Attention ATOT Snowboarders

[mafia]

I thought I might get into this sport. I live pretty close to Wisconsin ski resorts, so I'll be going every weekend for snowboarding during the winter.

I was wondering what are the good brands for snowboarding gear and snowboards?

 

[burntfish]

cant go wrong with burton.

oh and make sure you wear wrist guards and a butt pad. you'll be falling a lot.

 

[schneiderguy]

Posts: 666

You might melt the snow

 

[cheezy321]

Get an arbor board. Everyone and their mom has a burton board. Gnu also has good boards that are usually a lower price.

Check out sierrasnowboard.com. Its a great place to find gear.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

first season? Buy something used.

 

[Homerboy]

first season? Buy something used.

correct
And being that you're in WI, coming from a LONG TIME skier in the fine state, I EMPLORE you to get something that handles ice well.

 

[Dirigible]

cant go wrong with burton.

Burton is good, but other brands are too - and the smaller brands may be cheaper. Currently I have Burton boots, Ride bindings, and a Nitro board.

Used is a good idea too for a beginner.

 

[Farang]

Whatever fits you used. Also see if your mountain has deals for first timers, mine gives first timers 3 lessons, a seasons pass, and free rental all season for a lower price than a normal seasons pass. So you don't even have to buy gear the first season. I almost want to fake being a newbie just to get the deal.

 

[polarmystery]

tag for future purchases/advice (I too am a newbie snowboarder)

 

[Wyndru]

I like Ride stuff now. I used to be die hard Burton but the last few boards I've bought haven't really held up for too long, especially if I'm hitting rails and boxes a lot.

 

[rcpratt]

I've snowboarded (badly) every once in awhile in the past, also thinking of trying to get more into it this year. Need to find some buddies that are into it too, none of my friends seem to be.

 

[polarmystery]

What is the consensus for buying a wide snowboard vs. a regular? (I wear a size 12 snowboard boot but it's been difficult finding used wide snowboards, as regular ones are a plenty)

 

[Wyndru]

What is the consensus for buying a wide snowboard vs. a regular? (I wear a size 12 snowboard boot but it's been difficult finding used wide snowboards, as regular ones are a plenty)

I wear size 12 also, and I don't have issue with toe/heal drag on most boards I've bought. I had an abnormally thin board one time that my toes hit, but I didn't really notice much difference in my riding. You can adjust the bindings to make it less noticeable too.

 

[brainhulk]

i use a gnu board and ride bindings. i like it better than my old burton gear

 

[Colt45]

It's been years since i kicked the habit, but I used to like option boards a lot.

burton had cats ass bindings though, the 'custom' model or whatnot. I'm sure other manus have picked up by now, though....

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

k2, ride, burton, rome, flow...

 

[Gooberlx2]

oh and make sure you wear wrist guards and a butt pad. you'll be falling a lot.

And a helmet. You see less of them in the Midwest, but the icier conditions on the grooms make them more a of necessity than here in the powdery West (not counting trees and off-trail runs).

Aside from the brands already mentioned, NeverSummer seems to be well-thought-of out here.

 

[Booty]

I have a Never Summer and a Unity - I love both boards. Nothing wrong with Burton - I just think you pay more for the name than for the gear (though I do have a couple pairs of their pants). Checkout TechNine and ThirtyTwo for boots and bindings... also Drake/Northwave, and my wife has Salomon boots that are really nice - I tried on the men's of the same line and really liked them (just didn't need new ones at the time).

If you're going to ride mostly in the midwest and you're between board lengths, I'd go a little shorter... not super short or anything, but I think shorter boards are easier to control for beginners on less-than-ideal snow. To give you an idea, I'm 6'1" and ride a 156 (my NS) most of the time in the midwest, but it's a little short if I'm out in CO/Tahoe/etc, so I picked up the Unity (which is around a 165... can't remember exactly).

Most importantly - don't get discouraged! First day is rough for sure, but you'll catch on quick. I had my wife going down blues in CO on her 2nd day and by the end of the day she was making it down blacks (albeit slowly). Hang in there and you'll be cruising down the runs in no time!

 

[Riceninja]

if you're a beginner, dont get burton. start with ride and k2 - these are solid mid range brands that have great quality without the burton pricing. just dont buy cheap stuff like 5150 that will crap out after one season

also when you buy the boots...dont buy the lace-ups. they're a bitch to tie, esp in the cold. get ones that lets you pull up on the side, or the twist dials. and dont scrimp, boots are the most important part of your gear.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Getting used is overrated.

USed prices aren't that great and a lot of stuff on Craigslist is absolute trash. Sierra Snowboard's 50% off will get you great stuff. A good $300 board will go a long way at 50% off. My beginner board is still better than what any of my friends snatched up on Craigslist.

Look at some good beginner boards. Burton is fine but so is Ride and Forum. I went with a Forum Recon as my first board. My friend likes it even though I've put many gashes into it. Bindings? Stay away from Flow. Get something nice like a pair of Burton Missions.

I'm now riding a Burton Custom ICS + Burton Cartel EST. Not looking to upgrade as this year I may ride a lot less, but if I were to, I'd love to get a Custom X + CO2s... Rawr.