BUYERS GUIDE 2011 by snowboarding

RIDER: MITCH ALLAN / PHOTO: ALEX ROBERTS

I’m Free !

Board Buyers Guide 2011 All the latest: Boards, Boots, Bindings, Goggles & Resorts

This is the Massive Hardware guide. We have put together the best selection of men’s and women’s boards, bindings, boots and goggles available in Australia for the 2011 season. This year we see a wide range of boards, featuring the ongoing battle of camber vs. reverse camber (rocker). Different strokes for different folks. We asked the brand managers and the pro riders their professional opinions to help give you some guidance. These are the people developing, creating and backing the hardware. They have a wealth of information to share. So our advice here at Aus/ NZ Snowboarding is to get yourself a fresh stick, some bindings, boots and goggles, head to the hills and go shredding!

Boards

Deﬁne yourself as a snowboarder. To narrow down your choices so you can choose the right snowboard, think about what type of riding you do the most. If you’re into freestyle snowboarding, you’ll want to look at different boards than if you’re an allmountain rider. Listen to the team managers and brand managers. They have been in the game a long time and know what they’re talking about. Listen to the pros. These guys spend more time snowboarding than anybody and always have input to inject into the brands. That’s their job! Ask plenty of questions in the shops, no matter how silly that might sound. But the best way to see if it is the right board for you is to demo, demo, and demo! Take the boards for a shred and try before you buy. Snowboarding’s demo day is on the 25th and 26th June, where you will be able to test all these insane boards.

Boots

Bindings

Choosing the right snowboard boot is a very important decision and can make the difference between an awesome day riding and having the most painful and agonizing day on the hill. Have a ﬂick through the boots pages and absorb all the tips and tech info, but most importantly make sure you try them on before you lay down your cash.

The important component between your boots and your board are the bindings. There a few simple rules to follow when buying bindings. Make sure they ﬁt your boots well. Make sure they sit on the board without hanging over the edges. Make sure they are comfortable and easy to get in and out of. Check out the banging bindings in the next few pages, suck up the info and work out what binding will suit your style of riding.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Goggles

Quite possibly the most important accessory you will own as a snowboarder. After all, vision isn’t overrated! We have included the best goggles with the freshest designs and functions on the market, listen to the pros and team managers and pick a pair that makes snowboarding easy on the eyes.

Boards

Bataleon

– – – – – EVIL TWIN LENGTHS: 151, 154, 156W, 157 RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate to Advanced SHAPE: True Twin – TBT powered! STIFFNESS: 7-5-7 TERRAIN: Park and all-round freestyle PRICE: $759 Every brand has his ﬂagship. This is our Madonna, Jim Morrison, or Elvis Presley. This is the ultimate all-round shred machine.

– – – – – FUN KINK LENGTHS: 151, 154, 157 RIDER LEVEL: All SHAPE: True Twin – TBT powered! STIFFNESS: 3 TERRAIN: Park and all-round freestyle PRICE: $599 This board is super forgiving! The ﬁrst three letters say it all; this board is as fun as it gets. Catch free, forgiving and very playful thanks to TBT.

Bataleon

Burton

– – – – – AIROBIC LENGTHS: 151, 154, 157 RIDER LEVEL: ALL SHAPE: True Twin – TBT powered! STIFFNESS: 4 TERRAIN: Park and all-round freestyle PRICE: $699 Rails, kickers, jibs; even on the street this board feels at home. Extra wide TBT stables you out everywhere but still keeps its forgiving mindset. The go to park board.

– – – – – DISTORTIA LENGTHS: 143, 146, 149 RIDER LEVEL: ALL SHAPE: True Twin – TBT powered! STIFFNESS: 4 TERRAIN: Park and all-round freestyle PRICE: $699 This board rules everything. Built for progressing riders, this board will instantly raise your fun levels! This weapon will help any girl shred harder!

– – – – – CUSTOM FLYING V LENGTHS: 148, 151, 154, 156, 158, 160, 163, 155W, 158W, 162W, 169W RIDER LEVEL: Int/Advanced SHAPE: Directional STIFFNESS: 5 TERRAIN: All PRICE: $699.95 The NEW Custom Flying V ™ revolutionizes all-mountain performance by strategically combining the overall radness of rocker with the snappy suspension and power of camber under each foot.

– – – – – THE NUG LENGTHS: 142, 146, 150 RIDER LEVEL: Int/Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 4 TERRAIN: All PRICE: $629.95 Doesn’t matter if it’s a huge bowl or tiny pipe, when you’re packing the Good Wood-winning NEW Nug™, you’ll see how just a pinch can make your head spin. Agile and easy to handle, the Nug’s width, ﬂex proﬁling, and effective edge are all optimized for an entirely new ride that lets you downsize 8-10cm from your normal stick.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Burton

Capita

– – – – – WHAMMY BAR MARLEY LENGTHS: 150, 153, 155, 157 RIDER LEVEL: Int/Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 3 TERRAIN: Park PRICE: $599.95 The same loose and buttery, positive park vibrations of the NEW Whammy Bar with its catch-free Mid Spoon construction, uplifting V-Rocker ™, and buttery Scoop tip and tails, only even better with Bob Marley vibes.

– – – – – FEELGOOD FLYING V (WOMEN’S) LENGTHS: 140, 144, 149, 152, 155 PRICE: $699.95 For rippers searching out kickers, popping off pillows, and carving circles around the mountain. A winged evolution of our most proven performer, it revolutionizes allmountain riding by combining the forgiving feel of rocker with the snappy suspension and edge-hold of camber.

– – – – – HORRORSCOPE LENGTHS: 147, 149, 151, 151w, 153, 155, 155w, 157 RIDER LEVEL: Beginner – Advanced. SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 3 TERRAIN: Park / Everywhere PRICE: $549 With ﬂat kick reverse camber the Horrorscope takes no effort! Stable at high speeds! Perfect for hangovers! Jib like a mad man!

– – – – – INDOOR SURVIVAL LENGTHS: 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate - Advanced SHAPE: True Twin STIFFNESS: 6 TERRAIN: All mountain PRICE: $669 The Indoor is a durable, responsive freestyle board that has become a customer favorite in the CAPiTA line because they’re proven to survive what you can give them inside or outside the park.

Capita

Drake

– – – – – SPACE METAL FANTASY LENGTHS: : 150, 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 RIDER LEVEL: Beginner - Advanced SHAPE: True Twin STIFFNESS: 3 TERRAIN: Park / Everywhere PRICE: $549 Designed as a women’s version of the Horrorscope, the SMF is an easy to ride reverse camber freestyle machine.

– – – – – TOTALLY FUCKING AWESOME LENGTHS: 150, 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate - Advanced SHAPE: Directional STIFFNESS: 6 TERRAIN: All mountain PRICE: $699 The T.F.A. has a camber blend designed for high speed all mountain shredding. A mid ﬂex all mountain destroyer.

– – – – – URBAN SMILEY LENGTHS: 149, 153, 156, 158 RIDER LEVEL: Beginner to Pro SHAPE: True twin STIFFNESS: 3 TERRAIN: Jib and Park PRICE: $579 Designed with Smiley reverse camber to achieve new levels of fun. Pressing boxes or buttering, this board will introduce you to riding you’ve never dreamed of. Detuned for extra forgiveness and ‘’catch free’’ action.

– – – – – EMPIRE SMILEY LENGTHS: 149, 152, 155, 158, 161 RIDER LEVEL: Beginner to Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 4 TERRAIN: All Mountain, Park PRICE: $499 Not the typical beginner’s board. This board is a fun, ﬂexible, all-mountain stick,with a full wood core and true twin shape. The perfect board to take your riding to the next level.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

– – – – – PBJ LENGTHS: 144, 149, 157, 155W, 159W. RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate to Advanced SHAPE: True Twin STIFFNESS: 5 TERRAIN: Park Board for Jibbing PRICE: $ 549.95 Back from slaying the parks and streets for the last two years, here’s the PBJ. Reverse Camber and a tonal black graphic provide the perfect stealth cover for those late night sessions.

– – – – – MLF LENGTHS: 150, 158 RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate to Advanced SHAPE: Directional Twin STIFFNESS: 7 TERRAIN: All Terrain PRICE: $ 749.95 Developed at DC’s private 22-acre snowboarding park, the DC MTN.LAB, the MLF is the go-to board for park riders.

– – – – – BIDDY LENGTHS: 143 , 147, 151 RIDER LEVEL: Beginner to Intermediate SHAPE: True Twin STIFFNESS: 5 TERRAIN: All Terrain PRICE: $ 549.95 The BIDDY is speciﬁcally tailored to the needs of female riders. This all mountain freestyle board with Radius to Flat and Reverse Camber can handle any riding style.

– – – – – TONE LENGTHS: 149, 153, 159 RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate to Advanced SHAPE: True Twin STIFFNESS: 6 TERRAIN: All Mountain PRICE: $ 679.95 The TONE delivers a whole different look and feel for snowboarding. With high performance drive combined with smooth transitional ﬂex, it’s a true twin tip and a versatile all mountain freestyle board.

Forum

– – – – – DESTROYER DOUBLE DOG LENGTHS: 148, 152, 154, 154W, 156, 156W, 158, 158W. RIDER LEVEL: Int/Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 5 TERRAIN: All PRICE: $679.95 With camber sections under your feet for power and pop and rocker between the bindings and in the nose and tail, the DoubleDog proﬁle makes for a forgiving, park slaying ride.

– – – – – SCALLYWAG CHILLYDOG LENGTHS: 151, 155, 158 RIDER LEVEL: Int/Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 4 TERRAIN: Park PRICE: $599.95 ChillyDog with Pop brings a forgiving continuous rocker ride with special focused pop zones for added Ollie power.

– – – – – MANUAL CHILLYDOG LENGTHS: 143, 147, 150, 153, 156, 159 RIDER LEVEL: Int/Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 3 TERRAIN: Park PRICE: $589.95 ChillyDog with Pop brings a forgiving continuous rocker ride with special focused pop zones for added Ollie power.

– – – – – SPINSTER DOUBLE DOG (WOMEN’S) LENGTHS: 143, 146, 148, 151, PRICE: $629.95 With camber sections under your feet for power and pop and rocker between the bindings and in the nose and tail, the DoubleDog proﬁle makes for a forgiving, park slaying ride.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

GNU

– – – – – RIDERS CHOICE LENGTHS: 151.5, 154.5, 157.5, 161.5 and 158W, 162W, 166W RIDER LEVEL: Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 5 to 7 depending on size TERRAIN: All mountain/freestyle PRICE: $799 Rider designed all terrain conquerer. Altered Genetics core.Twin geometries. The Riders choice will be your choice. Suited to slightly more aggressive riders who crave bite and pop.

