burton CO2
Burton has created a light, strong and highly responsive binding with their CO2 line. These bindings offer hiker capability for those who dare to trek to the fresh, ungroomed powder.
The CO2 is made for free ride boarders who enjoy more downhill riding. The binding is stiffer due to the polycarbonate fiberglass blend base, which offers more response and quicker turns to be able to avoid obstacles and make sharper, quicker moves at higher speeds.
The CO2 also offers an extremely strong mesh high back that is cut at the angle in which snowboarders generally ride. This angle in the high back helps to relieve inner calf pains. The B3 gel in the heel also allows for extreme comfort for all day, maximum performance riding.
Innovative Board Companies to Watch
Lib tech is a smaller, unique brand that offers banana technology along with toothed tool products. Banana technology in snowboards full tip and tail rockers which create powder specific floatation as well as hugs turns and creates easier more skate-like feel.
The toothed tool boards are full of wiggles that make up Magne-Traction which provides a unique edge that is rounded in squiggles along the edging. This helps shift edge pressure away from the tip and tail of the board and focuses control to the regions of the board at and between a rider’s feet where balance is centered.
This company also offers socially sustainable products such as a bio-plastic top material which is made from beans. This plastic is made in hopes to reduce petroleum based products in hopes of creating a more peaceful future.
In 1983, Tracey and Tim Canaday decided to get into snowboard making in Fort Collins. Today the brand produces high quality, hand made boards in Denver, Colorado. They keep it local and focus less on marketing hype and more on using high quality materials, craftsmanship, and customer service.
While this line may be smaller than most, it offers a lot of technology and materials that are unique to the company. The custom flight core in the boards is made from premium hardwood and ultra light softwood laminated together with vertical layers of vibration dampers. The dampers help increase vibration absorption on faster rides while maintaining responsiveness.
Never Summer Boards are also made of Bi-Lite Fiberglass which is an ultra light fiberglass mix that delivers freestyle and free ride performance along with durability.
Josh Desrocheres at Outpost SunSport stated that Never Summers are solid made boards that offer a local company name. He’s never found a board that wasn’t a good ride and didn’t offer great performance.
To view more photos of gear mentioned in this feature, head to the Flickr Snowboard Gear Slideshow.
Hear the Interview with Josh Desrocheres, a Board Sales Representative at Outpost SunSport.
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