Ah Val d’Isere! I finally got the chance to ride on the magnificent mountains of the French Alps at Val d’Isere. It was beautiful weather all week long with blue bird skies and a golden sun. Despite having not snowed in the region for about 3 weeks, conditions were very good. Yeah, there were patches of ice here and there, but 90% of the terrain was covered with good snow that only got better as you soared in elevation. Starting at about 1850m, a few lifts and a mountain train will get you to a peak of 3650m! With a vast terrain to cover, you can easily spend a week here without getting bored. Off the mountain (or apres ski as they liked to call it), you could wander around the village and the street shops or you could walk into expensive shops and restaurants. For those on a budget, there were a few options, but if you’re going to Val d’Isere, it’ll be worthwhile to spend some money.

The only downside to the trip was the rather quiet night life. We went the first week of February, so that could be it, but for a world class resort like Val d’Isere, I had higher expectations. In any case, we had a great time there and we are definitely going back next year. And if you’re still wondering whether you should go, Val d’Isere gets two big thumbs up from us. We definitely recommend you visit the resort soon.

The ‘Apres Ski’ Activities

• There were plenty of restaurants to choose from with a variety of local French and ‘Alps’ cuisine.
• The party scene was alright with a few options to choose from, including some pubs and clubs.
• Karting and the BMW circuit were a fun surprise.
• For those who like to play online craps or poker, I’m sorry to inform you that we didn’t find any casinos or ‘underground’ gatherings for such activities.
• The Val d’Isere village committee organizes regular street shows and we managed to catch a couple of them during our 5 day stay at the Village. Needless to say, we participated in one of the street dances!

What We Loved

• Awesome and endless terrain – about 24,000 acres
• About 1900m of Vertical
• The snow parks
• The green learning zone
• Blue-bird skies, golden sun, and great conditions
• Very stretched out and well placed lift systems – we did not experience much crowding
• The food, the shops, and the apres-ski shows and beer spots

What We Didn’t Love So Much

• It’s a bit expensive
• Quiet night life (I think the prices are driving away the party animals

Related posts:

1. Mont Tremblant Resort Review
2. Verbier, Switzerland Resort Review
3. Whistler Blackcomb Snowboarder Review

We’ve had our eye on Canadian-based Recon Instruments for a while now, especially when they announced that they would collaborate with Zeal Optics to enter the winter sports goggle market with a revolutionary product estimated for the end of this year. We are absolutely blown away by what they have come up with. Not only does the Recon-Zeal Transcend goggle completely transform the reason we cover our eyes while we ride, it ushers in a completely new era in snowboarding technology.

Let’s get down to the facts.

Features

• World’s only fully-capable GPS goggle.
• Real-time speed, latitude/longitude, altitude, vertical distance traveled, total distance traveled feedback.
• Chronograph/stopwatch mode for timing runs, clock, and run counter.
• Temperature sensor
• Accelerometer
• Gyroscope
• 3-Dimensional lens
• USB-capable
• $399 for SPX version, $499 for SPPX

How does the goggle display all this info?

This is the part we love. The lens has a built-in micro-LCD display that sits right below your right eye (yes, serious black ops stuff). When you put the goggle on all the information is displayed in a user-friendly dashboard that appears to hang six-feet in front of you. Glove-friendly buttons on the outside of the lens help you navigate the full-color display and user menus. One menu will show you stuff like your current speed and altitude, another one will show you your fastest run alongside a few other stats, and somewhere along the way you can punch a button to drop a location marker you can view later on a map.

Transcend's Built-In Micro-LCD Display

The Lens

There are currently two models for this line of goggles. The Transcend SPPX is fitted with a polarized photochromic lens. That’s right, this lens will get darker or brighter adaptively depending on sunlight conditions. The brighter it is, the higher the rate of activation of the photochromic pigment and the darker the lens will get. In low-light situations the lens becomes much clearer as the pigment remains deactivated. The Transcend SPX comes fitted with your standard high-end polarized lens without all the fancy photochromic features.