– – – – – B STREET LENGTHS: 141, 145, 149, 153 RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate/Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 4 to 5.5 depending on size TERRAIN: Park/freestyle PRICE: $649 The B Street gives all those gals shredding the park and mountain a board that they wont grow out of yet is still forgiving enough to boost the conﬁdence levels of any rider. Bi-Ax glass and a sintered base combine with banana/ magnetraction for the perfect ride.

– – – – – PARK PICKLE LENGTHS: 147, 150, 153, 156, 159 and 156W, 159W RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate/Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 5.5 to 6.5 depending on size TERRAIN: Park/freestyle PRICE: $699 Find balance with asymmetry. Speciﬁc toe and heel side cuts and a aysm core make this sled a dream to ride in all conditions but will excel lapping your local terrain park. Super fun and easy to press/butter.

– – – – – CARBON CREDIT LENGTHS: 147, 150, 153, 156, 159, 162 and 156W, 159W, 162W, 165W RIDER LEVEL: Beginner/Intermediate SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 4 to 7 depending on size TERRAIN: Park/freestyle. PRICE: $599 This board is super easy to ride for a novice but with the extra carbon strip can handle like a sportscar if needed. Great introduction to the brilliance of BTX Plenty of sizes for all including wide models.

– – – – – HAPPY HOUR LENGTHS: 151, 154, 157, 159, 161 RIDER LEVEL: Advanced SHAPE: Stabby Twin STIFFNESS: 6 TERRAIN: All mountain freestyling PRICE: $799 K2 gives the rest of us a taste of the good life with the new Happy Hour snowboard. K2 left them alone to take whatever liberties they could muster in designing a new board that could do it all. It’s the most bizarro, genius and fun board K2 has ever produced.

– – – – – PARKSTAR LENGTHS: 149, 152, 155, 157, 159, 154W, 157W, 160W, 163W. RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate/Advancing SHAPE: Twin Hyper Progressive STIFFNESS: 5 TERRAIN: Park duh! PRICE: $749 On the back of 2 years of Good Wood awards the Parkstar is back again with Jib Rocker freestyle feel and pop. New for 2011 is the addition of carbon web bringing super pop while the Hybritaper makes it light and quick!

– – – – – SLAYBLADE LENGTHS: 153, 156, 158, 161, 164, 159W, 163W, 166W. RIDER LEVEL: Advanced SHAPE: Set back twin STIFFNESS: 7 TERRAIN: All mountain PRICE: $ 849 Slaying the industry awards for 3 years. Team rider Eero Niemala’s attack deck of choice tuned up with harshmellow smoothness. Built for even more critical forces with our new Bambooyah Blend core and the boosting power of Ollie Bar.

– – – – – ECO POP LENGTHS: 145, 148, 152, 155 SHAPE: Set back twin STIFFNESS: 5-6 TERRAIN: All mountain PRICE: $799 Taking home every industry award it entered in 2010 the Eco Pop continues to build momentum. Loaded with Harshmellow tech and lighter than you can believe, its easy turn ability and fast and free feel are all a girl needs to max out the mountain fun.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

LibTech

– – – – – TRS LENGTHS: 154/157/159/162/167 and 148N/151N slims RIDER LEVEL: Advanced SHAPE: Twin PRICE: $799 STIFFNESS: 5 to 7 depending on size TERRAIN: All mountain/freestyle Designed and ridden by Wilhelmson, Luebke, Jackson and Cernik. One board does it all. Total ripper series by name total ripper by nature. Basalt/ﬁberglasss combo and Columbiangold core... BOOM!

– – – – – SKUNK APES LENGTHS: 157W/161W/165W/169W/172W/180W RIDER LEVEL: Advanced SHAPE: Twin PRICE: $949 STIFFNESS: 7 TERRAIN: All mountain/freestyle/freeride Larger gentlemens shred stick. Directional twin geometries. Got a size 14 boot? No problem toe and heel drag are now a thing of the past. Incredible ﬂoat in pow.

– – – – – T RICE PRO LENGTHS: 153 and 157 blunt shapes 161.5 and 164.5 pointy shapes RIDER LEVEL: Advanced SHAPE: Twin PRICE: $799 STIFFNESS: 7 TERRAIN: All mountain/freestyle/freeride Wanna ride like Travis? Good luck! This board is designed for a more aggressive rider looking for power and stability whilst punching big booters and threading lines.

– – – – – ATTACK BANANA LENGTHS: 153/156/159/161 and 159W/161W RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate/Advanced SHAPE: Twin PRICE: $799 STIFFNESS: 5 to 7 depending on size TERRAIN: All mountain/freestyle The new age of Banana has arrived. Ec2 BTX. An elongated/softer tip and tail make a perfect combination of c2 and traditional banana cambers. Quiver of one. Parillo artwork.

Nitro

– – – – – TEAM GULLWING SHAPE: Directional twin CAMBER: Gullwing FLEX: All Terrain WIDTH: Standard and wide PRICE: $749 Since the Team is such a solid board it was the perfect ﬁt for our Gullwing Camber technology. The Gullwing Camber makes it easier to initiate anything from presses to ﬂoating in the pow or just casual groomers.

– – – – – SUBZERO SHAPE: Twin CAMBER: Gullwing + Drifter FLEX: Urban WIDTH: Standard PRICE: $649 While other companies were testing the waters with too many, confusing reverse camber stories, we were perfecting our Gullwing camber getting it dialed right from the start. The Subzero is the ultimate in urban and rail riding.

– – – – – SWINDLE 155 SHAPE: Twin CAMBER: Zero FLEX: Urban WIDTH: Standard PRICE: $599 The Swindle gets the job done, plain and simple. It has a true twin shape, slightly wider waist and snub nose and tail with a radial sidecut. This board is doing what was not possible in the past for construction and price.

– – – – – BLACKLIGHT GULLWING SHAPE: Directional twin FLEX: All terrain CAMBER: Standard WIDTH: Mid-wide Price: $899 The Blacklight Gullwing is a new concept to an amazing board. We have taken our Gulliwng camber and tuned it for even more performance. By lowering the amount of rocker and maintaining the snappy camber under your feet.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Ride

– – – – – MACHETE LENGTHS: 52, 54W, 55, 57W, 58, 60, 61W, 62, 64W SHAPE: Rockered Twin STIFFNESS: 6 TERRAIN: All Mountain Freestyle PRICE: $779 Features Ride’s LowRize rocker shape eliminating hook without sacriﬁcing pop. This go anywhere freestyle twin combines our PopRods 1.0 for an extra dose of pop, with smooth riding 85A Slimewalls and durable CleaveEdge for a fun surfy twin built to last. Plus glow in the dark sidewalls!

– – – – – DH2 LENGTHS: 49, 52, 54W, 55, 57W, 58, 60, 61W SHAPE: Hybrid Twin STIFFNESS: 7 TERRAIN: All Mountain Freestyle PRICE: $799 Satisfying the search for a bigger high. Built with Ride’s new Hybrid Twin shape for a hook free Ride to slay features and stomp big landings. Micro rocker in the tip and tail encourages a playful, surfy feel, and a level micro camber zone between the feet to maintain snap and amplify pop.

– – – – – BERZERKER LENGTHS: 55, 58, 59W, 61, 62W, 64, 65W, 67, 68W SHAPE: Hybrid Directional STIFFNESS: 7 TERRAIN: Big Mountain Freestyle PRICE: $849 Designed with and for pro big mountain shredder Jake Blauvelt, the new Berzerker is ideal for the ultimate hard charging experience and blissful days of soul riding, offering all time versatility and superior response. Featuring rocker in the nose and a level micro camber zone.

– – – – – COMPACT LENGTHS: 39, 43, 47, 50, 53 SHAPE: Rockered Twin STIFFNESS: 5 TERRAIN: All Mountain Freestyle. PRICE: $649 Get hook free control and a super smooth feel with the combination of Ride’s LowRize rocker shape and proven 85A Slimewalls. This surfy freestyle twin features a one of a kind lightweight Membrain topsheet that shimmers bright and CleaveEdge steel for long life durability.

Rome

– – – – – AGENT ROCKER LENGTHS: 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 154W, 156W, 158W, 160W, 162W RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate to Pro SHAPE: Directional Twin STIFFNESS: 8 TERRAIN: All mountain Freestyle PRICE: $799 Rome’s all mountain freestyle dominator... MountainPop Camber has rocker between the bindings and camber outside for extra pop, QuickRip sidecut, ImpactPlates and HotRods give pop, precision and strength.

– – – – – REVERB ROCKER LENGTHS: 148, 151, 154, 157, 160, 150W, 153W, 155W, 158W, 161W RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate to Pro SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 7 TERRAIN: Park, All mountain PRICE: $699 The Reverb Rocker takes the best bits of the Agent Rocker and puts them into a Freestyle true twin board. It will take you from the park to the powder, and do it in Style.

– – – – – ARTIFACT ROCKER LENGTHS: 144, 147, 150, 153, 156, 152W, 155W, 158W RIDER LEVEL: Beginner to Pro SHAPE: True twin STIFFNESS: 3 TERRAIN: Jib and Park PRICE: $679 Built to take anything thrown at it, the Artifact Rocker is still soft and buttery in amongst all that strength. With QuickRip sidecut, the Artifact Rocker rides all over the mountain.

– – – – – GARAGE ROCKER LENGTHS: 148, 152, 154, 156, 159, 151W, 154W, 157W, 160W RIDER LEVEL: Beginner to Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 5 TERRAIN: All Mountain, Park PRICE: $599 The Garage Rocker has been beefed with new FreePop Rocker design and QuickRip sidecut to have more pop and better edge hold. Paying less shouldn’t compromise your riding.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Roxy

– – – – – SILHOUETTE LENGTHS: 141/146/151 RIDER LEVEL: beginner/Intermediate SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 3 TERRAIN: Freestyle PRICE: $499 The easy rider..banana without magnetraction,an alloy core,bi-ax glass and asoft ﬂex mean that this board will cruise the mountain with ease. A fast Cx 2500 base will make traversing seem effortless.

– – – – – ALLY LENGTHS: 139/143/147 and 151/155 in slightly wider (25.2) waist widths. RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 4 TERRAIN: Freeride/Freestyle PRICE: $599 Directional twin board based around Kjersti Buaas. Super fun to ride and responsive to cranking a turn thanks to magnetraction giving you the ﬂoat/ catchfree conﬁdence to push skill levels.

– – – – – OLLIE POP LENGTHS: 141/145/148/151/154 RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate/Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 4.5 TERRAIN: Park/Freestyle PRICE: $699 This park specialist combines C2BTX and a TNT base for an unbeatable womens package.Twin geometries and a “Bio beans “topsheet mean that this shred sled will be number 1 in any freestyle situation. Smashing the park til dusk.

