Attn: Lil, JPM and any other boarders
 

You still bored Lil? Good, then help me out with this :D

Basically I'm going boarding in the new year and was thinking about getting my own board and boots. I've been once before so know that I enjoy it, and whilst I'll not be going every year, I'm sure that after a few more boarding holidays I will have saved on board and boot hire what I'll be spending on buying my own stuff. I don't need anything overflash, but at the same time I don't like buying cheap shite.

So any recommendations? Anything to look out for regarding good and bad makes? Second hand a good idea?

Jamie

I have a preference for Burton kit, mainly because I have had a few boards and they have always been good quality and performed really well. They have a really good range of boards and their marketing literature is fairly accurate in helping to decide what board to go for.

It kinda depends on what you will be riding - piste/park/powder. If you want to be jumping or just like a bit of speed.

The Burton Custom has always been a good board and suits most styles and they do it in a range of lengths etc. I am not certain if they are keeping it in their line up this year.

Always a good option is to buy last years model, will save you a fortune and if you go to the right shops you should be able to geta good deal on a board/binding/bag/boots package.

Personally I like Salomon boots as i find the fit is very great for me. best is to try on lots of pairs and walk around in them and see which ones you can stand on your toes for ages without lift/pain etc.

have a look here for more advice and links to good shops...

http://www.goneboarding.co.uk/

btw... careful with Palmer stuff.

I bought JPM a Palmer board and burton bindings for his birthday and the board delaminated while we were in the states. Also know of another person who had the same problem. May have been coincidence, but i am not certain!!

What stuff crashes well? :lol:

There's a few places my way that I went in to a couple of years ago that have got good reputations so I may be taking a look at the weekend. As you say, getting the model just going out of date is a sure fire way to save some cash and it wouldn't bother me in the slightest as I'm a complete noob really.

So that's basically what I need? Board, bindings, boots and a bag?

Desmondo,

I guess firstly it depends on what you intend to do on a board, if like me you just ride the thing and are no half-pipe demon etc, you'll need a free ride board, and vice versa if you're after a board for the parks etc you'll need a board suitable for that.

Another thing is how big your feet are, most are suited up to about a size 10 foot, but there are one or two which will cater for bigger, Palmer spring to mind on that one, you can get round this by putting some risers between your board and bindings, which basically lift your feet up and put some space between the snow and your tootsies.

Brand wise, well there are quite a few obviously, but the biggest of the lot is Burton (not necessarily the best), Palmer, K2, Ride, Option, Nitro, Salomon, most of which are much of a muchness, and most are a bit like Ducati, small updates each year, but new graphics, and the must have 05 model etc.

If you know what size you need then grab a brochure from somewhere like snow and rock, the snowboard asylum etc and see what's available in your size range, this is dependent on what board type you want (see above), riding ability and weight/height etc. I've got a Palmer honeycircle 3, pretty light, looks like carbon :D, but I am on my second one, my first delaminated under warranty, and I know of another that did the same when in Canada, so dunno if that was just a duff batch, or a common problem though.

Binding wise, well there's a few different systems, the standard binding type, which uses a rachet to strap up, Burton also do a strap up, cap system, compatible with a few boots, the "flow" system, which you setup once, set it and forget it, fiddly to set up though initially, heavier by quite a bit, but easier/faster to get in and out of. Step in's which don't seem too popular these days, these usually require specific boots, as the back of the boot is hard, and acts as part of the binding, the good points are they're light, quick to get in and out of, but the mechanism can freeze up during the day. I've got standard Burton Custom bindings, which work a treat.

