Spring time… and the living’s easy. Here on the EC, we’ve been blessed with a bunch of snow storms that have dumped over 40 inches in the last 5 weeks. Of course, it’s also now March, which means spring temperatures and slushy snow. It also means a chance to demo next season’s gear. Even though the US Open moved to Vail, spring time is still one of my favorite time to try some new Burton snowboards.

I was lucky enough to grab Burton’s new Custom Restricted Twin. A late release version of this came out in 2013 in Flying V, and I’ve been hearing really good things about this board even if it is not camber. For those of you who don’t know, the Burton Custom is one of the most iconic snowboards in history. It also happens to be one of the best selling boards year after year. In many ways, it is the yard stick that all other boards are measured up to in all those fancy magazine snowboard tests.

My first memories of the Burton Custom also happen to involve warm sunny days in slushy snow, riding at Mt Hood in the Summer of ’95. At the time, we spent most of our days in the pipe, and this board was above and beyond the rest. After that, I almost exclusively rode Burton Customs until about 1999. After that, it seemed that the Custom had a lost a little bit of that shine or panache, and others (sexier, more “core”) boards took its place.

I always recommend the Custom for someone who wants a Burton, but isn’t the most aggressive or looking to win a race or park-oriented rider. Basically perfect for someone looking for a swiss army knife versus a switchblade. But twinning out this iconic board, intrigued me.

Set-up:

2014 Burton Custom Restricted Twin 158 (Camber)
2014 Malavita EST Bindings
2014 Rover-R Restricted Boots

First Impressions: 

I rode a quick lap on this board on a sunny, groomed Saturday morning. I had to double check that I was riding a camber board. With the combination of Malavitas (with the Living Hinge), this board road precise in the turns, but fast and loose in a skatey fashion at the same time. At the bottom of my run, I flipped the board over and lifted it up to look at the core profile. Yes, it was camber not Flying V or V-Rocker. So took a few more runs, I was still in disbelief. The slightly softer flex plus a whole heap of Burton’s high-end technology makes this board absolutely sing when you ride it. I didn’t get a chance (yet) to take it through the park, but it was a blast off the rollers, berms and boxes. This isn’t the lightest (or heaviest) board that Burton makes, but it is stable in the turns, strong in the ollies and loose & fast like a skateboard with loose trucks.

As a friend said, “making the Custom a twin, seems to not make it a Custom.” I totally agree. And in this case, I’m very very very very happy with the outcome. It’s not as precise as a Custom X or as aggressive as an Easy Living or Harvest or as hyperactive as the Nug, but it’s a happy medium of all of the above. Paired with a Living Hinge binding like the Malavita or Genesis, it’s a combo that is hard to beat.

Tech Details: 158cm WW 250

• The Channel
• BEND: Camber
• SHAPE: Twin
• FLEX: Twin
• CORE: Super Fly II with Dualzone EGD
• FIBERGLASS: NEW 45° Carbon Highlights
• BASE: Sintered WFO
• EXTRAS: Squeezebox, Frostbite Edges, Pro-Tip, Infinite Ride

In snowboarding, collaborations are the mid-season release or limited edition collection for 2014. It seems like everyone is doing a collaboration. It’s the “in” thing to do. Burton Snowboards has been doing some type of collaboration for probably over 15 years. Whether it’s graphics from Mark Gonzales or Ron English or Stash or Kid Robot, Burton has been pushing what it means to work with other artists or brands. Snowboard boots have taken cues from footwear trends for years, including the Vans Hi-Standard or Burton’s Boxer that looked like the classic Timberland boot.

Diemme Footwear is an Italian boot company with its credentials based on making boots for Chanel, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Salvatore Ferragamo and Nonnative. Burton and Diemme collaborated on a snowboard boot and a après leather chukka. The goal was to make a boot that looked as good as it rides. At first glance, the outer is constructed of a pebbled full-grain leather featuring an articulated cuff with wingtip accents. Wingtips were originally used on footwear as protection in industrial environments. From a tech side, there’s the new Infinite Ride 4 Liner, Vibram Eco-Step (30% recycled), ice-spikes, and EST optimized mid-sole. These boots oozed cool. One thing that I did note is that they seemed a bit heavier than a standard pair of boots, which I chalked up to the liberal use of leather.