– – – – – EMINENCE LENGTHS: 143/146/149/152/155 RIDER LEVEL: Advanced SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 5 TERRAIN: Park/Pipe PRICE: $749 A Featherweight Freestyle Force. Torahs gold medal winning board. Tuned towards the more aggressive female rider,the Eminence combines a columbiangold core with the pop and stability of C2BTX. Vectran ﬁbers and a top sheet made of Bio Plastic “beans”. Wow

Salomon

– – – – – DRIFT ROCKER LENGTHS: 152, 154, 154W, 156, 158W RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate to Pro SHAPE: True twin, Rocker STIFFNESS: 4 TERRAIN: All Mountain Freestyle/Park PRICE: $599 Improved park performance. The board of choice for the International Team riders. Aspen Light Core, Equalizer sidecut, Rocker, EG base, Royal Rubber pads.

– – – – – ACID LENGTHS: 151, 155 RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate to Pro SHAPE: True Twin, Rocker STIFFNESS: 4 TERRAIN: Freestyle/Park PRICE: $699 Dose of Ofﬁcial with some Rocqualizer and you’ve got the Acid. True twin shape with the perfect ﬂex for dropping rails and stepping up to big park hits. Stable on takes offs and forgiving on landings.

– – – – – OFFICIAL LENGTHS: 152, 155, 158, 161 RIDER LEVEL: Advanced to Pro SHAPE: Directional Twin STIFFNESS: 6 TERRAIN: All Mountain Freestyle PRICE: $799 Award winning freestyle. Stability on big jumps and 22’ pipe walls and loads of ollie power. Alien Light Core, Equalizer sidecut, Popster Core proﬁle, EG Sintered base, Rubber rails.

– – – – – OH YEAH (WOMENS) LENGTHS: 138, 143, 147, 151 RIDER LEVEL: Beginner to Advanced SHAPE: True Twin, Rockered STIFFNESS: 2 TERRAIN: All Mountain Freestyle PRICE: $599 Easy Press Core for on-point pressing over groomers and into the park. Oh Yeah! For the freestyle inﬂuenced all terrain female rider. Loaded with features inc Rocqualizer at the right price. Aspen Light Easy Press core, Equalizer.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Yes

– – – – – THE BASIC LENGTHS: 146, 150, 155, 157, 157W, 159, 159W, 163W, 166W RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate / fun loving / smile having. SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 5 TERRAIN: All Mountain Park PRICE: $ 699 The new BASIC has a softer ﬂex, an upgraded base, and a more subtle CAMrock proﬁle (less camber under foot). The result, a softer and more playful ride.

– – – – – THE GREAT BEAUTIES LENGTHS: 150, 153, 155, 158, 160, 163W RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate / fun loving / smile having. SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 7 TERRAIN: ALL Mountain Destroyer PRICE: $799 This board as our CAMrock proﬁle (which has camber underfoot, rocker in the tip and tail), and the assymetrical sidecut and ULTIGRIP edge proﬁling gives incredible edge hold. It doesn’t do drugs, but is good friends with icy snow.

– – – – – THE TASMAN(IAC) (ONLY AVAILABLE IN OZ & NZ) LENGTHS: 152, 154, 156, 159 RIDER LEVEL: Intermediate / fun loving / smile having. SHAPE: Twin STIFFNESS: 7 TERRAIN: ALL Mountain Destroyer PRICE: $799 This is a Limited Edition board (100 units) only available in AUS and NZ. It shares the same technical features as THE GREAT BEAUTIES, but was designed in Aus by Kindred Design.

– – – – – THE PICK YOUR LINE LENGTHS: 154, 156, 159, 161, 161W, 164W, 167W RIDER LEVEL: upper intermediate / snorkel wearer SHAPE: Directional STIFFNESS: 9 TERRAIN: FreeRide PRICE: $849 This is DCP’s invention. It combines directional CAMrock, 2mm of taper and our new UltimateTraction edge proﬁling, to create edge a new level of FR performance.

Interviews Paul Colby Burton Brand Manager The big B always have a huge catalogue of products every season, can you give us a run-down on this year’s range? This range is all about tech, tech and even more tech. Burton boards, boots, bindings, and outerwear have never featured so much new technology in one season. What are the most popular Burton boards and how have they been improved/updated this year? The Custom has always been a team favourite; riders know if they have a Custom in their boardbag they will be right no matter what the conditions. This year the Custom has been improved with the addition of Flying V Rocker technology, which allows the best of both camber and rocker. The other big selling board this year is the new Process, this board is proving camber isn’t dead. Built around the demands of both the backcountry rider and the contest kid, this mid wide board will allow you to cover the entire mountain with speed, control and ease. Are there any brand new models in the line-up you can ﬁll us in on? The big or should I say small new board model this year is the Nug. Designed to be ridden 8cm to 10cm smaller than your normal snowboard, the Nug features the new Squeezebox technology, which allows a rider to distribute the pressure on his edge a lot more effectively. A Nug is a board that is shaking up the industry having won a 2011Transworld Good Wood award. How about the Boots and Bindings, what’s got you frothing this season? This year the Ambush boot will blow minds, being the lightest men’s boot Burton has ever produced. The lightweight construction doesn’t mean this is some gumboot, this boot will not let you down featuring all the latest tech Burton has on offer. With bindings it is all about the Malavita, this binding is bombproof for the rail kid to the park monkey, the Malavita has a slightly softer highback, allowing you to really tweak out your grabs while not sacriﬁcing that control when pumping the transition. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Jye Kearney Burton Team Rider Age:18 Hometown: Gold Coast & Jindabyne Board/s of choice: Burton Sherlock Bindings of choice: Burton EST Cartels Boots of choice: Burton Ion’s Regular or goofy, angles: Regular and angles are aiming 18 front -12 back What made you choose the board you’re riding?

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

I chose the Burton Sherlock this year. I like this board because it’s a good all round board and I can use if for rails and backcountry. It feels like you’ve got heaps of control with this board which makes it especially good in the backcountry. It looks like rocker boards are deﬁnitely here to stay, what do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? Having the different camber and rocker is good stuff. I’m stoked on it. It just makes snowboarding that much more fun. I ride the Flying V and it’s just way more forgiving and easier to ride with more control under your feet. What do you look when choosing bindings and boots? With my boots I am all about the speed zone system. Let’s face it; laces are so last season. With bindings I like them to be a touch on the stiffer side, as I feel it gives me a bit more control when hitting max speed. But overall when it comes to choosing my set up I am all about comfort, quality and compatibility. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Amine Yasmine YES brand Manager We’re seeing more and more YES boards out on the mountains now as the brand is going from strength to strength, how is the new range lining up this season? Yeah we have been so stoked on how well YES has done here, and worldwide in it’s ﬁrst three years. The brand is owned by four of the snowboarding’s elite (Romain, JP Solberg, DCP, and Tadashi) which gives it a real point of difference from most other brands in terms of being completely rider owned and run, but the technical merit that goes in to the boards (courtesy of our Swiss friends at Nidecker) give the boards a real edge in performance as well. We’ve expanded the line again this year, to 6 global release models. As well as a few very limited edition models – most excitingly, an AUS and NZ only model called THE TASMAN(iac). It was modeled off THE GREAT BEAUTIES – but has a graphic that was designed by a Sydney based designer (Andrew @ http://kindredstudio.net/). Arty Folk (or wannabe Arty Folk) should Google him for sure. Oh, and we are also stoked about the late release Trouble Andrew BRO MODEL, which looks amazing.! Tell us about the new camber/rocker options for the boards this year. YES has four different camber options to choose from – we don’t discriminate. Camber Junkies of any kind are welcome. We offer REGULAR CAMBER in the Tadashi Fuse, for aggressive all mountain tip and tailing. We offer CAMrock Freeride in the PICK YOUR LINE and BIG CITY, which has camber between the bindings, and increased rocker in the tip vs. tail, for better directional and powder performance.

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

We offer our CAMrock Infinty in THE BASIC, which has a very subtle camber between the binding inserts, and rocker in the tip and tail. And our new CAMrock Freestyle in THE JACKPOT – which as DCP puts it, “this board is for park and jib, with a crazy cool camber we have designed for park shredders”. It has zero camber sections outside the bindings – for extra ollie poop (sorry, I mean pop). I rode it this summer, and it’s awesome. Describe your three favourite models and tell us why you’re stoked on them. My top 3 goes like this 3. THE BASIC – we have upgrade its core and fibre glass again this year – making it lighter and improving it’s response – but also making it a touch softer (better for lazy people like me). 2. THE GREAT BEAUTIES – the combination of the ASYMetrical sidecut, the ULTIgrip edge profiling, and the reactiveness of the core make it the best board I have ever ridden. So much fun, and so rewarding. And my 1. THE TASMAN(iac) – it has the same features and ride characteristics as THE GREAT BEAUTIES, but is a little piece of YES. history that is only available to Aussies and Kiwis – and my friend Andrew did the graphic.

What are you favourite models in the line-up and why? I really like the look of the “Totally Fuckin’ Awesome“. It’s a new model with a camber blend designed for high speed shredding. It has ‘80s ski babes all over it. Looks unreal! Check it out. It’s not on the website yet because we get the new models in Australia before the rest of the world. It should be in your local shop. The Horrorscope is always a favorite for a softer kind of board. So fun. I still like the Indoor Survival the best. If you could only own one board the Indoor would be a good pick. It looks like rocker boards are deﬁnitely here to stay, what do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? I’m all for camber innovation. Board design was getting pretty stale before companies started to mess with camber variations. Now there is a camber variation for every style of riding. I think some kind of reverse camber is perfect for the majority of snowboarders. Unless you are absolutely ripping and looking for high performance. Reverse camber makes things easier and way more fun.

