manualmagazine.com MM#38 1 2010 SNOWBOARD BUYER’S GUIDE By now you’ve probably gone into the garage, taken one look at your monoski and gumboots combo and thought, ‘this just isn’t going to cut it this winter.’ Luckily the foldout gem you’re currently holding will guide you through the difficult process of picking out new gear for the upcoming snow sliding season. So without further ado open this puppy up and get peeping. WILL JACKWAYS, JAPAN AIR, CARDRONA SHAUN QUINLAN PHOTO
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manualmagazine.com MM#38 1
2010 SNOWBOARD
BUYER’SGUIDEBy now you’ve probably gone into the garage, taken one look at your monoski and gumboots combo and thought, ‘this just isn’t going to cut it this winter.’ Luckily the foldout gem you’re currently holding will guide you through the difficult process of picking out new gear for the upcoming snow sliding season. So without further ado open this puppy up and get peeping.
WILL JACKWAYS, JAPAN AIR, CARDRONASHAUN QUINLAN PHOTO
2 MM#38 2010 Snowboard Buyer’s Guide
LENGTH: Board length is a simple concept. If you are a Chewbacca kind of tall then you’ll be after a slightly longer board; if you are of a more Yoda-esque stature then a smaller board will suit you just fine. Bad Star Wars gags aside, smaller boards are best suited for jibbing and park riding where a longer board will shine in pow and freeriding conditions. If the tip of the board meets your nose you’ve got a happy medium. WIDTH: Chosing the right board width is crucial for eliminating T.D. syndrome. Those of you who have suffered from T.D. (or toe drag) will know how debilitating it really is. If your hooves hang over the side of your board you will certainly become a victim. The easiest way to combat it is to invest in a board that is wide enough to cover those tootsies of yours. A wider board will cut through deep snow and slush alike, where its anorexic counterpart will serve you better for edge to edge contact and snappy turns.
SIDECUT: This is what makes a snowboard a snowboard and not an awkward plank of wood. That curve that runs down each side of your shred board is the sidecut. Without it you ain’t going nowhere but straight down. As soon as your edge is raised the sidecut kicks in and aids turning. A tighter sidecut will make the board more apt for quick turns, a mellower sidecut will lead to longer cruisy turns. FLEX: Think of board flex as if it were your personality. Are you mellow, free spirited and maybe shower a little less than most? A softer board could be right up your alley. Or are you slightly intense and like your music at 6000 beats per minute? Something stiffer will suit you just fine. Softer boards with more flex are your best option for park and jibbing. Stiffer boards are better off if you spend most of your time freeriding or doing those fancy double corks in the pipe.
NEW TECHNOLOGY: Some kind of rocker or reverse camber technology is now used by pretty much every snowboard company in the game, look at any buyer’s guide and the words ‘rocker’ will appear on nearly every board. These boards come in many guises, but simply put, the nose and tail are less weighted and the emphasis of the pressure is focused under and between your feet, rather than at the end of your board. The result is a more forgiving ride. Best bet when deciding on rocker or a conventional camber board is to head to your local store and have a chinwag with the knowledgeable shop heads.
CAPITAThe Green Machine Advanced Freestyle 152, 154, 156, 158
$1099
CAPITASpace Metal
Freestyle 143, 147, 149
$759
DRAKEPlayer
Freeride148, 152, 156,
160, 162W$599
4 MM#38 2010 Snowboard Buyer’s Guide
K2Raygun
Freeride – All Terrain Rocker
150, 153, 156, 157W, 159, 160W, 161, 164W
$699
K2Turbo Dream
Freeride – All Terrain Rocker
153, 156, 157W, 159, 160W, 161, 164W
$999
K2Anagram
Freestyle/Park – Catch Free Rocker
147, 152, 155, 155W, 158, 159W, 161, 163W
$599
K2Parkstar
Freestyle/Park – Jib Rocker
149, 152, 154W, 155, 157, 157W, 159, 160W, 163W
$959
K2Va Va Voom
Women’s Jib/Rail – Jib Rocker
