Snowboarding Gear

[Sufficient]

I went snowboarding for the first time this past weekend and had a blast. I was wondering, for those of you who have ever bought snowboarding gear ... how much does it cost to buy the board, bindings, and everything? (Could you also provide a breakdown in what are the essentials? ... like board, bindings, boots. etc and a ballpark range of how much they would cost? or course don't give me the high-end prices) I'm thinking maybe of pursuing this sport if I like it that much. Also, at what pt is it worth getting your own board etc? (How often do ppl who own their own stuff go snowboarding?)

[code]

This thread is cursed, can't post anything more than one sentence.

[Blanke]

No one responded cause all we do is "play continuum"

Hope you have fun though :grin:

[Sufficient]

Reply Xu =D.

[Cuji]

shoes 300 euros, bindings 300 euros and board 800 euros -_-

[Dant-Zu]

shoes 300 euros, bindings 300 euros and board 800 euros -_-

Wtf, hell no! You don't need to buy stuff that hot! ^-^

I bought k2 Illusion board and k2 v6 bindings for ~350€ and Freeway Northwave shoes for ~200€.

[bloodzombie]

I think it's worth buying your own if you go more than a couple times a year. Renting isn't cheap, and it's also just not as fun.

You should figure out how much you're willing to spend, then put the money in the right places. Everyone always wants to buy the best board, then just throw some boots and bindings together. That's completely wrong. put the money into some good boots and bindings and if you need to save money, get a cheap board. If your feet are cold or uncomfortable, you just don't have as much fun. Also, the first thing that will wear out is your board, if you're really into it, you can buy a nicer one later, the boots and bindings will last you many years to come.

You can always find sales and stuff, but for ballpark figures (These prices are assuming that you're shopping on the low end, you could spend much more if you want to):

board $250-350
bindings $120-180
boots $140-200
goggles $35-60 (you might think you don't need them, but you do)
pants $80-120
jacket $150-300 (anther place you don't want to be cheap)

[Displaced]

Id agree with BZ here, dont skimp on the bindings or the boots, ive got some Ride Preston LX bindings (had to pay "extra" for them, the ones that wouldve come packaged with my board (Ride System 156, not the cheapest out there, but then again this isnt my "first" board) were considerably cheaper "plastic" jobbies that werent too comfortable or didnt feel too "safe"/responsive, and the bindings made a helluva difference.)

boots are another thing that are hella important, should be comfy, and sturdy, if they are uncomfortable you wont be snowboarding for long, but if they arent "sturdy", i find that you will have extremely sore feet and will want to stop due to that too.

board size does matter tho, id recommend trying before you buy to get something that fits your size and "style".

[Sufficient]

How important are gloves? I completely tore up the ones I brought on the snow (prob due to the many falls) ... but they weren't special snow gloves or anything.

So basically the gist I'm gettin is that unless I go let's say 3+ times a yr ... it's not worth it? And the everything together would very likely be a $600+ ... minimum.

Bz or Disp ... do you guys know if I can gradually buy the gear and rent the rest? Like get bindings and boots and rent the board .... do they allow that?

Btw how long have u guys been snowboarding for? And where do you go? I was at a pretty small place in Wisconsin ... called Alpine Valley I think.

[bloodzombie]

You can do that, but you probably need to find a snowboard shop to rent from. From what I've seen, most mountains rent the clip-in bindings because they're easier to use. You probably won't be buying that kind though. Most people don't like them as much because the boots suck more to walk in and they're not as responsive.

I think a lot of snowboard shops will rent out nice boards so that people can try them out, so I'd look into that. I'm not sure how it works, but maybe you could just buy boots and rent the board and bindings from a shop. That'd be cool because then you don't have to put on weird sweaty boots.

