Burton gives riders Infinite stance options

By Matt Boxler (view pdf)

In this crazy winter sports world of ours, snowboarders are united and standing as one, right? Well, anyone who rides Burton in 2008-2009 will tell you, “no way man, not even close!”

Burton riders are indeed united ... but they will be standing any and every which way they can this season. Why? Because they can.

Thanks to the company’s trademarked Infinite Channel System and EST technologies, Burton riders have more stance flexibility than ever before. These technologies were first introduced last season and have been expanded this season to more than two dozen of Burton’s board models and more than a half dozen bindings models.

“Our more experienced riders are asking about these boards,” said Keith Brachold, assistant manager at Village Ski & Snowboard, a shop owned and operated by his parents, Rich and Nancy, in Franklin, Mass. The Bracholds didn’t carry boards with these technologies last season, but this year is a different story.

“You can change stances much easier because the binding is connected by a single bolt as opposed to three, which is the more conventional standard,” Brachold said, “These boards actually flex more too, both laterally and longitudinally.”

This new freedom in stance and flex was all made possible because Burton engineers found room to think, literally. Burton’s EST system takes up less room than the traditional “screw and swivel” bindings system. Less room for mechanicals translates to more room for your feet ... and more freedom for the board to flex more naturally.

“We had a couple of the boards last year when Burton first introduced [the technology] and they did okay,” said Peter Ianacone of Darkside Snowboard Shop in Stowe, Vt. “Now it’s offered on so many snowboards and we have almost the entire Burton Line.” Ianacone said the board’s more natural flex is due to the design of the plate beneath the baseplate, which holds all the inserts correctly.

LibTech

Another technology Ianacone is amped about includes LibTech boards with Banana Technology with Magne-traction. The Banana Technology is a “rocker” that reacts to shifts in weight to flatten a board when the stance is central, yet loads the edges when engaged in a turn.

“With magne-traction, on a shorter board you can get a longer contact edge on the snow, which can hold a better edge on icier terrain,” Ianacone explained.

Another trend in snowboards this season is the continued popularity of freestyle riding. “We’re carrying more freestyle boards this year than usual,” Brachold said. “Freestyle is a big hit with the youths. The boards are exactly symmetrical.

“Another big thing over the last few years is that everything is coming men’s- and women’s-specific now,” Brachold said. “Women’s muscle mass is different, their center of gravity is different .. so boards are boards are being built with different cores, different woods, different flex patterns. It’s putting everyone on an equal playing field.”

DC

Backing up its announcement at last February’s SIA Trade Show in Las Vegas, DC has launched a new snowboard line that is available in shops for the 2008-2009 season. This is DC’s first-ever line of snowboards (the company has also introduced a line of bindings making a debut this season).

“We’re carrying the Devun Walsh, the Lauri Heiskari, the PBJ,” said Ianacone, quickly summing up the October stock. “This is the first year for these boards so I’m not that familiar with them yet.”

The signature Devun Walsh HKD (Honeycomb Kevlar Directional) is DC’s lightest and most responsive board. The signature Lauri Heiskari is a twin-tipped park board who isn’t afraid to venture into the backcountry. The PBJ is a park board designed for jibbing, built with a 100 percent poplar core.

Another feature board in the new DC line is the BFF, designed for girls and women who are new to the sport or progressing with their skills. The BFF is a softer flexing board that is easy to ride and sure to become best friends forever for those who take it for a spin.

K2

New for 2008-2009 is K2’s A.T.L.A.S. fleet of snowboards is its aptly named “0,” which the company claims is the “lightest and most advanced” snowboard ever produced. “We have taken the knowledge from our many different constructions throughout the years, reduced the materials and introduced environmentally friendly processes,” the company reports.

For riders into jibbing, K2 this season has introduced the new WWW Weapon board, another board that features the “rocker” technology. K2 has stiffened the nose and tail to prevent it from buckling.

Nidecker

The folks at Nidecker also stake their claim to producing what it claims to be the lightest board out there.” The Ultralight features a full carbon topsheet and the world premiere of a Welded Wood core, which tanslates to 2.4 kg for 163 cm.

Rome SDS

Armed with Rome innovations like PowerAmp Technology and the CarbonBiax Alloy Laminate, the new Riff is loaded with technology for riding the parks, or riding “park-style” in the backcountry. The result is a “super light” construction with a ton of bamboo-and-carbon powered pop.

Also new from Rome is the Notch 1985, which recalls the reverse-camber success of the classic Artifact 1985 pro model. The Notch 1985 isn’t designed for flat-ground riding. This board infuses the reverse-camber geometry with lightweight, high-tech construction to produce floating turns. Like the original, the Notch 1985 revolutionizes the switch approach to riding in powder with its Centerline Twin PowerAmp Technology for more pop in the tip and tail.

(First published in December 2008 New England Ski Journal).