Burton's Olympic uniforms create buzz

By Matt Boxler

Word is out (in abundance) about Burton’s U.S. Snowboard Team uniforms for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics … and so is the jury of self-appointed fashion experts.

Vermont-based Burton unveiled the official team uniforms in early December, touting a design that speaks to individuality and heritage, two things Burton knows a thing or two about. Whatever you think about the plaid jacket and worn jeans look, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the company is once again pushing the envelope.

“The inspiration was sort of that classic Americana look: the plaid blazer and old jeans,” said Greg Dacyshyn, Burton’s creative director. “Yeah, it’s a uniform, but it’s also an anti-uniform at the same time.”

In traditional Burton fashion, the company brought together some of the nation’s top pro snowboarders and Olympic hopefuls to kick off the uniform design process. Riders such as Elena Hight, Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce, Jack Mitrani, Luke Mitrani, Steve Fisher, Scotty Lago and Louie Vito tossed around design concepts for the outerwear before arriving at the final creation.

“Board sports, for the most part, are about expressing individuality — that’s what makes them cool,” Dacyshyn said. “So, the whole uniform thing, you know, it’s a sensitive subject.”

The uniforms for Vancouver are progressive with their technical fabric and design style, but they also pay tribute to more classic Americana fashion staples. The pants look of real, worn, vintage denim, and the jackets feature preppy plaids adorned with leather patches and chenille crests.

The fabric for both the jackets and pants are crafted with Gore-Tex material, well-known for its performance in adverse winter conditions. The material would be ideal for the potentially wet conditions in Vancouver, Dacyshyn said.

“The Olympic team is made up of the best riders in the world, and they demand the best in functionality and performance,” said Brad Hill, snowsports marketing strategist for W.L. Gore & Associates, inventors of Gore-Tex. “By blending Burton’s unique style with the unbeatable comfort and protection found in Gore-Tex fabric, we’re confident the uniforms will enable riders to stay focused on the challenges of the event itself and not on the distractions bad weather can bring.”

Certainly, few are arguing about the uniforms’ functionality. It’s the design that has social networks abuzz. Consider some of the following reactions posted on Twitter:

-- Anything in between a traditional Olympic uniform and a farmer’s outfit from the Midwest?

-- Plaid? Really?

-- Jacket is cool but fake jeans just perpetuate the ugly American.

-- It’s American, it’s snowboarding, it’s Gore-Tex, but is it an Olympic uniform?

-- Surprising. Looks like a 12-year-old’s outfit.

-- I love how the trousers look like jeans!

-- Team USA goes homeless stoner?

-- The new US Olympic snowboard uniforms look like something they stole from a homeless lumberjack.

“When these guys come out, it’s going to be very different from what any other country’s team is wearing,” Dacyshyn admitted. Incidentally, Burton also is supplying the 2010 Olympic uniforms for the Chinese and Finnish snowboarding teams.

“Since its inception, Burton has been a rider-driven company,” said Jake Burton, founder and chairman of Burton Snowboards. “We listened carefully to the riders’ needs and used their input to ensure that the final fit, fabrics and overall design would maximize their performances and take these riders to the podium. It was also absolutely critical to ensure these Olympic uniforms were worthy of bearing the Burton name.”

Like the uniforms or not, it’s not a stretch to predict that American snowboarders will rake in more Olympic hardware than any other team in any other discipline. Therefore, there’s a good chance that we’ll all grow very comfortable with the look of the Olympic uniforms.