Then I got a chance to lace up a pair and take them for a spin. First impression? These things are super supportive and amazingly comfortable! The new seamless Infinite Ride 4 liner works really well. I can’t assess how it will hold up over time. The heel and ankle support seem really solid, but it did take a bit of getting used to compared to the Imprint 4 in my 2013 Ions. For lace boots, I’ve always been a huge fan of the Articulating Cuff as it creates a really smooth flex as you lean into your toe side turns. You really can’t beat Vibram for grippy and solid traction.

One thing to note is that the leather will wear over time like a pair of your dress or street boots. So if you are into keeping your product pristine, you may want to look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a stylish pair of boots that are built to perform, keep looking here.

At the end of the day, I didn’t really note any of the weight that I felt lifting up the boots. The best way to sum up these boots are that they feel like the equivalent of a Cadillac for your feet.

Features (from Burton):
• Shrinkage™ Footprint Reduction Technology
• LACING: Traditional
• LINER: NEW Infinite Ride™ 4 Liner with Tuff Cuff and Rad Pad
• CUSHIONING: Vibram® EcoStep™ Rubber Outsole [30% Recycled] with Rubber Ice Spikes and Low-Profile EST® Optimized Midsole with B3 Gel
• FLEX AND RESPONSE: Genuine Full Grain Leather and NEW Power Up Firm Flex Thin Profile 3D® Molded Tongue
• COMFORT: Snow-Proof Internal Gusset, and Level 3 Molded EVA Footbed with ESS Support Shank, Dual-Density Cushioning, and Aegis™ Antimicrobial Coating
• An Exclusive Collaboration with the Designers at Diemme Footwear [www.diemmefootwear.com]

Support: 6

We’ve all been waiting for this, and now it’s here. The next iteration of the Red Bull Super Natural contest. You didn’t think they could up the ante, but they did. Congrats in advance to Baldface Lodge and Travis Rice. Cannot wait!

As many of you know, we made the decision (in reality she made her own decisions) to have the Bean start snowboarding last winter. A bit unconventional by most standards, but if she likes it and is comfortable, who are we to disagree?

My background includes a stint as a ski and snowboard instructor at Sunday River. There we taught a variety of kids, but we always felt it was tough to teach kids under 5 to shred based on the weight transfer skills involved with the (at the time) current board technology.

Fast forward to 2013. Technologies and what is possible for snowboarding has taken a giant leap forward. One of the benefits of the whole reverse camber / rocker trend is that it actually makes snowboarding easier for beginners. Remember all those catching edges and scorpions? For the most part, rocker eliminates that issue. Rocker also allows for easier turn initiation (think being able to rotate off a curved surface instead of a flat one). Plus board weights continue to decrease. An example of this is a board like the Burton Chopper with Flat Top and Easy Rider, offering a convex base that lifts the edges off the snow and a super soft flex, these boards make it easy to learn balance and board control. All these things make snowboarding easier for everyone, including kiddos.

Secondly, Burton Snowboards introduced the Riglet. This device is basically a glorified retractable dog leash. The trick is that unlike those skier leash things, the Riglet is attached to the front of the rider not the rear. With the Riglet, you can pull your grom, but you can also start to work on things like turn initiation (which should start in the front not the rear) without destroying your lower back!

As someone who grew up snowboarding in the “hey day” when “snowboarding wasn’t cool”, I can’t express the stoke and excitement that I get watching my daughter carpet board in the living room, fully strapped in or listening to her giggle as she points it down the bunny hill or “hitting a rail” and then asking “can I do it again?”.

