It'll soon be snowboarding season and I'm looking to buy some gear; board and boots. Anybody have experience with this? I want to get the best value (bang for buck), getting quality gear without overpaying.. you know what I mean? Also I'm a novice snowboarder, only went two times but I plan on going atleast 2 or 3 times a year from now on. Any suggestions on what brands to buy, what gear I would need, and where I should look? Thanks!
I got some good gear on craigslist for under $200. There are people quitting snowboarding all the time.
What are the good brands? I don't want too pay too much either. I kind of want to get new gear, particularly the boots but also the board. What else do I need? Specific type of clothing?
no you can't...but it's expensive - especially for how much he plans on snowboarding (only 2-3 times per year). a cheaper QUALITY alternative that i highly recommend is Option - at least for the board.
How is this? http://www.proboardshop.com/9850ogtzzoption.html looks nice But its $220.. Is that expensive or normal? I planned on spending no more than $300 for boots&board. Is it better to buy in-store or online? EDIT:: I think 150 is too short for me? I might need 160?
Go to a snowboard shop with a large selection of boots. Try on every pair they have that fits you and buy the most comfortable pair. You won't be happy without comfortable boots regardless of how good the rest of your gear is. There's nothing wrong with a used board if it's in reasonably good shape. Get one that's about as tall as your clavicle. Flow bindings are much easier to get into and out of than traditional strap in bindings and they don't have the learning curve of the click in bindings. I highly recommend Flow bindings. Good performance and easy in and out. Gear that is more highly waterproof is more important than looks. Spend the money on quality. Not style. backcountryoutlet.com has some good deals. Also, the more you buy when it's not snowing outside, the more money you'll save. I like to buy snowboarding gear in the summer. Don't chince on gloves either and don't ever wear cotton against your skin on the slopes. I can't wait until it starts snowing!
thanks. are these the bindings you were referring to? http://www.the-house.com/fl1fl306b7zz-flow-bindings.html
If you have any friends who board, ask them if they have any old boards. I got a K2 board and with Burton bindings from one friends for a hundred bucks, and I got K2 boots from another friend for 40. I'm basically the same level as you, and I think 140 dollars for a good board, bindings, and boots is a pretty good deal.
Yes. They make a bunch of different models. I don't think you need the super high end ones unless you plan on doing 20 foot airs in half pipes in the near future. Also, not a bad idea to ask friends if they have any gear they want to get rid of. It can be an expensive endeavor to buy everything new in the beginning.
Yea man, looks like boots, board, and binding can reach $500 easily, and thats before the cost of jacket, gloves, goggles.. Oh yeah, is it wise to buy ski or boarding specific pants? Jeans would get wet I assume?
if you're new to boarding - you should get a 156 or so. the shorter the board, the more control you'll have (while also having a bit less speed). i'm 5'11" and have always rode a 156 - i don't care all that much about tons of speed anyways, i'm more of a "through the trees, jumps, and rails" guys. $220 is pretty good - but if you have big feet (like me) you'll want to get it in store. On lots of boards, my toes hang over too much too the point that they would catch while I turn...so I needed a wider board than most. Plus, if you go into the store you can tell them what you're looking to spend, what level you're at, and they should be able to figure something out that works good for you. Oh, one more hint...if you can hold off buying for the season - everything is 40% off (at least) during the offseason on new stuff from the previous year.
yeah, maybe just try and wait for the off-season when everything is on sale. i think when i started out and got serious about it - it cost me $1000 for my board, boots, bindings, and goggles plus another $500 when I got my pants, jacket, and helmet (although you could definitely get a better deal than I did)
Thanks for the input guys. Yeah I probably should have looked for this stuff in the summer, but now that its starting to get colder, I really want to go boarding this winter - as much as I can. I don't know.. hopefully a nice deal comes around I tend to do a fair amount of research before I make purchases such as these. I'll probably get my boots fitted at the store but am tempted to find a good deal for the board online. Good idea? What do you think about this? It comes with binding and bag http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Option-GT-...ryZ36297QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Is this a good deal? How are Option bindings anyway? Or this one? http://cgi.ebay.com/2006-Option-Sup...hZ016QQcategoryZ21250QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem