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Clint Allan YES Team Rider Age: 24 Hometown: Berrara Board/s of choice: 159 pow and 155 for park. Bindings of choice: Burton Cartel Boots of choice: DC Judge Regular or goofy, angles: goofy It’s your ﬁrst season on Yes, what can you tell us about the boards? Yeah I’ve been super happy with the boards. They seem to have more pop than previous rocker boards I’ve ridden and have been handling the pow really well. It looks like rocker boards are deﬁnitely here to stay, what do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? That’s all I have been riding the last few seasons. I honestly had some problems at the start when I was riding park on other company’s boards. They didnt have the pop and stability I was used to but the YES boards seem to have it dialled What made you choose the board you’re riding? DCP hooked me up with these boards and they’ve been sick so I’ve no need to change it up. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Darragh Walsh Nitro Team Rider Age: 25 Hometown: Jindabyne Board/s of choice: Nitro Swindle 157 Bindings of choice: Nitro Zero Boots of choice: Nitro Team Regular or goofy, angles: Regular +15 -15 What made you choose the board you’re riding from the big range at Nitro? I have been riding the swindle for a few years now and it’s just the perfect board for me. Zero camber so I can press it but still locks up off landings. With the rail killer edges and scratch and rip base it’s bullet proof and loaded with snappy pop! What do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? I believe that there is a place for all the different styles of camber. gullwing camber is perfect for jibbing and pressing with a loose feel and awesome in powder. Camber is great if you want to hold an edge and speed into big jumps and pop. Zero is good for all round park and freestyle use in its own right. What do you look when choosing bindings and boots? When choosing bindings I want something with air in the heel for big lands and that good old knuckle. I also look for slit toe and heel straps because they are super comfy and lock your boot in to give you more response. New technology like no tool strap adjustments and two hole disc parts for more stance options. When it comes to my boots, ﬁt is the most import thing. I want comfy toes and no heel lift with a smooth forward ﬂex. Nitro boots have one of the best heel bites that lock your heel down with no lift. That and you have to have a speed lacing system and the best is the Nitro TLS lacing system. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Ryan Tiene DC Team rider Age: 23 Hometown: Port Macquarie Board/s of choice: ply 150 park tone 156 pow Bindings of choice: Flux SF45 Boots of choice: Park boot Regular or goofy, angles: regs +15 -15 What made you choose the board you’re riding from the new range at DC? It’s what I rode last year and it worked out pretty good so I just stuck with it! What do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? They are pretty cool, the PLY has some weird camber going on and I really love it on the hill! What do you look when choosing your boots? Umm, kinda just look for something similar to what I was riding before but I ﬁnd it really easy to adapt to any boots in the DC line. They all ride super good! BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Anthony Watterson CAPITA Brand/Team Manager Now with over 10 years in the industry, what does this season’s range Capita range have in store for us? 11 years deep and still snowboarder owned and as individual as day one. There are a few new models and different camber variations this year and the boards are priced a little lower so you should be able to afford to build that quiver you’ve been thinking about. Maybe a Horrorscope or a Charlie Slasher.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

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Jake McCarthy CAPITA Team rider Age: Legal to drink from this end of the stratosphere to the other. Hometown: Berridale Heights, NSW Board/s of choice: Horrorscope and Indoor Survival Bindings of choice: Union, Force Boots of choice: The big B’s Ion Regular or goofy, angles: Left foot forward and 18 and -9 or -12. What made you choose the board you’re riding from the new range at Captia? The Horrorscope slithers around the mountain devouring everything that looks snowboardable and that doesn’t. Favourite board for cutting up gumtrees and bending on grinders. Indoor survival slayed the backcountry, keeping me afloat through Japan and North America. True twin with a big ol’ nose ‘n’ tail and reverse camber make landing in the deep stuff nice and easy. What do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? I think that its all been blown way out of proportion. I don’t know what the hell is going on with all these wings and v’s and chickens. I know that I do prefer to ride reverse camber because I enjoy doing wheelies and endo’s and also riding pow with minimal effort. Most people only have a one-board quiver, which board would you choose if you could only have one board to ride for all conditons? Shit. I’d probably just save my pennies and go to destinations that are well renowned for having endless amounts of snow. Charlie Slasher would have first class priority on that ticket for sure and I’d probably go straight to Japan to hangs with the Gentem snow ninjas of Hokkaido. Uncle Charlie has reverse camber at the front and a nose the size of a cannon, its mostly cut out to go the one way but thats fine by me. De-progression of snowboarding, go watch yourself ‘Signatures’, a Japanese film, and you’ll know what I mean. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Scott Gosden RIDE Brand/Team Manager How’s this season’s catalogue from Ride? Can you describe the new range for us? This year has to be one of the strongest ranges I’ve seen from Ride with products to suit every riding style, from surfy jib friendly boards such as the Machete, Crush and Compact through to big mountain freestyle weapons such as the Highlife and Jake Blauvelts new pro model the Berzerker. The real key for us this year was to offer product as diverse as the people riding it, so as such we have surfy rockered boards, mid flexing hybrid camber boards through to traditional edgy cambered boards. We didn’t just stop with the boards either with boot and binding setups to suit. Check out the new Strapper AC boot with its new Phy-Top construction for the perfect mix of soft freestyle flex and hard charging support. As with previous years our boot program just gets stronger and stronger with better fits, improved flex and of course Intuition liners for the best possible thermo custom fit. On the binding side we are going to see a new contraband binding (the Optimo) with improved adjustment and some really strong colorways right through the range. What are your top three products this year? Machete board - Probably one of the best boards on the market for our conditions EX binding - Seb Toots won X-games gold on these, not bad for a $339 binding! Deuce boot - Still our best fitting performance boot, otherwise the Jackson Boa boot for ease of entry and a more comfort orientated fit. How about the boots and bindings, how important is it to have a complete setup from the same brand? Super important, provided the boots fit your feet (Get your local shop dude to help you) as it is impossible to make a boot that will fit everyone. We are lucky at Ride given that each of our boot models fits differently so most times we will have a boot that works for you. Obviously our boots are going to fit our bindings best however we have always put a heap of adjustment into our bindings so that if our boots don’t fit you you can still ride your favourite Ride bindings as they will adjust to provide a good fit with any boot on the market. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Kieran McLaughlin RIDE Team rider Age: 24 Hometown: Falls Creek, VIC. Board/s of choice: RIDE DH2.4 155 Bindings of choice: RIDE SPi Large Boots of choice: RIDE Deuce 9 Regular or goofy, angles: Regular 15 Front, -12 Back What made you choose the board you’re riding from the new range at Ride? This board is designed to be your all mountain freestyle board but take it for a spin through the park and you will notice that it can hold its own. The unique twin shape called Hybrid ProRise, was developed by RIDE to combine the best feeling of

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

both Rocker and Camber boards. Its easy to press out and butter however its stable and secure under your feet, add in all the extras and this board has more pop and life than anything. Get amongst it! What do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? I think the Rocker sensation has died off a little bit and people are coming back to Camber boards because of the stability and response that they can give you. Its true that Rocker boards feel great under your feet in deep powder and they are way easier in powder landings however they don’t seem to match a cambered boards response. If you like to hook tight turns while patting the dog and then ollie a slow sign then camber is for you. What do you look for when choosing your boots and bindings? I’m old school when it comes to choosing boots and bindings. I like to be able to tie my laces as tight as I want and crank my bindings, everything else seems to have to many variables. Mid ﬂex boots with stiffer bindings, works for me. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Chris Kelly BATALEON Brand/Team Manager How’s this season’s catalogue from Bataleon? Can you describe the new range for us? There’s definitely less porn in this season’s catalogue. People’s views on this lack of porn will be polarised for sure, but I think we’ve won hearts and minds with the boards. The new range is pretty god damn amazing to be honest. We’ve had some big upgrades in manufacturing and materials with some major upgrades to our Triple Base Technology (TBT). In 2011 Bataleon has a board for everyone at an budget. Yeah for it! What are your top three products this year? Evil Twin, Airobic, and the Fun.Kink. Evil Twin is our flagship, our front man, our Jim Morrison. The Airobic has a dope graphic this year and an ultra-wide TBT platform to jib your little heart out with. The Fun.Kink is no-nosense fun. Straight up! Can you explain the benefits of the Bataleon triple base technology? Can I ever! Triple Base Technology (TBT) is the ultimate Snowboard base shape. TBT is a positive camber snowboard, just the way snowboards NEED to be in order to provide pop and edge control, except we raise the edges of the board from your binding to the nose and tail, to raise the contact points out of the snow giving a fun, catch free ride. TBT carves harder, pops higher, jibs easier, floats higher in powder, and is just more fun and progressive than any other crazy snowboard bent in un-natural ways. But... dont believe us... try it for yourself, go and see your local Bataleon dealer immediately! BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Marcus Stocker LIBTECH Brand Team Manager LibTech are known for being innovators in the industry, what have you got in line for us this year? For starters we have a new camber..Ec2 or elliptical power (c2) banana. This brings our camber range to 6 total. Travis has 4 different boards in his range including splits and a banana “hammock”. The Mervin art house continues to pump out graphics, every board is a different piece of art by Parillo/Lynn/ French/Quigg etc. “Columbian Gold” cores, Basalt infused glasses and top sheets made out of Caster beans are some of the standard features in Lib boards these days! What are your favourite products in the range this season and why are you so stoked on them? Well the range has diversiﬁed into outerwear and some accessories such as travel luggage etc. All the outerwear is made 100% of recycled materials. The bags are light, super durable and are also made with some recycled materials. By far I think the Attack Banana with its new EC2 camber is the winner. This board is going to go SICK!! The tip and tail are softened a little giving better ﬂoat in pow and more “pressability”. The board maintains its power, pop and stability at high speeds. I have been riding a 151 TRS all last season and for three weeks in the States recently. Board is ridiculous. It went great riding lines, pow and park laps... brilliant!

level performance in a light weight package, and for the ladies Cassette and our girls Auto model the Agogo stand out on any binding wall. And what’s new in the bindings and boots line-up? For boots in 2011 we see the introduction of our Conda Clutch to sit well in the line below Boa Conda which was introduced last season. Conda is an internal lacing system that alleviates heal lift like no other. Conda backs up all our other boot tech like intuition liners, harshmellow dampening and our commitment to Boa lacing systems. In bindings we have introduced Tweakback Highbacks into The Hurrithane for guys and the Cassette LTD for the girls, Tweakback is made from 100% urethane, it is stable and supportive when engaged, but loose and bendy when riders want to get their “tweak on”! BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Robbie Walker K2 Team rider Age: 26 Hometown: Richmond Board/s of choice: Turbo dream Bindings of choice: Formula Boots of choice: Darko Regular or goofy, angles: regular 23.5 wide + 18 - 15 What made you choose the board you’re riding from the new range at K2? I heard that reverse camber was awesome in the pow and it made sense so I tried it out and loved it. What do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? They are the best. This year I didn’t get a turbo dream till february. I didn’t even bother trying to shred the pow without it. What do you look for when choosing your boots and bindings? Something that you cant feel, you want to be able to forget about you boots and bindings while you shred. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Kristian Spencer SALOMON - Brand/Team Manager What can we look forward to seeing in this year’s range from Salomon? We have released 5 new ranges of camber profiles allowing the rider to choose what profile will work best for the riding ability from Pres-sure Rocker (jib & park), Pow Rocker (floating & landing in pow), Hook Free (all mtn & freeride), Flat (freestyle & backyard jibbing) and Rocqualizer (jib, park & freestyle). We are also a season ahead of the US so this shit hasn’t even seen the light of day there yet. Which models do you predict to be your best sellers and why? The Official will be one to watch as this board has won for the last three years in a row in Transworlds Top Ten Good Wood, that combined with its Popster core (super poppy) and Equalizer sidecut (excellent edge hold) will be hard to beat. The Acid will be another with its Rocqualizer technology which means its rockered with an equalizer sidecut so the perfect board to either smash the park and stomp big hits.. We also have a sweet set up for the ladies which is the Lark with an Aspen light core and Rocqualizer technology this board will charge through trees, slash pow and sail smoothly over groomers, what more would you need from a board? And what’s new in the bindings and boots line-up? With boots we are First in Fit. First in Fit is not a liner, last or lace system – it’s a way of constructing and creating all of these elements into a boot that shapes to your foot. Structural support where you need it, soft and comfortable in all the right places. Two distinctively different styles of boots live in our collection, the Fusion and the Authentic series both designed with performance and comfort in mind. With bindings we really obsessed about the minute details, dialed in the right composites and cushioning for every style of riding as we wanted you to be comfortable from your first run until your last without have to re tweak your settings, we added new true grip toe straps and EVA dampening pads in the baseplate to help stop vibrations and allow better edge hold. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

