shaun white snowboarding boots
shaun white snowboarding boots
help with new snowboarding setup?
i started snowboarding last year and just borrowed my friends lamar board the whole season. now i wanna get my own setup (board, bindings and boots) im looking for something under $700 for the whole setup. im 5′8” 160lbs and i want a good all-mountain board, and i would like it to be a twin board too. ive been looking at mostly burton because i’ve heard a lot of good stuff about it. i was thinking maybe a burton elite 156 with cartel bindings and idk what boots, maybe shaun white. i would be mostly riding and a little park. anyways, my question is if anyone has any part of that setup if they like it or recommend it, and what are some other brands you guys would recommend?
I gave almost this exact answer to someone else who asked nearly the same question but it’s no less pertinent…
you should find a board that is made to fit your weight (the most commonly overlooked factor in choosing a board) and height (the most skewed factor in choosing a board). And just remember, it honestly takes a while to settle in on what type of board you like and how you want it to feel, not to mention the type of riding you will be mainly doing. But it’s okay to break the rules! Just because a board isn’t “recomended” for someone your size that doesn’t mean you can’t ride it! Lots of jibbers use boards that are WAY short for them and weren’t meant for their weight but since they are mainly doing urban assault, it doesn’t matter! The boards getting thrashed regardless. And plenty of other people get a board that is too “big” for them because they like to be able to get more speed and can handle the increase in difficulty in turning. But I digress…
The first thing you need to do is pick out your boots and bindings. Since these go on your feet don’t get sold on gimmicks, if your feet are miserable, you will be too. Find something that fits well, is comfortable and suits your style and then take the boots and bindings with you! SOOO many people do this progress backwards! They find a board they like for whatever reason and then try to make it work with the rest of the setup. Once you have your boots and bindings you’ll be able to easily tell if you’ll need a wider board from a particular company or not. You will see right away if you have toe drag, how much etc.
Now about brands… sorry, I just can’t get on board with a recomendation of Burton. Yes they have some good tech in their boards and yes they have some big names in the industry and yes some of the rest of their gear is pretty good (I have a Burton coat and gloves so no, I’m not just a flat out hater.) But for two reasons I will NEVER buy a Burton board. 1. The three hole setup is possibly the worst thing in the industry. A good setup is all about options for the best personal customization. (For all the 3 hole fans, do the math, 4 holes offers 18 times the number of stance/width options!!!) 2. They are just horribly overpriced because of their name popularity (amongst other reasons.) The brands I do recommend are ROME, Capita, Ride, K2 and some select other individual boards. Here are the links
http://www.k2snowboarding.com/
http://www.romesnowboards.com/
http://www.capitasnowboarding.com/
http://www.ridesnowboards.com/
Check out what they offer, find something you like and go check it out at your local shop. And then most importantly, find out if any of your local shops offer demo days! It’s ALWAYS better when you can try before you buy!
And if you still can’t make up your mind after all of that, pick up the Rome Agent (a transworld snowboarding good wood since its inception) Ride Ex or better bindings (they are the best bang for the buck in the industry period and nobody stands behind their product better and bindings in particular), and for boots, whatever feels good on YOUR foot and is for your style of riding!
Hope that helps…
Burton Shaun White 2010 Snowboard Boots