Software

Recon Instruments developed a special program for this product that you comes with the goggles. Using the Recon HQ application, you can plug the goggle into your system and upload all your data. The software will pull-up actual maps of the resort you just rode, layout all your tracks on it, and give you all your stats. You can connect to the Recon Instruments website and share your info with an online community that’s becoming increasingly popular. Recon has also talked about the possibility of a software development community for more apps that can potentially be accessed directly from the goggles.

Recon HQ Application

This is one product we definitely cannot wait to get our hands on for the 2010-2011 riding season. Products like these can definitely help a rider get the most out of the relatively short-lived action on the slopes. Besides, who doesn’t want to feel like a commando while shredding some pow?

Check out the official product page here.

Related posts:

1. Ski and Snowboarding Goggles: Buying Guide
2. Snowboarding Goggles
3. 5 Snowboarding Gifts for Beginners

One of the resorts that I  had the chance of riding this season was Verbier. In fact, I got a chance to go twice and it would be very unfair to both the resort and you if I wait too long to write up this review. My first trip to Verbier was a quick 2 day experience in February as I was passing through Geneva on my way back to Toronto. My second trip to Verbier was a 5 day non-stop riding and partying bonanza with my closest friends, whom I hadn’t seen for almost 2 years!

60 Second Elevator Pitch

Everyone has heard about Verbier at one point or another. Whether it’s epic stories about their nightlife, their ‘drink till you pass out on the hills’ philosophy, or their slopes and backcountry offering, there’s a wicked time to be had at this popular Alps resort. If you’ve never been to Verbier, you have to go. Families, couples, and friends will have an insane time as there really is something for anyone. Everyone is pretty friendly and you’ll have a wicked time exploring the endless terrain – Verbier is part of the Les 4 Vallees ski are which includes the ski resorts of Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, La Tzoumaz, and Thyon with a total of 410 km marked runs. Just make sure you’re not wallet shy, because this place is not cheap, but well worth it!

What We Love

• Excellent lifts, on-piste and off-piste terrain – it’s endless!
• The nightlife, food, and parties
• It’s the Alps
• Powwwder
• Tuesday nights when the Chalet girls have their night out!
• Old school log/wood chalet and availability of cheaper accommodation close to the center of the resort
• Professional patrol and emergency rescue system
• Insane weather!

What We Didn’t Love

• Expensive (with that said, its worth it)
• The terrain is obviously not beginner/novice friendly
• Limited accommodation for trips less than 7 days

Best For

• Party lovers
• Off-piste and backcountry dare devils
• Anyone looking to marry rich

Worst For

• Inexperienced riders and skiers
• Park junkies (the current park is pretty decent, but nothing you can spend more than a few hours on)

Tips

• You can save money by staying down the mountain in Le Chable now thatthe new evening bus service which runs between it and Verbier is active.
• Make sure you are there at least on a Friday or Saturday night.
• Tuesday night is when the Chalet girls have their night out, so make sure you are ready to shred snow on Wednesday with no sleep at all!
• Wednesday nights are the quietest so plan for Wednesday to be your easy night in.
• Have the fondue at Le Caveau
• If you plan on going off-piste/backcountry, shell out the extra 4 CHF for insurance which includes a free helicopter emergency ride (we got stuck somewhere way off off-piste, and after about 90 minutes of endless exploring, we called ski patrol who sent us a helicopter to get us out from what they called the “late march melting snow trap”.)

Have you had a different or similar experience? Share it with us in the comments!

Related posts:

1. Mont Tremblant Resort Review
2. Val d’Isere Review
3. Whistler Blackcomb Snowboarder Review

According to the K2 team, the Brigade snowboard is an all-terrain exploration machine. I’m not one to fall for marketing gimmicks, but as my search for the ultimate all-terrain snowboard has not ended yet, it would be unwise of me to pass up a demo opportunity.