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Lincoln Jago K2 Brand/Team Manager What can we look forward to seeing in this year’s range from K2? The 2011 K2 Snowboarding line is again ﬁlled with innovation; in boards expect to see further improvements to each model, from our rocker focused Carbon web, to our all new Ollie bar, each K2 is jam-packed with the tech. K2 have added a Bambooyah Blend core to the line which carries a 2 year warranty, to back up our commitment to Bamboo as a superior core material. Our 100% Bambooyah core carries a 5 year core breakage warranty, beat that! After winning more print boards awards than any other brand in 2010, 9 in total the designers and team at K2 did not rest on their laurels. We also have the advantage of receiving our boards from the future, so no old technologies in our line up! Which models do you predict to be your best sellers and why? For snowboards- Parkstar is probably the best overall seller in men’s boards, it is a true all rounder for our Australian conditions and has won back to back good wood awards. Around that we have the all new stabby twin the Happy Hour which is a unique shape and is as eye catching as it is fun to ride, and in it’s second year our Bambooyah ﬂagship model the Fastplant is sure to share some limelight in sales. For women’s our Lunatique for all mountain and VVV for park and fun times, are always great sellers! K2’s commitment to our women’s line is second to none. In boots- you can’t go past Darko and Ryker in men’s as our two top selling models and in the ladies we have the all new Boa model the Sapera and the Haven is always a popular choice for our lady friends! Bindings- Formula and Uprise are probably the stand outs of an even bunch in bindings, but top

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

Jaryd Heslop ROME - Brand/Team Manager How’s this season’s line-up from Rome? Can you describe the new range for us? The New 2012 boards are amazing! With a couple of new models we’re lucky to get these before the rest of the world. There is definitely something for everyone with a few different camber profiles and Quick Rip Sidecut on all our mens rocker boards. Some breakthrough new tech in our binding baseplates with V-Rod which lets the binding flex more naturally under your feet without compromising edge pressure. And there is a new lacing system available in the Boots which concentrates on multiple independant locking zones and a boot that has a more natural and consistant flex pattern. A LOT going on but definitely all good things! What are your favourite three products this year? The Agent Rocker is my favourite board, the Mountain Pop Camber makes sense to me and its been made just a little more poppy which is great. The 390 Boss bindings are amazing. The new baseplate gives such good feel and the canting beds take the stress off my old man knees. The Libertine Pureflex boots It looks like rocker boards are definitely here to stay, what do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? I think that the progression to dual and flat cambers is key to having more pop in a rocker board. The Mountain Pop Camber has camber tip and tail with rocker between the feet. This just makes sense to me and it is what I have been riding, I find that I get the edge control all the way back to the original contact points. Just seems to be a rocker that works of all riding. The flatter cambers in our Free Pop and Jib Pop help to and pop while still keeping a little bit of looseness. I think these ride great for Powder, resort riding, mini-shred and jibbing.

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

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Roland Morley-Brown ROME Team rider Age: 30 Hometown: Queenstown, NZ Board/s of choice: Rome Agent Rocker 155 and 159 Bindings of choice: Rome 390 Boss Boots of choice: Rome Folsom Regular or goofy, angles: Reg, 21* front, -12* back What made you choose the board you’re riding from the new range at Rome? The Rome Agent kills it all! Epic in the back country riding big pow lines and kickers and can also be thrashed in the park. It has slightly beveled edges too so its a bit mellower on the jibs. Fast base material, Solid tip and tail loaded with pop and a nice overall shape. What do you think about all the new types of rockers and cambers and the way they ride? Well the Agent has both, called Reverse-MtnPop. best of both worlds!!! What do you look for when choosing your boots and bindings? With the boots I like them kinda stiff and bindings I like a good sized ankle strap and toe cap for support and that the heel and high back cup round the boot tight. BOARDS – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

NITRO - BRAND/TEAM MANAGER MARK BRISTOW

For sunny days I go for a fire iridium or black iridium lens to reduce glare. On those flat light days high intensity yellow or high intensity persimmon will boost contrast and increase depth perception. However, if you’re after one lens to see you through all conditions persimmon is always a favourite or I go for VR28. For the big spender, you can’t past the high intensity amber polarized – there’s nothing better. When choosing a pair of goggles, what are the most important features to look for? The first thing you want to be sure of when choosing new goggles is that they fit correctly. The foam should be flush against your face with no gaps. They need to be comfortable because you’ll probably be wearing them from a long time. Good peripheral vision is always useful and if you have a helmet you want to make sure that they fit well with that. When going through your lens options, think about when you do most of your riding and choose accordingly. GOGGLES– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Mitch Allan OAKLEY Team Rider Age: 23 Hometown: Berrara Goggles of choice: Oakley Splice Board/s of choice: Burton Custom Bindings of choice: Prophecy Boots of choice: Ion What made you pick out the goggles you’re riding in? They were new and looked nice! One lens or do you switch depending on the weather? I have one lens that pretty much does everything but sometimes change if it’s night or really crap weather. Have you got any tips for stopping your goggles from getting fogged up while on the mountain? Yeah just one buy Oakleys... seriously!

What can we look forward to seeing in this year’s range from Nitro? Nitro Snowboards 2011-12 we once again offer boards to every rider and riding style imaginable. We have reintroduced more Camber Boards with The Thief (AllMountain) and T1 Camber (Twin), just to make sure you can still get a board with the ultimate amount of POP. Eero Ettala again steps it up with his new pro-model. Australia’s own Nate Johnston won the World Cup and World Championship Half Pipe on the same board. We still offer the best designed reverse camber board, with our Gullwing Camber featured in the Team, Sub Zero and now the in the highend Blacklight Gullwing. Women’s boards look amazing, you have to see the new Runaway graphic…plus our most popular womans board , the Mystique returns once again to make you look amzing on the hill. If your lucky to see our new Nitro Factory Series boards , you will be stoked. If you get to ride one, OMG it will be the best thing you will ever strap on your feet. We have taken the most successful shapes and rebuilt them with the Finest materials known to man. Boards featured are the Team, Team Wide, Rook and T1. Our New Boot range looks amazing. We still offer the best highhold you can get in a snow board boot. The New Recoil in Super Light weight and great for freestyle and all-mountain riders. The Team is still the King with its new look and the Anthem and Women’s Crown give you a great boots at a great. Be sure to get all your boots fit and one of our dealers. Which models do you predict to be your best sellers and why? Nitro Snowboards always has its standout models. The Team and Addict are the king for allmountain riders. For freestyle, it’s the Rook, T1 Zero and new T1 Camber. The Swindle is still the favourite for all our local team riders. Absolutely bomb proof. Groomies make sure you get mum or dad to buy you a new Ripper or Demand, then say good-bye cause they want catch you. Women’s is all about the Runaway for freestyle girls or the Mystique for all-mountain fun. And what’s new in the bindings and boots line-up? Nitro has done an overhaul on its 2011-12 Raiden binding range. The all new Phantom binding look SICK!!.Features the New XBeam highback to help fine tune your fit The Blackhawk is the one for the big boys and there big toys, the is the one you want for your All-Mountain machines. Our most popular binding, The Zero will also feature a new Asum High back and toe strape, as also it comings in paint dipped colours. Ladies need to see the new Lynx….super comfy and great colors. Enjoy your Ride everyone.

Describe this year’s goggle range, what sets VZ apart from the other brands? VZ offers 7 frames in it’s range so we like to think if you are looking for a goggle you don’t need to look past VZ. We offer everything from top of the line Premium Frames , Price point , Technical Race Goggles, Retro, and kids. VZ doesn’t drop the ball when it comes to Quality and fit by using only the most superior materials in it’s frames and lenses. Then to top it off VZ uses a fleece lined tipple density foam to comfortably fit all faces. This years colours we have incorporated the use of bright translucent frames with fire and astro chrome lenses to match this look is to match up with our Successful Facemelt story we had in our Summer Eyewear collection . Lastly we have continued our collaboration with Skullcandy and offering the Feenom, Chakra and Dojo Goggles with the head phones built into the goggle strap. Which setup do you choose for sunny conditions, and which is the best for flatlight? Sunny conditions i would suggest a Bronze chrome lenses this lens will protect from the suns glare but at the same time enhance the blue light if conditions become flat. Flat light i would suggest something with a blue or yellow lenses these lenses allow and enhance the most amount of light through the lenses. When choosing a pair of goggles, what are the most important features to look for? I would say fit, nothing frustrates me more when i am on the hill and i see people wearing a goggle that is the wrong fit for them so i would say the bigger the goggle the better, this not only allow maximum peripheral vision, but it will also allow the goggle to breathe so when you heat up after a solid run there will be no fogging.

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Dane Tiene DRAGON Team Rider

DAPHNE YEO DRAGON MARKETING

Age: 21 Hometown: Port Macquarie Goggles of choice: Dragon Rogue Board/s of choice: Park- DC MLF 150cm, Pow- DC Lauri pro tone 156cm Bindings of choice: Flux TT30 Boots of choice: DC 2011 Park What made you pick out the goggles you’re riding in? I ﬁnd that the rogues are the most comfortable and have the best peripheral vision. One lens or switch depending on the weather? I swing both ways for sure, haha. I use a pink lenses on overcast days and for sunny days mainly the jet polarized lens. Have you got any tips for stopping your goggles from getting fogged up while on the mountain? Not really, Dragon Super Anti-fog kills it. GOGGLES– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

GOGGLES– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ////////////////

Micah Leroy VON ZIPPER Brand/Team manager

Describe this year’s goggle range, what sets Dragon apart from the other brands? The introduction of the brand’s new D1XT goggle, we are one of few brands to introduce a brand new style this season. We also offer one of the biggest ranges of lens tints and contrasts for 2011 as well as an amazing Translucents Collection running right across the entire range. To top it off, Dragon goggles come complete with Super Anti-Fog Technology and are covered by a complete 2 year warranty - BOOM !!! Which setup do you choose for sunny conditions, and which is the best for ﬂatlight? Lens selection can be a personal decision but a little secret is to use, Polarization - not just on a sunny day, as it can also be used when it’s overcast and snowy - it allows a better perception of distance and a better saturation of colors. Try it and you won’t go back!! When choosing a pair of goggles, what are the most important features to look for? If you S*%t fogs nothing else matters - Dragon’s Super Anti-Fog Technology last twice a long as all other brands (look for the spaceman logo and beware of imitations!).