Thanks to the efforts of some ski resorts and brands like Burton, there are grom specific programs popping up all over the country. Of course, this is still a work-in-progress. I was reminded of this when I tried to participate in some group lessons or kids programs for my daughter. I was surprised and taken aback by the combination of disbelief and negative attitudes when I discussed her interest and experience in snowboarding with the ski school staff. Thing like “her little muscles won’t be able to handle it” or “we won’t refund your money if she only lasts five minutes” literally left me with my jaw dropped on the floor. What was even worse, was thinking about how I might explain this to my daughter, who only sees blue sky and not the walls that confine us. She doesn’t need to go through what we went through in the early days of snowboarding with bull$hit tests, spitting and the hate. Luckily, with a few calls and a little bit of research, we were able to find her an excellent snowboard instructor at Gunstock.

Also much love to my friends. They reminded me that we’re not the only ones doing this. Many of our friends (some who skied first and others who only shredded) are also starting their kids on snowboards. As the ski and snowboard industry faces some serious obstacles like a poor economy and global warming, it seems like a no-brainer that resorts and the greater industry would embrace getting kids on snowboards. I’m sure over time the negative attitudes and discrimination will fade, but right now, it’s definitely a trial at times. But then I watch my daughter go crazy over the littlest thing like her instructor’s pink helmet, and it reminds me that it’s just snowboarding. Soon enough there will be packs of mini-groms destroying the mountain.

Want to see more? Check out this post on Burton’s Riglet Parks for inspiration or one of the many videos on YouTube by searching “toddler snowboarding”.

So about a year ago, I heard rumblings of a small snowboard company in the backwaters of Southern Vermont. Ok, no big deal right?

Well then I heard that they were making snowboards by hand, using US sourced sustainably farmed wood with the same eco-resin that Grain Surfboards uses. Started by Jesse Loomis, former staff photographer for Transworld Snowboarding, the boards are designed to bring it back to the core: riding powder in the side- or backcountry with your bros, especially in those beautiful woods of Vermont. Edges are optional, rockered surf style, and a recycled P-tex version is in the works. Basically these boards ooze cool for those who live snowboarding.

I can’t tell you how surprised I was to receive one for Christmas from my family. Unwrapping the board at Christmas, instantly took me back to when I was a kid, and I received my first pair of my very own skis, not some shitty rentals or later some seasonal demos, but my own skis, the green Rossignol 4s if you must know. Then fast forward to my first snowboard, a Burton Craig Kelly Air. Or when my wife surprised me with a Larry Mabile Twinzer for my 30th birthday. This thing was on that level.

Full grain wood, gorgeous lines, metal edges so you can take it on the groomers and a base shape to drool over. I finally got the chance to take the board out at Gunstock. First off, this board attracts a lot of stares and questions. From the skiers in the liftlines to the knowing lifties to the kids jibbing the rails, everyone asks. There was a nice dusting on some great groomers after the last Nor’easter tore through town. I rode it as if it was any other board, spun it, and snuck into the woods to really give the board a try, call it a homecoming. The remainder of my time was spent with my daughter, helping her to learn how to shred on the bunny hill.

So what were my first impressions? Like Madonna’s Like a Virgin, it felt like I was touched for the very first time. This thing is ridiculous (the good kind of ridiculous). Of course, I didn’t really get a chance to truly test it on the terrain that it was designed for (that will come), but I’ve ridden enough snowboards that I can quickly give you the good, bad and the ugly.

The good
Anyone who loves the shred deserves one of these in their quiver, especially if you like ripping in tight spots like Stowe’s trees or the rock chutes at Snowbird. The board tracks true and straight. It’s durable (at least seems to be, plus it comes with a 2 year old warranty) so you don’t need to pamper it. It even rides great switch. It is also the essence of simplicity. There’s a lot of us who are tired of the bullshit, and are looking for a simpler way. The PowderJet embodies this feeling, as it makes you want to hike up to that little mole hill in the backyard or scope a run off the local golf course.

The bad (well if you call it that)
If you are looking for a board to do it all, then you should go elsewhere. The board also requires a bit more backfoot then I’m used to when I traditionally ride. This also had me extending my left (front) foot a bit more than I usually do. If you try railing this board on a groomer like you’re Peter Bauer (assuming that you know who he is), you’ll end up flat on your ass or sliding into home. Based on Jesse’s advice, I mounted the board as I would any other (23.5″, 21 up front, -15 in the back). I also did this knowing that you can pretty much ride a 25″, centered stance with a tiny park deck in powder if it has enough rocker. Of course, there are easy solves to these “issues”. Shorten my stance. Try setting my stance back slightly. Don’t pretend I’m European.

The synopsis
When I was riding this board, I found myself employing more back foot, like when I surf or skate. It had what I like to call on surfboards “that skatey rocker feel.” I also kept thinking back to two other boards: The Burton Performer and the original Burton Fish. The PowderJet rides like a Burton Fish, but shorter. The feel is more “real” and “authentic” than today’s snowboards. And when you look down, you remember what it was like on a Performer. At the end of the day, I wanted to ride this more. And I can’t shake that grin on my face when I look at the PowderJet. They cost about $550 so about the same price as a better snowboard.

It’s not a board for everyone, but I’d recommend one for anyone who is still thinking Snowboarding was better when everyone hated us. And I’m seriously considering that this board is traveling with me when I head out west.

PS – Jesse, let me know when you decide to make a freeride or freestyle version of the PJ.

The nitty gritty:
Overall Length:  151 cm
Nose Width:        29.2
Tail:                      28.45
Waist:                   24.9
Sidecut:               7.4 m 

The original PowderJet with added metal edges for a little grip on the icy spots. Poplar and triaxial glass with a hard maple base. Rocker profile and long nose for floating in fluff. Concave tail for surfy turning. Deep tapered sidecut for quick turns and for pointing. Factory waxed in all temperature eco wax.

BURLINGTON, VT (October 23, 2012) Burton Snowboards today announced that its senior management team has elected to alter the structure of Burton owned brands to better position the company, its retail partners and stakeholders for the future. The current family of brands includes Analog, Gravis, RED, anon, Foursquare, Forum, Special Blend and Channel Islands. During a company-wide meeting today at its headquarters in Vermont, Burton Founder and CEO Jake Burton explained the new structure and how it will allow Burton to focus on what it does best: make and support products that set the bar for snowboarding development and further progress the sport and lifestyle.

Specifically, Burton announced the following changes to its structure and subsidiaries. Over the next year, Analog will return to its roots of being a pure snowboarding brand based at its original home in Burlington, Vermont. Analog has a deep heritage in snowboarding from the day when Greg Dacyshyn (Burton Chief Creative Officer) and the late Jeffy Anderson (Team Rider) gave birth to the brand in Burlington, and as such, will revert back to being a winter-only brand. Burton’s Gravis brand will ultimately move its headquarters to Tokyo, Japan and moving forward will be solely distributed in Asian markets selling lifestyle shoes and bags. Gravis was established in 1998 as the company’s first independent lifestyle brand, and since then, Asia has been by far its most successful region. As a result, Gravis will now focus purely on this market and opportunity. Further, in a move that Burton has been planning for several years, the company will also start developing protective headwear under the anon brand name. Burton will continue to offer its RED helmets on a limited basis, but the bulk of helmet and optics product lines will be combined under the anon brand, which has become synonymous with quality riding accessories.

Also part of today’s restructure, Burton announced it will transition out of its Program brands (Foursquare, Forum and Special Blend), which were purchased in 2004 with the intent to keep snowboard companies in the hands of snowboarders. Burton has supported these brands for eight years and will continue to support them over the next year through warranty service, dealer support, marketing and inventory. The company will exit out of The Program brands in winter 2014, in order to better focus on and invest in Burton.

Finally, Channel Islands, which was acquired by Burton in 2006, will be unaffected by this brand realignment and will continue to design, develop and manufacture best-in-class surf hardgoods products in Carpinteria, California.

In addressing all of these changes, Jake Burton had this to say: “Burton has experienced several years of income growth since the recession and paid out bonuses to employees over the last two years,” said Jake. “That said, the economy has a voice of its own that we all have to listen to, and the message is clear: do what you do best and focus purely on it. In our case, that means to narrow our focus to the sport and lifestyle that got us here – snowboarding. We will continue to support Channel Islands in its endeavor to make the best surfboards in the world and Gravis in its new home in Japan, but when you walk through the front door here in Burlington, Vermont, it will be all snowboarding and snowboarding lifestyle all the time – driven by the Burton, Analog and anon brands.”