If you get nice gloves, don't use tow ropes, they completely rape your gloves. You don't necessarily need expensive gloves, but if your hands get wet, it kinda sucks. If you decide to buy nice gloves, I have a couple suggestions... Buy ones with a removeable lining, this is good for a few reasons, one becuase you can wash the lining, also, you can use them with, or without, depending on the temperature. Also, I like the ones with the little rubber goggle-squeegie on the thumb.

I really like mine, I got them on sale for $35. My mom bought me some for christmas that aren't quite as nice, but work just fine, she got them at costco for about $8.

[Volcs]

Don't be stupid and spend a shitload of money for top of the line gear, A) you'll look like a moron and B) You may not even like it.
BZ said get good bindings and boots, ya I agree but you dont have to get a top of the line board to get a good one. Go with what you want and think you'll be most comfortable with.
I had a Burton balance that I absolutely hated, and my favorite board I've ever ridden was a K2 Luna (not exactly top of the line, lol). You also have to decide what you want the board for. I love alpine and monkey trails, but I need something that I can do basically anything with. The burton was too wide and too heavy, and was pretty much a huge waste of money.
If youre just learning to board, dont get gloves get mittens, they're warmer. I'd suggest Drop mitts, they're awesome.

[code]

Weirdly I can't reply with my post, which is about 5 paragraphs long. It only let me post 'dddddddddd'. Fuck it, Sufficient, check your msg's.

[Sufficient]

Weirdly I can't reply with my post, which is about 5 paragraphs long. It only let me post 'dddddddddd'. Fuck it, Sufficient, check your msg's.

I'm never online on Sufficient so if you mean msg in SS then I won't be getting it. Send it pmed over forums.

What are Drop gloves btw volcs? And where do some of you guys snowboard?

[ZeUs!!]

I went round Xu's house on boxing day and had his holiday photos inflicted on me, so I'd guess he's the guy to ask

[Volcs]

Drop is just a brand, they're high quality and keep your hands really warm You can get them anywhere around here, so I'd assume they're just as easy to find in the US.

Just some advice, never take the advice of any store staff, most work on commission. Also, unless they work in a strictly board/ski shop they probly don't know much anyways.
Thanks to sport-check, I learned to board Regular instead of Goofy when I was 10 years old. I only learned I was boarding the wrong way when I started skateboarding. :P
I live in Ottawa, so I'm only two hours from Mont. Tremblant (one of the best boarding places of North America) and during March break I'm heading to either Banff or Whistler, haven't yet decided.

A few tips:
-on the hill, you are only responsible for those in front of you. BUT if you're on a hill and someone wants to get around you, do your best to stay out of their way.
-Take a lesson or two, the instructors can tell you the basics and they also teach you your responsibilities on a hill.
-Don't EVER stop anywhere people behind you won't see you (anywhere under a bit of a hill, near a jump, etc.) I've seen someone sit down on the side just below a pretty big bump, someone took the hit and landed on the guy.
-Always stop to the side.
-If you're on a lift, tell the people beside you that this is your first/second/third time and you aren't a pro at getting off yet, they'll be nice enough to get out of your way off of the lift, that way if you fall you won't knock them over aswell. If there's enough room, try doing up your other binding.. it makes getting off the lift easier (so long as there isn't a flat between the lift and the run you want)
-Always be aware of intersecting runs.
-If you need to get over a hill on a run, don't try to bomb it until you're comfortable enough to control your board at fast speeds. It's okay to walk up a hill so long as you are in noones way and you're off to the side. (and I mean WALK, not crawl. Take your board off. If you get on your hands and knees and crawl up a hill, unless there is a ton of space you'll be in someones way and at a higher risk of getting hit)
-And until you've completely mastered beginner hills (circles), don't try anything harder...
-Don't try to take moguls, you'll destroy them and piss alot of people off.
-Don't go over hits on your edge, you will destroy them and piss alot of people off.
-Don't go down the center of a hill on your edge, this creates ice and will piss alot of people off.
-Stay to the side if you aren't comfortable on a hill.