Emily Smith OAKLEY Brand/Team Manager Describe this year’s goggle range, what sets Oakley apart from the brands? Oakley is the only goggle brand to offer the unbeatable performance of High Deﬁnition Optics. HDO is just one if the technologies from Oakley’s 30-year legacy of goggle innovation. Our goggles excel where conventional goggles fail…There’s no fogging, No visual distortion or glare. No sweat build up or itching. Oh and they make you ridiculously good looking too. It’s no wonder why Oakley is the choice of today’s leading winter sports athletes. Which setup do you choose for sunny conditions, and which is the best for ﬂatlight?

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Bindings Burton

Burton

– – – – – CARTEL EST PRICE: $429.95 There’s a reason more pros and shop kids choose the Cartel™. Simply put, it’s got everything you could ask for—smokeweight, diesel strength, and maxed out comfort in a shred-everything package.

– – – – – MISSION EST PRICE: $349.95 The latest Mission® combines a decade of shred wisdom with the futuristic feel and enhanced cushioning of EST™ . Stripped down to save weight without sacriﬁcing an ounce of strength, the Mission EST walks the line between ample power and forgiving ﬂex, cushioned comfort, and straight-line stability.

– – – – – COBRASHARK PRICE: $329.95 Love it or hate it, a Winged hi-back and asym ankle strap are great for spins, butters, and presses—you know, the fun stuff. We also linked up with Jay Howell to do some absurd art for these beasts.

Burton

Flux

– – – – – ESCAPADE EST PRICE: $499.95 Take a moment to marvel at the ingenuity of the Escapade EST™ . Feel the spring-like squish of the SuperBED™—it’s a luxury few will ever discover. Savor the snug security and seamless ﬁt and drink in its ﬂowing beauty knowing that you’re now amongst the elite ranks of such riders as Kelly Clark and Ellery Hollingsworth.

– – – – – THE DS45 PRICE: $ 449 Dominate the mountain in style with our high end Urethane Slayer. It loves to snowboard wherever you love to snowboard. Super responsive GENETIC base combined with a super comfortable Urethane Assym Highback.

– – – – – THE SF45 PRICE: $ 429 This binding delivers ultimate response and high end performance. The urethane dampeners in the baseplate are interchangeable – so you can customize the bindings feel. Perfect for freeride and halfpipe shredders.

– – – – – THE RK30 PRICE: $ 369 You’ll be king of the Park and Beyond with the RK30’s strapped to your board. The Urethane Highback delivers incredible comfort and support, perfect for the comfort orientated rider.

Flux

Forum

– – – – – THE GU30 (WOMENS) PRICE: $ 369 The GU30 is the pinnacle of COMFORT for female shredders. It’s Urethane Highback provides a softer, more fluid flex and ride, and this binding is 100% specific to girls.

– – – – – SHAKA PRICE: $399.95 Good-Vibes hinge disk, Full length EVA footpad with Fgel cushioning. Winner of multiple on-snow tests and design awards, the Shaka returns as the most progressive freestyle binding available, brah.

– – – – – REPUBLIC PRICE: $349.95 The Republic is a precise weapon of feel and power. Good Vibes are spreading and they’ve inﬁltrated the Republic—now equipped with the free-ﬂexing Good Vibes Hinge Disk and baseplate

– – – – – AURA PRICE: $199.95 Feels like part of you. The Aura has a soft, forgiving feel with a lightweight freestyle design. The fully adjustable toe ramp and ultra-comfy padding make this the musthave binding for legit riders.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

GNU

– – – – – THE PARK PRICE: $349 Ultralight park/freestyle.Asym reverse seam ankle strap and cap toe strap. Cored out baseplate and highback.Fastec backdoor technology (easy in and out). Micro adjust buckle and triple dampening. Flex of 7

– – – – – THE MUTANT PRICE: $399 Ultralight performance freeride/freestyle.. Cored out baseplate, straps and highback. Fastec backdoor technology (easy in and out). Micro adjust buckle and triple dampening. Flex of 8

– – – – – THE STREET PRICE: $279 All terrain freestyle ﬂexibility.F1 thermo plastic alloy baseplate.Cored soft top highback.. Fastec backdoor technology (easy in and out). Micro adjust buckle and new Eva full cushion footbed.Toe caps included. Flex of 6.

– – – – – THE B REAL PRICE: $279 Womens speciﬁc freestyle ﬂexibility. F1 baseplate and cored out soft top highback..Fastec backdoor technology (easy in and out). New micro adjust buckle and full Eva footbed. Flex of 5

– – – – – THE DRONE PRICE: $449.95 The Drone™, scopes the terrain with hightech frequency, boasting NEW AUTOspeciﬁc toe straps, Litespeed ratchets and Airlock Highbacks. Eliminating unnecessary weight while delivering direct energy transfer and pro-level performance is the Drone’s mantra. Canted, MINI RAMP HARSHMELLOW shockpads reduce legburn and battle chatter – a sureﬁre combination you’ll appreciate on every lap!

– – – – – UPRISE PRICE: $399.95 Why mess with two ratchets when all you need is one? Go AUTOmatic this season with the Uprise™! Flagship. Convenience and reliability underscore patented AUTO technology and NEW Rocklock Highbacks. Features include canted MINI RAMP HARSHMELLOW footbeds, AUTO-speciﬁc tool-less toestraps and banger graphics. If you’re tired of the strap struggle, step up with the Uprise!

– – – – – FORMULA PRICE: $349.95 Your advancing skills are exponential. The Formula™ is your answer. With NEW MINI RAMP canted footbeds and Rocklock Highbacks, this tried-and-true specimen offers a performance-centric ﬂex that is ready to take your riding to new heights. Pro-Fusion Chassis hosts the multi-position Custom Caddy ankle strap, offering more freedom than ever…and you thought we couldn’t make it better!

– – – – – AGOGO PRICE: $399.95 Agogo™ is as Agogo does – utilizing patented K2 AUTO Technology in a chic and clever package. One ratchet is all you need to crank both the ankle and toe straps while NEW MINI RAMP Canted Footbeds with HARSHMELLOW dampen chatter. The Airlace Highback is built to precise women’s speciﬁcations, working harmoniously with the Auto A-Line chassis. The Agogo is ready for anything.

Nitro

– – – – – LYNX WOMEN’S PRICE: $299 The Lynx delivers mind altering performance thanks to its women speciﬁc features. The Precision Fit base ensures a solid foothold with a 20% softer ﬂex to suit a lighter female rider, making the Lynx the perfect all-terrain women’s binding.

– – – – – PHANTOM PRICE: $449 The Phantom is our pro level performance freestyle binding. The FTI EVO 2 AIR chassis delivers full Dual AIR dampening to absorb bone bruising drops and stability for high speed performance.

– – – – – PUSHER PRICE: $319 This indestructible binding is like no other. It provides easy adjustment, reduced weight and has the very signature one-piece binding feel that doesn’t compromise on function.

– – – – – ZERO PRICE: $349 If you want a binding that‘s lightweight and delivers skate-like ﬂexibility, don’t look any further. The Zero has re-designed 3D shaped ankle straps and a new toe strap that is minimal yet provides better foothold.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Ride

– – – – – EX PRICE: $299 Built for versatility and durability, the EX features Ride’s the Foundation Chassis to provide all-mountain midﬂex performance and the Wedgie 1.5 footbed that has a subtle angle to provide the perfect mix of comfort and support. Combined with the ThinGrip™ toe strap and the ComfortFlex highback, you won’t ﬁnd a better value for any level of rider.

– – – – – DELTA MOVEMENT PRICE: $429 The mobility-driven Delta is a super ﬂexible performance Ride that combines the Wedgie 2.5 footbed to maximize pop in the park and provide a more direct connection with the board and the lightweight Movement Chassis. Now featuring the new upgraded Stealth highback and 3D ThinGrip™ toe strap, the Delta is a movement you can’t afford to miss.

– – – – – OPTIMO CONTRABAND PRICE: $499 This premium new ContraBand™ binder packs a freestyle punch, followed by a roundhouse kick of flex. Featuring the brand new ContraFlex chassis design that’s easy to set up and adjust, and is light and flexible from start to finish. Includes Wedgie 2.5 & 4.0 footbeds for utmost drive and ollie pop. The new Optimo is the optimal choice for your high-flying moves.

– – – – – VXN PRICE: $299 Built for hitting everything the mountain has to offer, the VXn offers performanceboosting, all-Ride support. Featuring the Wedgie 1.5 footbed with a subtle angle to provide the perfect mix of comfort and support, and the ThinGrip™ toe strap for snug boot grip and response. Packed with features, you won’t lack comfort or style with this versatile performance binder.

Salomon

– – – – – PATRIOT PRICE: $249 Access top line tech. The Patriot is ready for action, any terrain, anytime. Slasher baseplate, EVA Pads, 3D Prime straps, Optistream highback, Power Heel lock, plenty of adjustment.

– – – – – ARCADE PRICE: $279 Perfect for a wide range of riding styles with that mix of shock protection and shred sensitivity. New straps, new ratchets on a seasoned chassis. Slasher baseplate, EVA pads, 3D prime core straps, Viper ratchets.

– – – – – CHIEF PRICE: $349 Our best binding for riding everyday. Blending a super responsive baseplate for high speeds with plush comfy features for all time comfort. Transfer baseplate, SCS EVA pads, 3D Supreme straps, Viper ratchets.

– – – – – STELLA (WOMENS) PRICE: $279 All new straps, new ratchets and new Empire highback make the Stella lighter, softer and more responsive than ever. Slasher, EVA, 3D Prime Core, Viper ratchets.

Union

– – – – – CONTACT PRO PRICE: $359 Designed by Gigi Ruff. The Contact Pro is amazingly comfortable. Dampening in the base plate lets your board ﬂex more naturally, makes for a smooth ride and helps with board breakage.

– – – – – FLITE PRICE: $249 F***ING LITE! Mid ﬂex. Value for money.

– – – – – FORCE PRICE: $329 A bomb proof all rounder. Durability , simplicity and performance. Dampening in the base plate lets the board ﬂex more naturally, makes for a smooth ride and helps with board breakage.