Boot wise, again, kind of depends on the above, but soft binding (strap up type), you use a soft boot, with an inner and outer lining, the most important thing here is comfort, if they're not comfortable you'll be in agony within minutes (believe me). Most shops do a custom fit, what might seem really comfy in the shop (off the shelf) will be a nightmare on the slopes, so they can custom fit the soles etc, put heels in, mould to your feet. You need to be able to just lift your foot enough, not too much. Again I've got some Burtons, can't remember the name, but they were over £200, and I kept getting asked are they the such a such model, obviously I said yes with a smug face :D I spent that much simply because they fit me perfectly, and they had the added bonus of a removable plastic tongue in the front, which transforms the boots flex from not much to quite a bit, so effectively 2 boots in one.

Other things you need to consider are waxing/edging etc, which isn't much probably 30 quid for a full service, but if you're going away for 2 weeks, and out every day it'll need doing once while your there.

As for buying second hand, all depends on if you're a fashion victim (Hmmm... the slut springs to mind here ;) ) I'd be tempted to buy a board and bindings second hand, as long as it's in good nick, check the board for chips/dings etc (they'll be some) check the edges, and no signs of cracks/splitting, the bindings should be pretty much solid, just check for cracks/splits, operation etc of the rachets, these tend to wear a bit over time, you can buy new straps if you go down that route. But I'd buy new boots everytime, simply because you'd feel that more than anything.

If you get a chance and you're local to an Xscape - Milton Keynes/Castleford, they both have Snowboard Asylums, and they'll let you borrow boards/bindings etc so you can try them on the slope.

Lily bought my board and bindings for my birthday last year, and got a good deal on them as a package so something else to consider. Also depending on where you decide to go, the US is dirt cheap, my board was about £100 cheaper out there, and I think the exchange rate is better than it was last year, so even more savings to be had.

HTH

I'd go with Burton or K2. I've used many over the years, but love the quality of Burton anything. My current K2 has a miles quicker base than my old Morrow which makes a noticeable difference.

I'm still using the Burton step-in system (seems to have dissappeared) which takes a while to get used to but is a huge bonus when you have to spend time with skiers. The only downside is the boots I have aren't that comfortable. Am currently looking for others.

The best advice is have a good think about what you'll be using the board for before you buy. I spent years on a 157 spoon as I thought it'd be easier in the park, then discovered I was doing much more hiking/powder so moved to a slightly thinner 172. Wish I'd done it years ago.

As for buying, if you're confident in what you want get a 'new' last season board off ebay for £250, otherwsie it's money well spent to see a specialist.

Have fun!

Ali

Cheers guys, all pretty interesting and helpful stuff. A slight change of plan that I think will better suit for mow. I'm going to stick with buying my own boots for now and hiring the board. Then maybe buy a board the following year if I really start to get into it. So now, what price range constitutes a decent pair of boots? Should I avoid anything under £100? Am I looking at more £150-200?

Go for what is comfortable as first choice, but as with anything, the cheaper they are often means that they won't last as long or retain their comfort.

If you are going to hire then make sure you take a screwdriver with you and ensure you have your bindings set at the same angles, otherwise every experience is going to be new for you :D

D,

Why go to the trouble of carting the gear. Hiring gets my vote every time unless you are spending a lot of time annoying Skiers on the slopes!!.

No carting, no maintenance, keep up with technology.

Tha carting point does fall down if you use the Swiss Fly rail service.

I can see that you could possibly improve by using your own board as you get used to and its consistently the same equipment.

Ray.

Jamie,

I've bought a pair of Nike snowboarding boots from the store at the designer village near you a while back. They cost me £25 and worked wonders! They were marked as B-grade (the box is stamped with a "B") but I couldn't see why they were as they looked fine to me! They retailed at around £150-£175 according the the Nike website.

Nike do some excellent outdoor kit in their ACG range which is as good as anything else you can buy. I've also got a snowboarding jacket which is full GoreTex and worked fine even in the really cold weather - I had to crack the ice off the jacket but I was still toasty underneath :D

Always worth a try as the store is so close to you.

Checkout my Yellow Submarine snowboard:
http://www.horrible.demon.co.uk/bareges2000/07.jpg

:D