What: 2010 155 K2Brigade, $250-$300.

Where & When: Verbier, Swiss Alps in late March 2010.

Conditions: Sunny, clear as crystal skies, and packed powder/hard packed (some areas were hard pack while others were packed powder).

Setup: Burton C60 Bindings + Burton Ion Boots.

First Run: Verbier “Jumbo ” from the bottom of Mont Fort to the La Chaux peak for a combination of off-piste, groomed, corridors, and moguls in one go.

Technology Worth Mentioning

• Twin shape: This board is symmetrical in shape (equal length tip and tail), thus should feel the same whether riding regular or switch
• Dual Progressive sidecut: Sidecuts designed for any level of rider, K2′s DUAL PROGRESSIVE sidecut is a mistake-friendly, fun and forgiving sidecut, which allows for more consistent riding in all situations.
• Catch Free Camber: According to K2, the Catch Free Camber design translates into a small amount of Rocker in the tip and tail with a reduced camber for a ‘fun and easy’ ride. Basically, the tip and tail have been raised a bit while reducing how high the middle of the board archs (camber) upwards from the floor.

Expectations: I was told this was a more intermediate snowboard, so I’ve kept that in mind – though I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist speeding on this board. At one point I was going so fast on this thing, I knew I wouldn’t be able to make the corridor turn I was zooming towards, so I just went off the edge. Luckily, there was enough powder to soften my landing.

First Impressions: The K2 Brigade was most certainly a fun and laid back board and the Catch Free Camber was surprisingly evident. I didn’t think the Catch Free Camber design would have any impact but while preserving the feel of a camber, the reduced arch in the middle led to less edge catching.

Flex/Pop/Stability: K2 made sure the flex of this board was forgiving and fun. It wasn’t too soft, but it definitely wasn’t too stiff. If you’ve ever tried a Burton Custom, you’ll notice that they feel very similar. Popping the board was easy and soft on the knees (but just like any other board, make sure you land smoothly lest you hurt your knee). While a fun board, I didn’t feel too comfortable bombing down Verbier’s slopes aggressively. Chatter isn’t a problem under high speeds, but the board will give out if you need to stop quickly or turn sharply.

Park/Jumps: Don’t worry about taking this thing into the park every now and then, but you should be spending more time shredding groomed runs with the Brigade than making a fool of yourself on the rails. However, this board was a ton of fun taking off jumps and landing the m. 180′s and 360′s for anyone!

Carving/Switching: Any beginner and intermediate will find carving and turning with this board pretty easy to do. However, if you start picking up speeds, you’ll notice the board giving out more often than not. Moreover, K2 was successful at maintaining the board’s playfulness by doing a good job with the boards twin design. Long story short, switches feel as natural as possible.

Pros/Best for:

• Fun and forgiving all-mountain board.
• Jumping and on-mountain features.
• Good Value for Money.

Cons/Worst for:

• Not as stable under high speeds and increased riding aggressiveness.
• Rails and boxes.

Conclusion: If you’re more a beginner looking for a fun board that isn’t too expensive to take your riding to the next level, this might just do it. If you’re an intermediate (looking to progress), an expert, a park junkie, or an aggressive rider, this will not be a good board for you.

Related posts:

1. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
2. Top 12 Snowboards for 2010
3. 2010 Burton Custom V-Rocker Review: It’s Not What You Think

I’ve raked in at least 45-50 days on Tremblant in the past 5 years or so. Having gone up there so many times with all kinds of riders and skiers, I think it’s time for a good ol’ review for those considering Tremblant as a destination.

As one of the largest snowboarding areas in Canada and being backed by the same guys running the show at Whistler Blackcomb, one can only expect great things. The mountain’s layout is excellent and well planned, covering two main sides, the South and the North in addition to two edge sides. The South side gives initial access to the runs which are all carved out of thick forest. The North side is a little smaller, but offers the same degree of cool riding.

