Buying a snowboard

Necronomicon

Is it worth buying a snowboard if I would only get to use it once a year? I went snowboarding for the first time in january, but now plan on going every single year for as long as I live

Just a couple of questions:

1) Would it be better value just to rent the board/boots/bindings every year?

2) I know I will have to pay over the odds to get one here, and since I won't be in another country anytime soon, are there any particularly good places online?

3) Any particular type I should be on the lookout for?

Thanks in advance!

caracal

Hi,

The thing with buying your own gear is that you don't have to use the crap they have as rented gear. If you even use a proper board, boots and binding you will really feel the difference. Why any place still rents out those crappy clip in binding is completely beyond me they are horse !@*(&#. Best binding are flow binding.

Online place, I bought my board from www.blue-tomato.at, arrive quickly, great board. If you plan to go snowboarding in Canada or America then buy it there, better selection, price and better chance you can get an older model brand new for a great saving. This is really the best option as board technology doesn't really change that much (if at all) from year to year.

liamo333

Im also thinking of getting a board. Going skiing with my school in new hampshire might buy one there. I'd reccomend renting boots the ones you rent all seem to be fine and boots cost around $250 and only cost around $10to rent.

youthacademy

i go snowblading every year for the last number of years and find it way better owning my own blades, buy your board at a ski resort, they'l help you pick out the right one and are not as overpriced as the ones here. pickin one over the net could be dodgy for someone whos inexperienced as its impoted to buy the right size and style

oh and dont bother buying boots really, there a pain to carry over and the ones you rent do just as good a job i think

da7a

If youre really into snowboarding its definately worth getting your own gear. It practically pays for itself after abut 3 years anyway and its always better to have your own stuff because youll look after it better and you get more comfortable with your board the more you ride it.

Rental boots are almost always wrecked from all the abuse they get and tend to be the cheapest, least supportive and heaviest boots available. Boots are actually the most important part of your setup and its a good idea to spend a bit extra (250-300) on a really good comfy, supportive boots. Otherwise its just gonna make everything harder because youre feet will hurt and youll find it gharder to transfer the power and control from your legs to the board. Cheaper boots usually dont retain thier stiffness and can become floppy and usupportive after alarmingly short periods of time.

If youre unsure what type of snowboarding youre into eg whether your more a freeride powder junkie type or a freesytle head spending most of your time in the park or hitting kickers, its not wise to purchase a board yet. You could end up with the wrong board for what youre into and that will ruin the experience for you.

The amount of different boards can be overwhelming at first but once you know what style of riding you want to do youll be able to narrow it down fairly fast. I like ride boards myself, ive got a ride dh dfc 159 which is great for kickers and served me well even in powder beacuse its a bit longer than most freestyle boards. You really cant buy boots without trying them on first so you might need to leave that till you get to a resort. The bindings are also broken down into freestyle and freeride types so you need to know what you want to do before buying.

So maybe go on another hoilday and rent and maybe try some different boards so you can get a feel for what you prefer. If youre already fairly sure what kind of riding youre into then hit up www.hot-zone.at or www.blue-tomato.at. Ive bought from both of these in the past and found them very helpful. dont be afraid to send them an email and ask them what they think is best for you. Dont listen them about wide boards though, unless your feet are really massive like 12+....

This isnt the best time of year to be looking at boards as the selection is very limited, mostly left overs from last year although you should be able to get a good bargain if you can find something suitable. If I was buying Id wait till the winter and then get the latest stuff, the boards get lighter and more techincal every year so unless youre on a tight budget id wait for the 06/07 stuff.

Good brands to look out for are (in my opinion) ride, apo, burton, and sp. The burton stuff in the medium price rande tends to be a little lower spec for the money you pay because they dont have to try as hard as the rest since theyre so well known.....

I reckon you should budget between 700-1000 euros for a full setup. and dont forget a helmet and a set of crash pads to protect your ass from those icy slams.....

good luck with it....

shagman

The only time renting makes sense is if you're going for a few days and the airline is ripping you off for carriage of oversized goods.Even then you really need to know your stuff to avoid getting dumped wuth rubbish gear by the rental shop.If your going for a week or longer it is generally cheaper and better to bring your own gear.

Cake Fiend

I'd also recommend putting off buying a board until you know more about what you want. Either that or buy a second-hand board now so you can buy a new one in a couple of years without feeling too out of pocket.

I doubt you'd get a good deal in Ireland - I'd recommend buying a board in a foreign resort. They'll most likely have a better selection and better prices and will often let you try the board for a couple of days before buying it. If you have a good idea of what you want (preferably from trying various boards out), then buying online could also be a cheaper option.

I'd go for boots before a board to be honest - if you're always using different boots, you probably won't get a good feel for a board. If you have your own boots, you'll be able to compare different boards more easily once you've broken them in.

pfrench

As others have said, the best piece of advice is to get yourself a good pair of boots first. There are so many variations of fit, that you need to be sure that you get a pair that you are comfortable with. A good pair of boots will make a big difference to you.

As for the board, you really have know what sort of riding you are going to be doing. There is no point in spending €500 on a freeride board if you then realise that freestyle is your thing.

I'd recommend the 'try out' option that shops in most resorts do. Basically you get to try the top boards for the same price as a normal rental. That way you get to try out a variety of boards during your week and find the one most suited to you. They then refund the rental money if you end up buying one of the boards.

I'd check out some of the Rome boards (especially if you go to the States or Canada) in addition to the list above - they are very similar to Burton as they are made by some of the original designers of Burton boards. I ended up buying one last year.

Someone above recommended Flow bindings. They are the step-in ones. Personally i think they suck, but thats just me. Just make sure you check out both types as again its down to what suits you best.

Oh, and when you do get your new board be prepared to throw some digs at the first person to scratch it at a lift queue.

Necronomicon

Thanks everyone for the replies. I forgot to mention in my original post, I'm going again in January, to Livigno in Italy. I'm half thinking of waiting until I go over before I buy one but I'd be paranoid about not being completely prepared.

da7a wrote:

If youre unsure what type of snowboarding youre into eg whether your more a freeride powder junkie type or a freesytle head spending most of your time in the park or hitting kickers, its not wise to purchase a board yet. You could end up with the wrong board for what youre into and that will ruin the experience for you.

youthacademy wrote:

pickin one over the net could be dodgy for someone whos inexperienced as its impoted to buy the right size and style

These are the two main obstacles for me buying online I think. When I went searching I found so many different types, I didn't really know 'what was for me'. I'd also be worried about buying boots online, not knowing what my proper size is.

Thanks anyway for the replies!

pfrench

Livigno is a great place to be going if you are planning on buying. Its a duty free resort!

I can't remember a lot of the shops off the top of my head, but there is Livgno Sport which is pretty decent (I bought my first pair of skis in there) and also De Fox (http://www.defox.it). Both allow you to try before you buy.

JahEerie

Get in touch with Paul at Irish Snowboards
- www.irishsnowboards.com
He's a good guy & he has some great gear.

Alternatively www.sidewayspeople.com (used to be www.cheapsnowboards.com)
Some of their (last season stock) stuff is ridiculously cheap
- they sell on ebay too
A mate of mine just bought last years Forum 'Destroyer' for about 150 yoyos!
Probably about 1/3 what you'd pay in Great Outdoors for somethin similar.

If you've been bitten by da bug (sounds like ya have) its defo worth buyin rather than rentin.

Cheers,

JohnBoy

Cake Fiend

DON'T BUY BOOTS ONLINE!

You HAVE to try them on and walk around for a while. You don't want to get a pair of boots and then realize halfway down the mountain that they're biting into your ankles or cutting the blood off from your toes. If you're paying €150 or so for a pair of boots, make sure you're getting a pair that fit properly. Ideally your boots should last years.

Flow are worth trying. You either love 'em or hate 'em (I love 'em ). Another (expensive) option is the K2 Cinch binding that's kind of halfway between regular and flow.

Livigno is perfect for buying a board - you have a good selection throughout the village and prices are hard to beat (tax-free village). I'd very much recommend De Fox (near the carosello 3000 station). They have the best gear in Livigno IMO, and they give decent discounts if you buy several items of gear.

Try to get a lesson with Fulvio or Kenny!

Necronomicon

Sico wrote:

DON'T BUY BOOTS ONLINE!

You HAVE to try them on and walk around for a while. You don't want to get a pair of boots and then realize halfway down the mountain that they're biting into your ankles or cutting the blood off from your toes. If you're paying €150 or so for a pair of boots, make sure you're getting a pair that fit properly. Ideally your boots should last years.

I'm starting to think about getting boots/bindings locally and getting a board seperately, as online seems to be my most realistic option of getting the board.
Anyone here from Cork that knows a place where I could get them? Do The Great Outdoors on Daunt Square do boots/bindings?

Sico wrote:

Livigno is perfect for buying a board - you have a good selection throughout the village and prices are hard to beat (tax-free village). I'd very much recommend De Fox (near the carosello 3000 station). They have the best gear in Livigno IMO, and they give decent discounts if you buy several items of gear.

Try to get a lesson with Fulvio or Kenny!

pfrench wrote:

Livigno is a great place to be going if you are planning on buying. Its a duty free resort!

I can't remember a lot of the shops off the top of my head, but there is Livgno Sport which is pretty decent (I bought my first pair of skis in there) and also De Fox (http://www.defox.it). Both allow you to try before you buy.

Sounds great, but I think I'll have to buy before I go! I'll be arriving in Italy on a sunday, I'd be worried that the places might be closed and I'd have to wait until monday to start looking; and hence missing a day of boarding.

Again, thanks for the replies!

tywy

well everything is open in Livigno on a sunday til like 7 and once you get into the store before 7 they'll keep it open if you are looking to buy. It's well worth waiting until you get to Livigno as it's duty free AND the prices are lower in Italy anyway due to the popularity of the sport. Don't bother with the Great Outdoors, they rip you off on everything!