135, 139, 143, 148, 152
$799
FORUM2011 Spinster
ChillyDogFreestyle/Park
144, 146, 148, 150 $799.99
K2Fastplant
Park/Street – Jib Rocker
154, 157, 159W $1099
K2Moment
All Terrain – Catch Free Rocker 138, 142, 146,
150, 154 $599
DRAKEUrban
Jib/Rail149, 153, 156, 158
$599
DRAKEThe DFLFreestyle
148, 151, 155$699
FORUM2011 Destroyer
ChillyDog Freestyle/Park
148, 152, 154, 154W, 156, 156W, 158, 158W
$899.99
FORUM2011 Recon
Freestyle/Park 146, 149, 153, 156,
156W, 158, 158W, 161W $599.99
FORUM2011 Scallywag
ChillyDog Freestyle/Park
151, 155, 158 $749.99
FORUMThe Rat Urban
147, 150, 153 $599.99
FORUM2011 Young Blood
ChillyDog Freestyle/Park
148, 152, 154, 156, 155W, 157W, 159W
$799.99
DRAKEThe DF2
Freestyle - Rocker152, 154, 156, 158
$799
manualmagazine.com MM#38 5
K2WWW
Jib/Rail – Jib Rocker
145, 148, 152, 153W, 155, 156W, 159W
$799
RIDE2011 Machete
Freeride – LowRise Rocker
152, 155, 157W, 158, 160, 161W, 162, 164W
$999.99
RIDE2011 OMG
Women’s Freestyle/Park – ProRise
Rocker 147, 150$999.99
RIDE2011 Antic
Freeride – LowPro Directional Rocker
151, 154, 157, 158W, 160, 162W, 163, 165W, 168W
$899.99
RIDE2011 Compact
Women’s Freeride – LowRise Rocker
139, 143, 147, 150, 153$749.99
RIDE2011 DH2
Freestyle/Park – ProRise Rocker
151, 153, 155, 156W, 157, 159, 159W, 161, 162W
$999.99
RIDE2011 DH
Freestyle/Park 151, 153, 153W, 155, 156W, 157,
159, 159W, 162W$949.99
RIDE2011 Kink
Jib/Rail – ProRise Rocker
147, 152, 153W, 155, 156W, 158, 159W
$749.99
RIDE2011 Society UL Freestyle/Park
151, 154, 157, 160$1099.99
STEPCHILDJP Walker
Pro All Terrain138, 147, 151,
154, 157$959
STEPCHILDSimon Chamberlain
Pro All Terrain136, 148, 153, 156,
156MW, 158$959
STEPCHILDJib StickFreestyle
143, 148, 153, 156$899
STEPCHILD Powder Sucks
All Terrain Freestyle149, 152, 152MW, 155, 155MW, 158
$699
STEPCHILDWhale Cock
Freestyle152, 155
$799
6 MM#38 2010 Snowboard Buyer’s Guide
This piece of equipment is somewhat self explanatory. Without them you’re better off staying at home and listening to talkback radio with Michael Laws. Or are you? When picking out bindings refer back to your choice of board stiffness; bindings work on the same rule. A stiffer binding will be more responsive, a softer binding will be more forgiving.
BINDINGS
manualmagazine.com MM#38 7
BURTON Infidel One Love
Freestyle$549.99
BURTONMission EST
Freestyle$399.99
BURTONLexa
Freestyle$399.99
DRAKECzar
Freeride$399
BURTONStiletto
Freestyle$329.99
DRAKEFifty
Freestyle$299
DRAKESupersport
Pro$449
DRAKEJade
Women’s Freeride$299
FLUXTitan RKFreestyle
$449
FLUXSuper Titan
Freeride $499
FLUXFeedbackFreeride
$549
FLUXGem
Women’s Freeride $399
FORUMFaction
Freestyle$349.99
FORUMRecon
Freestyle$249.99
FORUMRepublicFreestyle$399.99
FORUMKeepers
Women’s Freestyle$349.99
K2Auto Uprise
Freeride$559
K2Formula Freestyle
$439
K2Indy
Freestyle$389
RIDENitrane
Pro$559.99
K2Charm
Freestyle$299
RIDEContraBand
Freestyle$489.99
RIDEEX 2011
Freestyle$369.99
RIDELXh Women’s 2011
Freestyle$329.99
UNIONDanny Kass
Lightweight Freestyle $450
UNIONContact
Lightweight Freestyle $350
UNIONRe-Union
Beginner/Intermediate$240
UNIONKFC
Freeride$489
UNIONData Rasta
Freeride$479
UNIONForce SL
All-Mountain Attacker$570
8 MM#38 2010 Snowboard Buyer’s Guide
BOOTSBoots are as underrated as a good peanut butter sandwich. Get the wrong boots and it could put you off snowboarding for life. Every movement your body makes on a board is transferred through your boots and onto your snowboard. Some simple advice when picking out boots is always try them on. Try a wide scope before picking the right boot for you. Sizing is of utmost importance; don’t let your mum tell you that you’ll grow into them. Toes should nearly touch the end of your boot but still be able to wiggle around, and when the boot is done up your heel should stay firmly in the bottom of the boot. Boot technology is evolving just as much as boards are. Quick lacing and BOA are new standards, BOA being steel laces that are done up simply by the twist of a dial, and quick lacing is generally two pull-strings which lace the whole boot up at once.