Jake went on to share that one of the key factors that led senior management to these decisions includes the success of Burton’s entry into the apparel and bag/pack business on a year-round basis, which has grown significantly in all seasons. The message Burton has taken from the marketplace is that for long-term success, this is the direction that the company should be pursuing, along with its core hardgoods and outerwear business.

Increasing the company’s focus on Burton has also been demonstrated by recent significant investments in Burton’s headquarters and infrastructure. These include the acquisition of the building next door to its Burlington, Vermont headquarters where the company not only built Craig’s, a new 10,000-square-foot R&D and prototype facility, but also Area 13, a 6,000-square-foot Burton/anon/Analog wholesale showroom. Craig’s (named after the late Craig Kelly) is known as the most advanced and sophisticated snowboard prototype facility in the world where ideas are conceived, built and on-snow in less than 24 hours. Area 13 is Burton’s marquee showroom where retailers from all over the world can come to Vermont to see future product lines. Like today’s announcement, both of these examples demonstrate the company’s commitment to the long-term growth, progression and success of the Burton snowboard brands.

In closing, Jake went on to state the following: “I take full responsibility for the decisions that led to the creation (or acquisitions) of these ancillary brands, and I similarly am the individual ultimately responsible for the decision to realign and focus more purely on what made this company from the start. Clearly, the most difficult aspect of this decision and transition is the people affected. The employees and team riders associated with these brands have poured their guts into making it happen. Their level of commitment has been extraordinary, and we will do everything we can to help support them through this transition. There is never a good time for moves like this, and we could have delayed the announcement, but it isn’t our style to perpetuate a myth. Clearly this transition will pose challenges along the way, but in the long run, everyone will see the results of our commitment to our core business.”

ANALOG
Heritage
Following Burton’s outerwear legacy, Analog was created in 1999 as a more progressive, style-conscious outerwear collection led by a handful of top pros at the time, including Trevor Andrew, Jeffy Anderson and Gigi Ruf. Since then, Analog has continued to drive many of snowboarding’s outerwear style trends, and in 2003 Analog added a streetwear component to its line, followed by surf apparel, a surf team and an Analog skate platform.

Key Facts
Burton has made the decision to ultimately transition out of Analog surf and skate apparel by next fall.
Analog surf and skate apparel will be shipped through Spring/Summer ‘13, and will be marketed and supported.
After the spring season, Burton will continue to design, develop and distribute Analog as a winter-only brand, operating out of Burton’s headquarters in Burlington, Vermont, with points of distribution around the world.
The new Analog will only design and distribute Analog outerwear and tech apparel, called “ATF”, along with basics.

Team Update
The Analog snow team, made up of Danny Davis, Mikkel Bang and Zak Hale will continue on as Analog riders. Regarding the Analog surf and skate teams, we will be working with each team rider individually on an exit plan to transition them out of the brand.

GRAVIS
Heritage
Gravis was started by Burton in 1998, as the company’s first independent lifestyle brand. From the start, Gravis was focused on creating casual footwear, bags and softgoods built on an action sports lifestyle platform. Today the brand is still rooted in footwear, with the addition of a skate shoe collection and team, launched in August, 2008.

Key Facts
Gravis will ultimately become an Asian-only brand, which will result in the wind down of the brand in North America, Southern Hemisphere and Europe.
With this decision, Gravis’ headquarters will be re-located to Tokyo and run out of Japan, in order to best serve the Asian market where Gravis is the most established and where it has its most viable business.
Gravis product will be shipped through Spring/Summer ’13 in all regions. Gravis will become an Asian-only brand in the fall of 2013.

Team Update
With this move to be a primarily lifestyle brand, the Gravis team will be restructured to accommodate the lifestyle market in Asia.

RED & ANON
Heritage
RED was started by Burton in 1996 as its first protection brand. Since then, RED has designed, developed and manufactured helmets and protective wear for pros and consumers alike. Anon was established as Burton’s eyewear brand in 2001 and focuses on goggles.

Key Facts
Burton will be developing and manufacturing protective headwear (helmets) under the anon name. Anon has become synonymous with quality riding accessories, and it is a natural extension to add helmets to its mix.
RED helmets will continue to be sold on a limited basis. Anon helmets will be launched for Winter 2014 for all channels.

Team Update
We will be working with each RED and anon team rider on an individual basis regarding this announcement.

THE PROGRAM (Foursquare, Forum, Special Blend)
Heritage
Burton purchased The Program brands in 2004 from Four Star Distribution. At that time, Burton felt an obligation (and an opportunity) to slow the trend of ski companies buying up snowboard brands. Consequently, when these companies went up for sale, Burton purchased them and they became ‘The Program’ brands for Burton.

Key Facts
The intent from the beginning was to keep snowboard companies in the hands of snowboarders and keep these brands thriving. As the world’s leading snowboard company, Burton felt there would never be a better home for these three brands.
But even under Burton’s wing, after 8 years, the businesses have failed to be viable. Consequently, Burton has realized it’s time to exit out of them, in order to better focus and invest in the Burton brand.
Therefore, Burton will be transitioning out of Foursquare, Forum and Special Blend globally after this season.
Current winter 2013 product will be supported over the next year, via warranty, dealer, marketing and inventory support.

Team Update
We will be working with each team rider on an individual exit plan to transition them out of these brands.

CHANNEL ISLANDS
Heritage
Burton acquired Channel Islands Surfboards in June, 2006 after the founders of each company, Al Merrick and Jake Burton, forged an agreement over the fact they shared a similar mindset and passion for their respective sports. With their shared vision for putting the sports in the hands of the team athletes and shared philosophies on hardgoods product development, it was a very natural partnership.

Key Facts
Channel Islands is not affected by the announcements today. Burton will continue to support the CI operation in Carpinteria, California, as usual.
Burton is very happy with and committed to our relationship with Channel Islands.

Team Update
There will be no team riders affected, as there are no changes to the Channel Islands operating or marketing structure.

BURTON SNOWBOARDS
Burton will continue to do what it does best: make and support products that set the bar for snowboarding development. The most graphic change will be increased resources and investments made available to Burton to further progress our sport and lifestyle. Outside of our renewed focus, it will be business as usual.

Here’s some fun stuff that was created by The Madbury Club for Timberland’s new GT Scramble.

Madbury Club for Timberland GT Scramble from The Madbury Club on Vimeo.

Timberland asked us to create some content around the GT Scramble and since we were unable to to achieve our initial idea which involved battle with mountain goats, we decided to try to breathe some new life into the static art form known as a product shot. The result, we’d like to think, is a more moving, dynamic portrait that reflects some of the capabilities of the boot, but mostly it’s an incredibly well positioned excuse to look at a great piece of footwear in a way that’s more interesting than the standard issue white backdrop.

The GT Scramble in available in stores now.
www.madburyclub.com

Directed by: Phillip T. Annand
Shot & Edited by: Vincent Picone

Pretty fun stuff from New York in Winter.

Good Water – Episode One from Benjamin Potter on Vimeo.

The first installment of the Good Water series, a look into surfing in New York.
Filmed on a Canon 7D in December 2011 in the place of good water (first times using the camera).

Video/ Edit – Benjamin Potter
www.good-water.tumblr.com

Music – Mountshade and Winter Sun by Jack Willard
soundcloud.com/jack-willard

It may be August, but this little clip reminds me of the great potential that winter unlocks here in New England. A fun little clip from Ross Schnell, sponsored by Rusty. Bonus is that he’s one of the boys from Summer Sessions.

(I’ll get it embedded once I get the actual code.)

http://www.surfline.com/video/webisodes/a-cold-day-in-schnell_75084 

80 Proof- Secret’s Out on the Craig Kelly Proto Facility

You gotta love watching a snowboard come to life, especially something super cool and misty. Winter’s right around the corner.