Burton!

How good are burton boards?Is the tech really that advanced?are the
other company s as advanced such as libtech they seem to have a ton of
RandD.
Asking becauuse ive been sticking with them because they have been in
the biz so long ive asumed they would have over 20 years R and D .
Can a snowboard really be that advanced?
What do you think LEE you ve been in the biz for years and i have to
buy a board ..now!
greg

I don't ride Burton boards anymore but In my experience they are quite
durable. They can typically take a hit and survive. LibTech boards
can crack a bit easier but people love them.

imo snowboard technology hasn't advanced much if at all in the last 6
years.

wrote:
How good are burton boards?Is the tech really that advanced?are the
other company s as advanced such as libtech they seem to have a ton of
RandD.
Asking becauuse ive been sticking with them because they have been in
the biz so long ive asumed they would have over 20 years R and D .
Can a snowboard really be that advanced?
What do you think LEE you ve been in the biz for years and i have to
buy a board ..now!
greg

How good are burton boards?Is the tech really that advanced?

Many, many riders seem to think they are "da bomb". But "advanced"
technology doesn't necessarily translate into a better ride. It all
depends what you are looking for. Some of the higher end freestyle boards
they've produced in years past had durability issues for example - the focus
was on getting them to be lightweight and the durability wasn't there. My
favorite Burton, the Supermodel, was a unique shape and flex profile and
they haven't made it for 5 years.

are the
other company s as advanced such as libtech they seem to have a ton of
RandD.

LibTech certainly has done some creative R&D lately, for example the
MagneTraction edge design. Again, some innovation turns out to be good for
the rider, and some bad.

Asking becauuse ive been sticking with them because they have been in
the biz so long ive asumed they would have over 20 years R and D .

If that makes you feel comfortable then keep doing it. I, after having
noodled a 99/00 Burton Custom 160 in less than thirty days on the hill, will
never buy a new Burton again.

Can a snowboard really be that advanced?

Again, "advanced" isn't the right word here. But yes, a snowboard can be
that "engineered". Shapes, flex patterns, materials, resions, construction
technqiues... can all make a huge difference. There is quite a bit of
innovation going into the boards that the top GS and SL racers are on.
Mostly having to do with making the boards more stable on a rutted-out race
course. Some of these innovations make it into the hands of consumers
(after a delay, to work out the durability issues) and believe me when I say
they can make a huge difference for the recreational rider. (Cases in
point: Donek's Olympic construction and Coiler's superboard construction.
Both of these cores, if I am not mistaken, were developed for racers, but
wow, do they ever make freecarving more fun!)

What do you think LEE you ve been in the biz for years and i have to
buy a board ..now!


I bet Lee and I would come up with a completely different list of boards for
you

Lee has spent a lot of time working in a shop, I have spent a lot of time
obsessing over finding the best gear for my abilities, styles and desires.
Two different angles. My recommendation would be DEMO, DEMO, DEMO and see
what's out there, especially if you've been riding one brand your entire
life. If you are in the PacNW or Tahoe, I might even be able to offer you
a shorty list of shops where you can demo.


Mike T



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wrote in message
oups.com...
How good are burton boards?Is the tech really that advanced?are the
other company s as advanced such as libtech they seem to have a ton of
RandD.
Asking becauuse ive been sticking with them because they have been in
the biz so long ive asumed they would have over 20 years R and D .
Can a snowboard really be that advanced?
What do you think LEE you ve been in the biz for years and i have to
buy a board ..now!
greg


I have two Burton boards - an 06 Triumph and an 05 Fish. Love them both. (
Using Ion boots with P1 Carbon Bindings) Burton has an extensive R and D and
testing group. They do quite a bit of innovation in boards and bindings.
Demo'd the Custom X and liked it as well. The are starting to incorporate
the new aluminum honeycomb technology into more boards (T6 and Vapor). The
Vapor is unbelievable light and has tremendous pop coming out of turns. The
T6 is stiffer but pressure it well and watch it shoot out of a turn. I am
waiting for them to release their asymmetrical canted bindings for men next
year. They released the womens this year (Escapade I think?). Saw a
presentation on how they arrived at the canted angles, etc... Nice
engineering and technology use.

For powder, I can't say enough about the Fish (156). Great float, 3 inch
setback, great in tight spots between trees. Still does well on groomers.

I have also ridden Nitro and K2 boards. I was using Flow Pro FR11s with
Salomon Malamute boots. No freestyle park/pipe so I can't comment on that.

BTW. I am not a Burton employee nor work for a retailer.

No list from me, use what you feel like using.
I've ridden most of Burton's high end boards, working at a shop that
sold over 300 Burtons a winter in the old daze...and knowing Laurent
from years of windsurfing.
They're fine, I'm not so into techno gear anymore in any of my
sports, as the rider is easily 90% of the equation.
My buds buy new Burtons and Nitros every season, usually only the
highest end, complain Fish is not high end enough, usually buy 4 new
boards each season, and ride about the same with any board.
I tend to like lower end boards....stronger and cheaper bases
requiring less maintainance (waxing), even thos their edges don't stay
as sharp as long.
My carving boards are full sintered and top end edges....
If you feel you ride better with something more expensive and
"higher" tech, go for it.
If you don't care, just ride and rip!

wrote:
How good are burton boards?Is the tech really that advanced?are the
other company s as advanced such as libtech they seem to have a ton of
RandD.
Asking becauuse ive been sticking with them because they have been in
the biz so long ive asumed they would have over 20 years R and D .
Can a snowboard really be that advanced?
What do you think LEE you ve been in the biz for years and i have to
buy a board ..now!
greg

The high end Burton boards are good, but I wouldn't really put them
ahead of other companies like Salomon or even Ride. Each company tries
to optimize it's boards for the type of riding it thinks it's consumers
will want to do. Burton overally has a very strong freestyle flavor to
it's boards with it's light, flexy boards and short sidecut radii.
Salomon is gear more towards freeriders with longer sidecuts and more
board dampening with gives you a smoother ride. Both, of course have
boards that cover the whole range though.

I don't think that just because Burton has been around for 20 years it
should be special. Atomic has been around twice as long and a lot of
ski technology carried over into snowboarding. Not to mention that many
new companies (Rome, Illuminati(?), etc) were started by former Burton
designers starting their own company.