Our Elevator Pitch

Mont Tremblant is definitely our favorite North American east coast resort. Very few resorts on the East Coast come close to the variety of the slopes and runs available at Mont Tremblant. The apres-ski atmosphere is pretty good on the weekends, but not so much midweek. For those on a budget, staying at a nearby hotel/hostel is an excellent option as they are all a 3-7 minute bus ride away. The village itself offers all kinds of things to do for just about anyone. Tremblant is definitely a must visit, especially for the family types.

What We Love

• The excellent and well planned slopes and runs. Bombing down from the top to the base as quick as you possibly can will take you about 5-8 minutes. On average it’ll take you about 10-15 minutes to make it down.
• Snowboard/Ski valet right next to the Gondola so you don’t have to worry about carrying your gear to and from the main lift.
• Great village with many dining and leisure options to choose from.
• Excellent line up of accommodation choices. “En plus”, budget trips need not shy away as cheap accommodation is available minutes away from the village. Combine that with Mont Tremblant’s T-Pack offer for 2 day lift tickets for ~$70 total.

What We Don’t Love

• Gets pretty damn cold up there.
• The crowd… but then again this is a problem at most of the popular resorts.
• Subdued night life especially for the younger crowds.
• Terrain park has very limited features and the half pipe is not always available.

Best For

• Families who want that European/French ‘alps’ village feel.
• Groups/families looking to spend and those on a budget.
• Intermediates looking to up their game

Worst For

• Party animals, unless you go during college break week or in big groups
• Backcountry/off-piste lovers – there just isn’t any.
• People who really detest the cold.

Trail Map

Click the above image for an interactive trail map.

Resort Statistics

• Resort Type: Alpine
• Winter: Nov to May
• Summer: None
• Board Leashes required: Yes
• Night Riding: No

Lifts

• Total Lifts: 12
• Gondolas: 2
• Chair lifts: 9
• Drag lifts: 1
• Max people per hour: 27,230

Mountain

• Total pistes/trails: 94
• Total ride area: 602 acres
• Longest run: 3.75miles (6km)
• Top lift: 875m
• Vertical drop: 694m
• First lift: 181m

Pistes Difficulty

• Green runs: 17%
• Red runs: 33%
• Black runs: 50%

Lift Passes

• Half-day ~$50
• Full-Day ~$80
• Lift times:8.30am to 4.00pm

Snowfall

• Average annual snowfall: 3.82 metres
• Artificial snowmaking coverage: 70%

Facilities/Misc

• Snowboard/Ski Schools: Excellent
• Snowboard/Ski Rentals: Yes
• Snowboard/Ski Valet: Yes, about $5 for overnight – right next to the main gondola
• Heliboarding: Not available
• Snowmobiles: Yes

Related posts:

1. Verbier, Switzerland Resort Review
2. Val d’Isere Review
3. Whistler Blackcomb Snowboarder Review

A guest post by David Zemens, snowboarder from Metro-Detroit and author of Shredding Gnar Snowboarding Blog.

2010 is the first year for the RIDE Machete, and it’s been getting rave reviews just about everywhere. I jumped on the bandwagon and bought one over the weekend, so I’m throwing my review out there for all the world to read, hopefully this helps you out!

Conditions: very-hard pack, light dusting of man-made + real snow, some ice, ~22F and windy

Length: 161cm Wide

Tech Specs:

• Available Sizes: 52, 55, 57W, 58, 60, 61W, 62, 64
• Sidecut: LowRize rocker
• Shape: Twin
• Stance: Center
• Flex: 6.5ish/10 stiff
• Retail price: $429

First Impressions: The Machete is flat between bindings and reverses from foot to tip/tail, a very mild rocker. I thought adjusting to this from camber was pretty much effortless. The edges are beveled 1 degree, and I’m pretty sure this saved me once or twice on the icy.