manualmagazine.com MM#38 9
NORTHWAVEReign
Pricepoint
$269
NORTHWAVERevolutionFreestyle
$299
K2Raider BOA
Freeride
$449
K2Mink
Freestyle
$359
K2Maysis
Freeride
$649
K2Domain
Freestyle
$359
BURTON
Ruler
Freestyle
$449.99
BURTON
Ion
Pro
$699.99
BURTONMint
Freestyle
$349.99
FORUMStunner
Freestyle
$599.99
FORUMMist
Freestyle
$249.99
BURTONSapphireFreestyle
$449.99
RIDESage
Women’s Freeride
$349.99
NORTHWAVEFreedom SL
Women’s Freeride
$329
RIDEStrapper Keeper
Freestyle
$479.99
RIDEAnthem BOA
Freeride
$399.99
RIDEOrion
Freestyle
$299.99
NORTHWAVEFreedom SL
Freeride
$329
THIRTY TWOLashed Fast Track
Freestyle
$459
THIRTY TWOPrion
Pricepoint
$329
THIRTY TWOLashed
Freestyle
$439
THIRTY TWOExus
Women’s Pricepoint
$289
10 MM#38 2010 Snowboard Buyer’s Guide
Personally, I like to see where I’m going on the way down a steep mountain covered in a slippery ice-like substance. Goggles definitely aid this while protecting those precious peepers of yours from the sun’s harsh rays. Packing an extra lens can help on those flat light days.
GOGGLES
manualmagazine.com MM#38 11
VON ZIPPER Chakra $199.99The maximum in minimalism. A medium
sized goggle. Thermo-polyurethane frame for flex, anti fog spherical lens and wide peripheral vision. Love In/Locust Chrome pictured.
VON ZIPPER Porkchop $179.99Extension arms for perfect helmet fit and no goggle distortion, anti fog cylindrical
lens, thermo-polyurethane frame for flex, wide peripheral vision. 20-20
Dragon’s Super Anti-Fog: an exclusive product that prevents lens from fogging,
twice as long as any other lens.
SMITH OPTICS Stance$159.99 (RC36 lens), $189.99 (mirrored)Fuse has had a facelift but has kept the
Regulator ventilation and free spare lens. Dark Black Hours pictured.
VON ZIPPER Feenom $249.99The godfather of all goggles.
Thermo-polyurethane frame for flex, anti fog spherical lens,
Wide peripheral vision, and perfect fit with or without helmet. Buffalo Check/
Smoke Blue Chrome pictured.
SMITH OPTICS IO $299.99Sleek spherical goggle packaged
with spare mirrored lens. Fast and easy lens changing system. Neon
Green Horrorgami pictured.
VON ZIPPER Dojo Skull Candy $359.99Thermo-polyurethane frame for flex, anti fog spherical lens, wide peripheral vision plus, bombastic sounds from integrated Skullcandy Lo-pro headphones. Black Satin/Bronze Chrome lens pictured.
ADIDAS ID2 Style Your Own $325All the same great features of the ID2 but this goggle comes as a pack with
markers and a sticker set. Full instructions show you how to design your own goggle
lens, 100% anti-scratch 100% UVA/UVB/UVC, extra wide strap for comfit.
ELECTRIC Neff $254.95Electric’s first co-op with our
happy comrades at Neff is bright, excited and wants to be your friend.
Bronze/Blue Chrome pictured.
ELECTRIC Cheryl Maas $244.95See the world through the eyes
of a champion in Electric’s Rider Inspired Design Series. Bronze/
Silver Chrome pictured.
SABRE Acid Rider $249.90 Same features as the Easy Rider. Comes with Sabre ring, 3 studs
and a good coffin case!
12 MM#38 2010 Snowboard Buyer’s Guide
OUTERWEARWhile you’re trying on those trendy supertight leopard print pants try to remember you are going to be snowboarding, and that people have to look at you. Also being on the mountain generally involves cold temperatures, wetness and snow. Rocket science aside, I would recommend buying something that keeps you warm and dry, and that doesn’t constrict your extremities. After all, this is an extreme sport.
WATERPROOFING AND BREATHABILITY: Here in New Zealand we face some rather variable weather conditions and although that minx Toni Marsh might seem sure that it’s going to be sunny up the hill tomorrow, it might be the complete opposite. Factor this in when choosing outerwear. Those numbers on the tag (5,000–30,000) relate to the waterproof or breathability qualities of the garment; the bigger the number, the better. FEATURES: Gizmos. Do you need them when you’re out riding? Remember to ask yourself this question before passing over those hard earned dineros on a jacket that has a NASA clearance. Think about when and where you’re actually going snowboarding and whether or not those extra features are superfluous to your needs. If spring shreddery tickles your fancy then lighter shell garments will be more your style. Mid-winter snowboarding requires warmer, more insulated clothing.