– – – – – MILAN PRICE: $299 The Milan’s light weight supreme ﬁt and stylish ﬁnish makes it the most popular women’s binding in the range.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Boots

Burton

– – – – – ION PRICE: $599.95 In an era when double corks and triple digit airs are the norm, it’s no wonder more Burton [and non-Burton] pros choose the Ion™. Always at the forefront of innovation, this year’s edition features the latest in quick-drying liner science and padding that completely encompasses your foot. Easier to lace, the Ion also features the heightened board feel of an EST™ midsole.

– – – – – HAIL PRICE: $429.95 When people read the name Hail™, most think of frozen rain. Some will think of extra-smooth Articulating Cuff s and Flex 2 Liner s. Others, mostly those from urban zones, will think of calling a cab, but no one will really think of the Stay-Puft padded tongue or NEW DynoLite EST™ optimized outsole with B3 Gel Cushioning.

Burton

– – – – – AWOL PRICE: $349.95 Notes: Bringing the feel of skate shoes to snow, Shaun’s choice in boots features a soft, forgiving flex, extra large airbag, and freestyle focused Flex 1 Liner . Whether you’re getting used to the feel of floating down the pipe or banging out clips for your next video part, the AWOL will give you the ability to fly first class in complete and total comfort.

– – – – – SAPPHIRE PRICE: $399.95 Notes: The unofﬁcial pro model of resort town lurkers and shop girls alike, the Sapphire™ is for those who literally live in their boots. During those midwinter marathons, let your feet live in luxury inside the heat-ready Flex 2 Liner complete with a truer-ﬁtting, calfcaressing Plush Cuff™.

– – – – – PARK PRICE: $ 369.95 Synthetic Leather & PU coated mesh Traditional Lace - Direct Power Lacing - 3D Tongue - Articulation - Welded Backstay - Unilite Outsole - Park Bravo Liner - Flex Rating 6

– – – – – JUDGE PRICE: $ 549.95 Synthetic Leather & PU coated mesh - BOA Focus - 3D Tongue - Articulation Welded Backstay - Internal Ankle Harness - Unilite Outsole - Bravo Liner - Flex Rating 7

Deeluxe

– – – – – SEARCH (WOMEN’S) PRICE: $329.95 Synthetic Leather & PU coated mesh BOA - Low Proﬁle Rubber Cupsole - Delta Liner - Flex Rating 5

– – – – – THE EMPIRE PRICE: $449 Sets no boarders and provides uncompromising support. It is the stiffest boot in our line. It’s GEL SOLE dampens the hardest of impacts during riding, and our SCL speedlacing is dependable in any situation.

– – – – – THE ID FICHTL PRICE: $369 A tried and true choice for all terrain attackers. Featuring high tech components, and all the crucial details, the ID FICHTL is a signature model for MARCO FEICHTNER. Try it, Ride it, LOVE IT.

– – – – – THE ROUGH DIAMOND PRICE: $399 TJ SCHNEIDERS signature boot. It offers our best technology, in a softer ﬂexing freestyle package. A full THERMO (TF) liner for incredible warmth and moldability, a GEL sole, and an extra Velcro strap for extra ﬁt adjustment.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Deeluxe

Forum

– – – – – THE SOLUTION PRICE: $329 Your ﬁrst step toward advanced snowboard boots. Featuring a Single handle SCL, with two separate lacing sections, the SOLUTION keeps it simple and takes you to the next level.

– – – – – FORMULA PRICE: $399.95 The best park boot possible. A true park boot, the Forumula features Tweaker Technology, which provides a softer medial (inside) ﬂex that not only allows you to styleout your presses, contort your grabs, lockon that rail, and sneak that last 180, it’s also more comfortable in a wider shred stance.

– – – – – KICKER PRICE: $379.95 The Kicker is for powerful freestyle riders who charge hard and need a little more support. Maximum cushioning is delivered by the FGel under your heel in the Level 3 liner and in the Good Vibes outsole.

– – – – – BEBOP PRICE: $199.95 Inspired by hard-charging chicks and developed to prove that style and comfort can be affordable. The Bebop is amazing style at an amazing price. Its soft ﬂex, comfy Integrated liner, and Level 1 footbed ensure comfort right out of the box.

– – – – – MAYSIS PRICE: $499.95 Only a year young, the Maysis™ turned heads last season – raising the bar for style while holding down K2’s tradition of excellence. With a perfect out-of-the-box ﬁt and a lighter, HARSHMELITE outsole. Two Boa® reels manage custom ﬁt – one for the internal K2 CONDA liner, the other dials in the shell. HARSHMELLOW footbeds dampen the speedbumps.

– – – – – DARKO BC PRICE: $449.95 Ride anything and stomp everything. The Darko BC™ (Boa® CONDA) allows for liner adjustment on the ﬂy – loose for extra tweaking mobility or locked down when things get critical. Either way, Darko maintains supreme heel hold. HARSHMELLOW / HARSHMELITE tech decreases weight, helps absorb shock and increases board feel.

– – – – – RYKER PRICE: $379.95 NEW boot on the block, the Ryker™ delivers smooth ﬂex and supportive comfort. The Ryker’s Intuition™ liner and Micro Articulating Cuff combine for unfettered mobility. NEW HARSHMELITE sole helps cushion hard landings while the NEW CONDA CLUTCH liner system makes for super quick, single-pull internal adjustment and unrivaled heel hold.

– – – – – SAPERA PRICE: $379.95 Sweeping, textured lines on the shell define the NEW Sapera™ aesthetic. As the latest addition to the collection, Sapera boasts plush digs and CONDA CLUTCH – a NEW one-pull system that gently locks in the heel while tightening the liner. The exterior adjusts on the fly with a single Boa® Coiler reel. Designed for women who desire a custom fit.

Nitro

– – – – – TEAM TLS PRICE: $ 499 The Team TLS is a driven boot. It has stable flex, but not overpowering. It has been the favorite amongst the team because it’s stability to power through landings and drops while allowing you creative freedom to tweak airs. The rubber outsole has been minimzed for greater weight reduction and flex. The unique cuff link design allows your body and boot to flex naturally without pressure points.

– – – – – RECOIL PRICE: $469 New for this season is the Recoil. This boot is a perfect blend of weight, durability, fit and flex - not to mention the clean styling. It has a complete eva sole with rubber impact panels for shock absorbtion and grip. We also added an air bag into the heel for additional cushioning on hard impacts. The new Type 3 Thermacell liner is designed to be flexible and extremely lightweight.

– – – – – CROWN PRICE: $399 The Crown offers ultimate support for all-mountain domination. This boot right out of the box provides the power you will need to stomp landings and dissect lines on the mountain. The new Type 2 women’s liner keeps your feet warm and completely comfortable all day. This is matched with a rubber outsole and EVA midsole for great traction, impact absorbtion and board feel.

– – – – – ANTHEM PRICE: $ 399 The Anthem has been a staple for riders who want freestyle and park performance. It has a combination of our EVA and rubber sole that makes it light yet durable and provides great board feel. The Type 2 liner is comfortable, soft ﬂexing and has the ILS liner lacing to intergrate it in the boot. This boot comes in your choice of the TLS 4 or standard lacing for the traditionalist.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Ride

– – – – – DEUCE PRICE: $399 The Deuce is not only a team favorite, but it’s the ultimate performance Ride for the established freestyle guy. Blending technologies such as Intuition™ Mobile Foam Liner, Secure Fit Harness™ and Blown Light Classic Sole, this lightweight Ride provides superior heel hold and alltime control.

– – – – – INSANO BOA FOCUS PRICE: $549 A perfect combination of proven performance features and the latest in lightweight madness, this freestyle attack boot dominates. Featuring the premium ﬁt of our Intuition™ Dream Liner and Boa Focus with The Closer lace guide, combined with the supportive Impacto insole and the Blown Light Meta outsole for a barefoot light feel. For an insane ﬁt, ease and style.

– – – – – JACKSON BOA COILER PRICE: $359 The Jackson is built for the intermediate Rider looking to push himself above and beyond on any given terrain. Featuring The Closer lace guide with Boa Coiler lacing allows for total boot closure, superior heel hold and Rider control. Add our Intuition™ Support Foam Liner and Blown Light Meta outsole and you’ll have the fastest, most comfortable boot so you can focus on the day, not your feet.

– – – – – SASH BOA COILER PRICE: $359 Notes: The versatile Sash is for the gal who pushes herself daily and wants a boot that blends cush comfort and all around performance. Featuring The Closer lace guide with Boa Coiler lacing to give you perfect cable tension all the way through the forefoot. Add our Intuition™ Support Foam Liner and you get the easiest, most comfortable luxury boot around.

Salomon

– – – – – IVY (WOMENS) PRICE: $349 The Ivy has a whole new look for 2011, subtle Herringbone design around the calf and tongue compliments our comfort ﬁt Custom balance liner as well as the all new Mystic footbed make for one comfy and warm boot.

– – – – – SYNAPSE PRICE: $449 Let loose with wide open turns, the Synapse ﬁres away with energy ﬂowing seamlessly through full Custom Fit Balance liners. Dare to blend power and comfort and still keep some cash in the bank. Full Custom Fit liner, Mystic Footbed, Spring Outsole. Flex 8. Sizes 25-30.5

– – – – – DIALOGUE PRICE: $399 Simple Style, timeless performance. The new Reflex construction dials in a smooth, crease free flex for unrestricted riding movement. A long lasting freestyle boot that will survive 100+ days a season. Custom Fit liner, Mystic Footbed, Zero G outsole, Reflex construction. Flex 7. Sizes 25-31.5

– – – – – SAVAGE PRICE: $349 The Zero G outsole cushions your heels through bomb drops and backyard props. A Lightweight, medium ﬂex built with durable materials offering great value and a proven ﬁt. Custom Fit liner, Mystic Footbed, Zero G outsole, Flex 6. Sizes 25-31.5

Thirty Two

– – – – – STW BOA PRICE: $ 349 Our easiest boot to get in and out of, we made everything about the Women’s STW Boa™ comfortable and smooth. We also wanted to assure that the STW Boa™ is the best value on the market. With a heat moldable liner, Soft Fuzzy Cuff, and matching Boa™ hardware, we hit the mark.

– – – – – FOCUS BOA PRICE: $549.95 In the dual Boa™ system integrated with our own independent free-floating eyestay, we created three specific tightening zones. A firm flex and rigid backstay allow for high-end support with the effortless entry and exit of the Boa™ system.

– – – – – LASHED FT PRICE: $ 399 Your favourite boot year in year out just got a whole lot easier. Pull the laces and go shred!! This is the All Star boot.

– – – – – TM 2 PRICE: $469 For years now the TM-Two has been our team inspired boot. If you plan to spend a lot of days on the hill, this is your choice.

