Shopping Notes: Sierra Snowboard

If you will need or want a new snowboard, bindings, or boots for next season, this might be a good time to go shopping. You can save a lot of money off retail.

One place that may be worthwhile is Sierra Snowboard. I've never bought anything from them, but their site has several features that could be useful. There are user forums, a Wiki, a chat, and helpful videos, to start with.

There are many places where you can buy snowboards, so look around.

New Year, New Gear

My old snowboard equipment was getting on the worn side, so I thought it ways time to ante up for a whole new setup.

Ouch.

Snowboarding can be an expensive activity, even if you find ways to get discounted gear. But I'm in for it now that I've worn the boots a few times, and my board suffered a chip to the topsheet when an out-of-control kid slid over it. I was standing at the edge of the run-out area from a lift when I heard an awful sound. "Sorry dude," a guy said, before shrugging and riding off. When I got home that night, I noticed a chip on the top.

The board is a Salomon Special. It is stiffer than what I am used to, but that's by design. I washed out during my first time using it, but I'm getting accustomed to it.

I've also got new boots, also Salomon. They're a bit tighter than I would like, so the other day I took them into a shop and they did some heat molding work. Briefly, they heated up a footbed and put it into the boot. I put an foam insert on the end of my toes--to make them longer--and stepped into the boot. Walking around for a bit with this arrangement packed out the front of the foot enough to make for a better fit.

Another piece of new equipment is a pair of Flow NXT-AT bindings. I've always said that a person either loves or hates Flows. Up until now, I've loved them. Now ... I'm not sure. I finally have had to deal with the "pressure points" that some people have talked about with strap bindings. I wonder if the bindings are the wrong size. I had bought XL based on what I had on my old set, but these aren't sitting well on one foot. Or maybe it's that the boot is too small. I'm going to take my old stinky boots for a ride in the new bindings and see what happens.

Demo Days

If you get the chance to attend a demo day, do it. Yesterday I went to a demo day at tried several boards. Even more than trying out the gear, I enjoyed being part of the a swarm of people enjoying the opportunity to be back on the snow. I am far from being a gearhead, but I'll pass along a few thoughts and tips gleaned from the experience.

I tried some a few boards--not nearly as many as I would have liked--and was amazed at how much lighter they are compared with current board, which needs replacement soon. That will ultimately be a good thing, but it's also a bit scary.

If you're shopping for a board, try to replicate the first principle of scientific experiments: minimize the number of confounding variables. Do what you can to make sure that the only thing different about each demo of a board is the board itself.

For example, take your current bindings to the hill with you, and ask the manufacturer or store rep to mount them to your board. Reps like to sell bindings with boards, naturally, but if you will be keeping your old bindings, you won't get a true comparison of board-to-board.

To extend this principle, use the same stance with each board.If you ride duck normally, make sure that your demo board has a duck stance. If you're a goofy rider, don't accept a board that is set up for a regular rider.

Take some measurements of your current setup before you leave the house. What stance angles do you use? (If you are currently renting, you may need to guess from your experience). Do you ride with a narrow stance, a wide stance, or something in between? Measure the distance between your bindings. Again, the principle is to minimize the number of things that are changing so that you can focus on the board and not innovations in your stance or anything else.

This next item sounds silly, but don't overlook it: What kind of board do you ride now? I don't mean brand name, but type. Is it a twin tip, with tip and tail of equal size? Is it directional, meaning that the nose is wider than the tail? Does it have a lot of flex, or just a little? (And, by the way, would you like to change any of these qualities because of a change in your riding interests, abilities, or the kind of terrain you expect to ride?)

When you take the boards out on the hill, cover the same terrain each time you demo a different board. If you take one board on an icy run through the woods and another board into an open trail that has been softened by the sun, you'll distort the comparison.

Run the board through different kinds of techniques. Ride it hard. Ride it playfully. Ride it in the pipe or in the park, if those are your things. You may need to make these little experiments on several runs, or you may be able to get them all done in one. It depends on how much and what kind of terrain you have to work with.

Finally, know yourself. What kind of rider are you? Are you the fastest one in your group? The one who brings up the rear? Are you aggressive or mellow? Are you a speed demon? Do you like going down the fall line or do you like to play with the rolls of the terrain and cover more ground before you get to the bottom of the run?

I said that you should make a true board-to-board comparison. That's not entirely possible, of course. The change of temperatures and sun exposure throughout the day will make a difference, as will your changing energy levels. But do what you can to minimize those confounding variables, and you'll have a more useful demo day.

By the way, thanks to Shayboarder, whose insights I have included here. Shay is not yet old enough to be a Gray on Tray, but she is one of the better young voices out there on snowboarding.

Demo Day

Though I've never been much of a gearhead, yesterday I tried out two new pieces of snowboarding gear.

The first was a new set of gloves. They've got some built-in wrist guards, designed to disperse the forces of a sudden impact so that you don't suffer a fractured wrist. Did you know that wrist injuries are the most common injuries in snowboarding? I've suffered two mild sprains in my time, the first coming on my second day out.

I'll have more to say about these gloves later, but I was pleased with their performance as gloves. I didn't get to sample their effectiveness in avoiding injury, thankfully.

The second piece of snowboarding gear I sampled was an all-mountain snowboard. Thanks to being an instructor, I came across a guy who is a sales rep. He hooked me up with a new board for a few hours. When I held it in my hand and compared it with my current board, it didn't feel any lighter. But it felt lighter when it was attached to my feet. Perhaps that's because it seemed to have a quicker edge-to-edge response.

It didn't ride too well for me, though; I wiped out on heelside turns several times. Though I rarely fall these days, it could have been operator error--an unfamiliarity with the board. Perhaps I'll try it again next week.