Switch/Pop: Rode switch nicely, but this is to be expected on true twin. It had a good amount of pop and was awesome stable landing ollies off rollers & small park jump (I didn’t go big).

Stability/Handling: The Machete handled speed very well (thank you, slimewalls!!!), landed jumps effortlessly, and pressed with the best of them.really suits me; even though I want a “park” board I’m really more of an “all mountain” rider who sometimes hits park jumps and very occasionally wipes his ass on boxes & rails. The Machete held its edge well on the very-very-hardpack, didn’t wash out on icy patches. The “slimewall” has an amazing ability to absorb chatter. I’d ride over frozen snowmobile tracks expected to get that chop-chop-chop-chop but nothing. Smooth sailing broseph.

Flex: RIDE says the flex on the Machete is 6/10 but I thought it had waaaay more flex than the most recent park board I’ve ridden (’09 Burton X8)—I was able to practically double the height on my tail presses. This flex lends to the overall playful feel of this deck, but don’t be put-off by that if you’re looking for a charger.

Overall: I probably wouldn’t use this for my “powder” board, and I might not prefer it for bombing black diamonds and steeps, but for an all-around board that’ll cruise the groomers and be equally comfortable rocking out in the park for a few hours, you can’t go wrong.

It’s almost February, and if you’ve been considering a new deck and you want to be able to use it for the remainder of this shred season, try and find one of these, but do it quick. Sources tell me that RIDE is selling out of the Machetes and quickly, so when they’re gone from the shelves, they’re gone for good.

Related posts:

1. Ride DH2 In-Depth Review
2. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
3. 2010 Burton Custom V-Rocker Review: It’s Not What You Think

There’s no better known snowboarding stick out there than the Burton Custom. And if there’s a snowboard that Burton is known for, it’s the Custom board.

In line with all the improvements, redesigns, reintroductions, etc… Burton added their own version of the reverse camber technology to their most popular snowboard and I finally got a chance to try it out over the weekend. Here’s my review:

Conditions: Very cold and icy.
Setup: Burton Mission Bindings.

Technology Worth Mentioning

Expectations - Given Burton’s Custom snowboard great track record, the rocker design, and more importantly the hype I’ve heard and read, I was expecting this thing to rock the mountain.

First Impression - Burton’s Custom V-rocker is a fun board to muck about and butter the snow with as the rocker shape nicely lifts up the tips and gives you a center base to pivot on. Unfortunately this meant the board did not hold any edge on icy/somewhat icy surfaces. I felt uncomfortable bombing down the mountain, and the V-rocker does take some getting used to. But boy did I have a blast switching and doing spins with the board.

Flex – The Custom V-rocker is a truly flexible board and you’ll feel it right away under your feet. Obviously this is where the rocker design comes in play.

Feel/Turning – The board feels light and steady through straight lines, but it’s when you start going faster that things get ‘iffy’. Although the board is stable under higher speeds, making turns is not the most natural thing with the Custom V-rocker. My guess is that the lifted tips make it extra hard to grab an edge if there isn’t enough snow on the surface. You’ll find yourself feeling somewhat off balance when making turns, so make sure you have enough space.

Park Riding - Naturally this board would fare well in the park and the reality is very close to that. Although I’m not a park person, I found myself wanting to spend more time in the park, because it’s a fun board for the park. Once again, the rocker design really helps as it softens the landings and makes spins easier to pull off. I highly recommend that you take this on boxes, but be careful with rails. The rocker shape will take some getting used to, but once you settle into it, you’ll enjoy the park very much. Unfortunately the half pipe was in bad shape so I couldn’t test this thing properly, but I felt a lot potential fun to be had from the few half pipe runs I got.

Stopping/Switching – Stopping with the Burton Custom V-rocker required more effort and space than expected. Like I said, the rocker design lifts up the tips so much that, unless there’s enough snow, holding an edge was more frustrating than expected. Switching on the other hand was SO MUCH fun. Given my disappointment with the turns and stops, I was stoked at how much fun this board was at switches. If it means anything to anyone, I’ve (un)officially renamed this board the Burton Buttertom V-rocker.

Pros

• Rocker design is a lot of fun
• Fun in the park
• Amazing for buttering/switching and overall mucking about

Cons

• Does not hold or grab as much edge as advertised/hyped

Overall Impression – Despite what Burton says about the Custom V-rocker being a “mountain monopolizer”, I regret to inform you that it isn’t. Unless snow conditions are great all over, you’ll find yourself frustrated with its stopping/turning abilities. Admittedly, snow conditions were (annoyingly) mostly icy, I still don’t think this stick is meant for all-mountain freestylers. But at the same time, if you’re going to stick around the park, you’re better off getting a park board. I feel the biggest culprit behind this is the imbalance between the traditional Custom feel and the V-rocker design. Needless to say, I’ve changed my mind about buying this board.

Who is this board for? If I really had to describe the ideal rider for this board, I’d say it’s for the intermediate freestyle rider that wants a bit more speed and more mountain ride time without sacrificing the goodness of effortless buttering, switching, and spinning.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Burton Rider Review: Method, Jussi, Custom V-rocker, Jeremey Jones, Easy Living
2. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
3. K2 Brigade 2010 Snowboard Review

We’ve been getting a lot of requests for more details on the DH2 by Ride. There’s been a lot of buzz about this board among snowboarders for 2010. My friends that bought the board at the beginning of the season have fallen deeply in love with it and were hesitant to give it up for me to review it. After much negotiation, I managed to get my hands on one and really put it to the test on the slopes.

Setup: Ride DH2 155, ’08 Burton Cartel bindings, ’10 Burton Ion boots.

Location/Conditions: Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. Machine groomed powder, kind of cold, North face of the mountain was a bit more on the powdery side.

Technology (worth mentioning)

• Low-Rise Rocker – The area at the center of the board running between the bindings is dead flat but the board pivots up slightly in shape just outside each of the bindings towards each tip.
• Carbon Pop Rods – Fiber-like structures in each of the tips give an added stiffness to the ends to enhance the pop of the board without adding stiffness to the core.
• Carbon Rays – A technology being adopted by a lot of manufacturers that features rods running from your bindings to the edges for quicker power transfer.
• Slimewalls – Ride’s coveted sidewall technology that features it’s own dampening system and is ultra durable for sliding on snow, metal, or wood.
• Membrain Topsheet – Ultra light topsheet to reduce board weight.

First Impression – As the bottom graphic so casually puts it… HELLSYEAH. This is one super fun board that translates really well over the mountain but finds its roots in the park. Past all the marketing and tech, pressing rails and landing jumps just felt a lot better on this board.

Flex – The board had a relaxed, fun feel to it. It’s definitely stiffer between the bindings than in the tips to give it the best of both worlds in terms of freeride/freestyle riding. Overall, a nice ride.

Feel/Turning – Although the way this board is built in a very complicated way, it all comes together for a very natural, balanced feel. My first couple of runs felt great going relatively fast and transitioning slowly on longer S-shaped turns. Transitioning into turns was easier than I expected and held onto a carve very smoothly as opposed to being aggressive. At even higher speeds the board felt stable and damp thanks to the stiffer core but would chatter if I pushed it past this point. The board felt relatively light under my feet and the base was waxy and fast.

Powder Riding – Took the board to the North face of the mountain that had significantly more powder and really enjoyed the way it floated. In deeper pow situations, I did need to ride the back seat a little to prevent it from sinking but it never really happened. In choppy areas the board did get a little bumpy but nothing to worry about too much. Pulling switches and buttering around in the pow was effortless compared to my Vapor and was definitely a lot easier to swing around.

Park Riding – This board is well equipped for the freestyle park rider. Despite being a reverse camber, it had really nice pop to it that made the entrance and exits to boxes and rails very nice. You can jib your brains out with this thing. The stiffer core wasn’t so nice for balancing the center of the board on rails but it was still very doable. The rocker made landings very smooth. This is definitely something I noticed in comparison to my regular board, a Burton Vapor. The Vapor is always shaky for the first split second or two after a big landing and I need to smooth it out. The DH2 however just felt a lot more comfortable getting back to the snow from the air. The one place I didn’t particularly enjoy this board was in the pipe. I wasn’t expecting it to perform because of the rocker tech on it. It felt a little fussy and couldn’t hold on to the walls of the pipe properly.

Stopping/Switching – I loved the way this board dug into the snow. It was effortless and did it in such a way that you would expect out of a freeride board without the aggressive grip on the ice. The board also has a twin shape to it, which made riding switch a lot more comfortable and controlled. The transition to switch was a lot easier because of the rocker. You could spend the day buttering up the slopes with this thing.

Pros

• Decent price for all the tech involved ($500).
• Park board that you can charge the mountain with.
• Natural, smooth switching.
• Durable edges will last you longer than most boards.

Cons

• Flex profile might not be suitable for everyone.
• Tailored mostly for park riders.
• Underperformer in the half pipe.

Overall Impression – Ride listened to snowboarders and tweaked the DH into this really cool all-mountain machine. If you live nearby a smaller resort and spend most of your time in the park, you’re going to love this thing. Outside the park, it will still keep up with your needs but won’t handle as well as a freeride board on very high speeds. Switching, buttering around, and just plain old fooling around just feels a lot cooler on this board. The jibbing experience on this thing is insane and to be honest, that might justify adding this stick to your arsenal. Definitely on my short list for 2010.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Ride Machete Review
2. Review: 2010 Lib Tech Banana Magic
3. Burton Jussi 2010 Review

With snowboarding season in full gear, I wanted to the time and spit out a list of the top 10 snowboarding boots for the season for both men and women. This is based on my research, reading endless numbers of (boring) reviews, comments, talking to people and my own personal experience with snowboarding boots. The list isn’t in any particular order (who can really say that one Boot is numerically better than another boot?) but you’ll notice that my personal favorite is numero uno!

1. Men’s Burton Ion - If you’re a regular reader of this blog you’ll know that the Burton Ion boots are my personal favorite. In my full Burton Ion review I only had good things to say about them. Given their balanced comfort level and stiffness, they are the ultimate snowboarding boots for the aggressive rider who likes to have fun. You’ll find yourself comfortable enough to bomb down a mountain while switching and taking jumps. Click here for full product details.

Made For: Freeriding/All-mountain

Pro’s

• Amazing build quality, thus they last quite a bit – I’ve packed over 200 riding days in them and they are just like new
• Very comfortable
• Super responsive
  
• Easy to put on and take off

Con’s

• Expensive ($400)
• Minor heel lift

2. Men’s Burton Hail Coalition - Freestyle choice for the past number of years, this boot has all the essentials for park domination, including a softer yet supportive flex and an articulating cuff to keep it consistent. It also features traditional lacing for the perfect fit, plush cushioning throughout the sole to hinder the big impacts, and just an overall comfortable design. We recommend the Hail to any serious rider that is looking for a time-tested, softer boot to abuse in the park or around the mountain. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freestyling/Park fun

Pro’s

• Well priced ($249)
• Easy to put on and take off
• Minimal heel lift

Con’s

• A bit too flexible for non-park riding
• Uses traditional lacing system (personally, I prefer the Speed Zone lacing system)

3. Women’s Roxy Track Lace – Made for the skills levels of beginner to intermediate, these Roxy boots are developed with comfort in mind. They have a padded spine panel, low rise calf pocket, triple density ankle pads, and 3 piece padded tongue. In addition, the boot has a memory foam liner to ensure even more comfort. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freestyle/Freeride/All around snowboarding

Pro’s:

• Well priced ($149)
• Nicely designed
• Comfortable

Con’s:

• Traditional lacing system

4. Men’s ThirtyTwo Lashed - The Lashed is ThirtyTwo’s best selling boot. I dare you to find a boot with a better price that offers what the Lashed does: outstanding response, comfort, and versatility for everyone. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freestlye/Freeride/All around snowboarding

Pro’s

• Well priced ($199)
• Light
• Very responsive

Con’s

• Not the sexiest looking boots

5. Women’s Flow Lotus Boa Coiler - These boots offer great performance and comfort for a decent price. The BOA Coiler system is very useful for those who hate tying their boots and will amplify the close snug fit that you are always looking for. Along with that, you receive the Silver liner which is heat-moldable so you can acquire a perfect custom fit, and thus reduce heel-lift and sloppiness. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freeriding/All-mountain snowboarding

Pro’s

• Well priced ($189)
• BOA lacing system
• Comfortable

Con’s

• None

So that sums up the top 5 snowboarding boots for 2010. Of course, boot feel and response will vary from person to person, but if you’re looking for a good pair of boots and don’t know where to start, this list is your answer.

Related posts:

1. Burton Ion Boots 2010 Review
2. Snowboard Boots: What You Need To Know
3. 2010 Burton Ozone Boot Review

I’ve been wanting to get this board for a couple seasons now, and I finally did this season. After a few weeks riding the Burton Jussi, it’s time to put up a review.

Setup: Burton Jussi 159, Burton C60 (with the ICS adapters) bindings, Burton Ion Boots.
Conditions: machine groomed and very cold!

Technology
Twin Shape – this board is symmetrical and should feel the same whether riding regular or switch, though it has a directional flex pattern, meaning the nose has less pop/flex than the tail to maintain better stability at higher speeds.
Inifite Channel System – supposedly provides a more direct connection between the bindings and the board (I don’t buy it), while easily letting you mount your bindings any way you choose (this, I buy).
Freestyle Scoop – exaggerated spoon shape which creates a forgiving feel by turning the edges up at the tip and tail.

First Impressions: This is an excellent all mountain freestyle board for the aggressive rider in you with a lot of pop and spring to it. Given that this is Jussi Oksanen’s board (and designed by him), you can only expect it to be that good, but the board is a bit too stiff to rock just anywhere.

Flex/Stability: Stiffer in the tail, with more pop in the nose, but overall pretty flexible board and fun to ride. Burton’s feel/stiff rating is 6/10, but the board felt a little stiffer than that (think of it more of a relative thing). In any case, it works out well, because the board felt very stable compared to many other freestyle mountain boards. Buttering with the Jussi board was fun.

Park/Jumps: Taking off jumps with the Jussi is great, and landing is not too hard on the knees, but don’t get too excited, because this is not a park board. I definitely wouldn’t recommend jibbing with it too much, because it wasn’t designed for the park in the first place.

Carving/Switching: The board is stiff and tuned enough to hold its edge under pretty high speeds. Switching was a lot of fun and riding regular felt pretty much the same as switch – no board will ever feel the exact same riding switch or regular since humans are not anatomically symmetrical, but this is as good as it gets.

Pro’s:

• Very playful thanks to the exaggerated spoon shape
• Stable under high speeds
• Switching is as natural as it gets

Con’s

• $$$ – somewhat expensive
• Not a fan of the board art
• Not for the park and jibs

My thoughts: The Burton Jussie is a wicked board designed for anyone looking for a fun, yet aggressive stick. Moving forward, this is going to be my primary board (replacing my much more aggressive Burton T6)

If you have any questions about the board, please leave a comment and I will answer you!

Related posts:

1. 2010 Burton Rider Review: Method, Jussi, Custom V-rocker, Jeremey Jones, Easy Living
2. 2010 Burton Custom V-Rocker Review: It’s Not What You Think
3. Burton T6 2010 Rider Review