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Goggles Anon

Anon

– – – – – SOLACE WMS PRICE: $179

– – – – – REALM PRICE: $179.95

– – – – – FIGMENT PRICE: $149.95

Anon

Dragon

– – – – – HAWKEYE PRICE: $179.95

– – – – – GIGI RUF SIGNATURE ROGUE IONIZED PRICE: $219.95

– – – – – DANNY DAVIS SIGNATURE ROGUE IONIZED PRICE: $219.95

– – – – – LIQUID TANGERINE ROGUE RED IONIZED PRICE: $199.95

– – – – – JAMIE LYNN WHALES SIGNATURE D1XT PRICE: $159.95

Giro

– – – – – SIGNAL PRICE: $99-109

– – – – – STATION PRICE: $119-139

– – – – – FORMA PRICE: $199.95

– – – – – STAPLE PRICE: $99.95 - $139.95

– – – – – TYPE R PRICE: $139.95-1$59.95

Oakley

Quiksilver

TERJE HAAKONSEN SIGNATURE PRICE: $269.95

DANNY KASS SIGNATURE PRICE: $199.95

SHAUN WHITE SIGNATURE PRICE: $189.95

ELEVATE IN TURQUOISE TEMPEST PRICE: $179.95

– – – – – FACET ORBICULAR PRICE: $139.99

Quiksilver

Roxy

Spy

– – – – – TRAVIS RICE Q2 PRICE: $249.99

– – – – – TORAH MIST PRICE: $299.99

– – – – – SOLDIER PRICE: $149.95 - $249.95

– – – – – ZED PRICE: $ 129.95 - $189.95

– – – – – BIAS PRICE: $139.95 - $199.95

Spy

Von Zipper

– – – – – APOLLO PRICE: $229.95 - $249.95

– – – – – FEENOM PRICE: $199.95

– – – – – CHAKRA PRICE: $169.95

– – – – – FISHBOWL PRICE: $199.95

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011

Falls Creek

Australian Resorts Guide

Falls Creek is Victoria’s largest alpine resort and a major tourist destination in North East Victoria. The alpine resort is one of the most popular winter playgrounds in the country and offers a superb range of activities, attractions and events in every season throughout the year. At Falls Creek, there’s great skiing and snowboarding for everyone from beginners and families through to advanced skiers and riders. For those not wanting to ski or board, there’s a range of different activities, from the snow bungy trampolines and snow tubing park, to the skate ramp, cafes and retail, to bars, bands and dining, through to massages and pampering. The village itself is ideal, being based at the bottom of the runs and with most accommodation located so you can ski or board your last run straight to the door. A true ski-in ski-out layout gives the added beneﬁt of strapping in when you step out the door to make your way to the lift. Skiers and boarders have over 92 runs to choose from with a good blend of beginner runs (the longest over 2km), intermediate and advanced trails. Off-piste, areas such as Mt McKay offer some intense, steep expert terrain & deep powder stashes just beyond the ski boundary. Falls Creek’s dedication to park riding shows with 4 dedicated parks built and maintained by the Falls Creek Terrain Park Institute. The park crew keep varying ability levels in mind in creating these parks with progression in mind, starting with the beginners’ Drovers Park and ranging up to the monster rail and big air park on Ruined Castle. Additionally, Falls Creek has up to 70km’s of perfectly groomed XC trails with no trail fees to explore Australia’s home of Cross Country. Website address: www.fallscreek.com.au Season dates 11th June till 2nd October Lift pass prices: $53 - $106. Number of Lifts: 15. Village Altitude: 1600m. Highest Lifted Altitude: 1780m. Highest Altitude: 1842m. Park: 4 Terrain Parks. Drover’s and Fox Trail for the Kids and Families. Castle Rails and park for the Intermediate, Castle Rails & Park for the Advanced. Annual Snowfall: 4m. On-Hill accommodation: Contact 1800 2 Falls Distance from nearest city: Albury 120km / Melbourne 356km

Thredbo

Mt Buller

Thredbo is a true alpine village that offers more than just snowy slopes, along with 480 hectares of terrain to explore there’s a buzzing, vibrant village to get to know. Located smack bang in the heart of Kosciuszko National Park, the crisp waters of the Thredbo River run through the centre of town. The mountain is on one side and the village on the other, so you don’t have to go far to be a part of Thredbo’s wintry lifestyle. Slope side, Thredbo’s mountain has runs for everyone. From beginners taking their first shaky slides on Friday Flat to those schussing down the Supertrail or blasting through the powder on Central Spur, there are trails for every level of rider. There really is lots to love about the slopes of Thredbo. The vertical, it’s 672 metres from top to bottom - it is all about going downhill after all, the runs are long, the lifts are swift and there’s hectares of natural hits to explore. Thredbo’s mix of terrain parks are another highlight. Co-habitating nicely with the two plank riders, there are parks for little freestylers, beginners, intermediates and advanced. The Monster Bagjump is back for July, again tucked into the middle slopes of the Supertrail, this year it is a 10m x 10m air filled cushion that’s sure to be a winner for riders launching large and practising new tricks. New for this year is MyThredbo - it is your gateway to Thredbo - it’s all about you and it’s all about making it easy. From buying your lift pass to hitting the slopes, hiring your gear and organising a lesson, MyThredbo has you covered. Simply buy your pass online, tuck it into your pocket and that is where it stays thanks to the installation of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and easy access smart gates. On the other side of the mountain is the compact village with many big town conveniences. You will find leisure facilities including a pool (yes, it is heated), gym and waterslide. Then for leisure of another kind there’s a range of bars, shops, restaurants and cafes all peppered within easy walking distance around the pedestrian friendly village.Combine a mountain for all and village that springs to life and the sun goes down and you have the perfect winter getaway, check it out. Website: thredbo.com.au Season dates: 11 June - 3 Oct 2011 Liftpass prices: Adult Day pass $107, Adult Season Pass $1350 Number of Lifts: 14 Elevation: Village 1365m Highest Lifted Point 2037m Park: 3 terrain parks plus Bagjump and Ridercross Course 2010 Season Snowfall: 425cm cumulative, 190cm highest snow depth Kms of Piste: Thredbo has the longest runs in Australia - Karels to Friday Flat is over 5 kilometres and the Supertrail is 3.7 kilometres on just one run. On-Hill accommodation? Yes a large varitey from backpackers to 5 star all availble on snow. Distance from nearest city: 2.5 hrs drive from Canberra Other travelling options: Flights daily into Cooma Airport, then 1hr by shuttle to Thredbo

Mt Buller listing for Australian and New Zealand Snowboarding - 2011. When winter rolls around Mt Buller is the place to be for skiers and boarders who need their riding fix. An easy drive in just three hours from Melbourne you don’t have to wait long to be on the slopes; Mt Buller is the closest resort from any major airport in the country. The bustling alpine village at Mt Buller buzzes all winter with plenty of accommodation options for 7000 guests each night – mostly ski-in, ski-out – and more than 30 different places to head out with friends for dinner and drinks. Guests can choose from luxury hotels, contemporary apartments, cosy lodges and affordable budget hostels all nestled in among the snowgums and just a short stroll to the slopes. Day visitors to the resort enjoy quick, direct access to the upper mountain via the Horse Hill Chairlift. It’s a smart option for beginners heading to the gentle slopes of Burnt Hut and also for those seasoned skiers and boarders wanting to make first tracks on Summit and get over to the challenging terrain on the southside as quickly as possible. Buller is home to some of the big events of the winter snow circuit including the Cattleman’s Rail Jam presented by Burton and that iconic bumps race - the Boag’s ABOM Mogul Challenge. Mt Buller boasts the largest lifting network in Victoria and has been steadily increasing its investment in snowmaking each year. For 2011 a further $1 million investment has been made in installing more automated snowmaking on Family Run, Chute and the Wombat Extension. A new Terrain Garden adds to the mix of great parks at Buller this winter complete with unique woolly-butt log ride features, hip boxes and rails. A new Burton staircase feature that replicates the famous Cattleman’s rail is also set to make an appearance in the parks for 2011. Website address: www.mtbuller.com.au Season dates: 11th June - 2 October 2011. Liftpass prices: $104 (Adult), $57 (Child to Year 12) Number of Lifts: 22 Elevation: 1804m Park: MBP has four terrain parks including a terrain garden and an ultra-cross course. Annual Snowfall: 2.42m Kms of Piste: More than 80kms of marked trails and over 300 hectares of terrain. On-Hill accommodation: More than 7000 ski-in, ski-out beds in our beautiful alpine village. More lodge and hotel accommodation is available off-mountain in nearby Mansfield and Merrijig. Distance from nearest city: 248kms north-east of Melbourne, just a three hour drive to the Mt Buller village. Mansfield is just 42kms down the road and is a handy stop for rental equipment and coffee on the way to the slopes.

Perisher Website address: www.perisher.com.au. Season dates: June Long weekend to October Long weekend (June 11 to October 3 inclusive). Lift pass prices: varies, depending on time of visit and how many days are purchased. Better value with three or more days, plus Skitube can be added. See www.perisher.com.au/winter/prices/mt_pass-regular.html, plus specials page for bonus times of the season. Number of Lifts: 47 Total (13 Chairlifts, 25 T-Bars, J-Bars & Platters, 3 Rope Tows, 6 Skier conveyors), plus Skitube Alpine Railway. Elevation: Varies depending on location within the resort, highest elevation is Mt Perisher 2,054m. Park: Perisher is the epicentre for freeriding exploits, with four terrain parks built for progression, a Rider X course and Australia’s only Superpipe. Annual Snowfall: Over the past 15 years, the average maximum snow depth throughout the Resort has been about 1.9m. Kms of Piste: 47 lifts across an immense 1,245 hectares of varied snow-covered terrain, Perisher is also the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest ski and snowboard resort (actual kms not available, there are hundreds of kms of different runs across the 1,245 hectares). Snowmaking: Perisher’s multi-million dollar snowmaking network kicks in when Mother Nature takes a break. 271 snow guns provide a pristine cover across and extensive 53.4 hectares of terrain. Last season Perisher produced close to one million cubic metres of quality snow, more than any other resort. In 2011, close to $1 million has been invested in Blue Cow automating Zali’s and the bottom of Excelerator and Lower Roller Coaster. Distance from nearest city: Jindabyne to Perisher Valley - 33km, Jindabyne to Skitube at Bullocks Flat - 20km. Cooma - Snowy Mountains Airport to Jindabyne: 45km (regular Aeropelican ﬂights into Cooma)

AUS/NZ SNOWBOARDING

Hotham Hotham Alpine Resort, Victoria’s highest alpine village, is a world-class resort located in the state’s North East. In addition to extensive snow terrain and stunning landscapes, the resort boasts an impressive range of restaurants, bars, day spas, activities, shopping and accommodation options to suit every budget. Known as Australia’s ‘powder capital’ and renowned for its myriad of steep and diverse valley runs, Hotham is ideal for experienced skiers and beginners alike. 13 lifts service an incredible 320 hectares of skiable terrain. From walk-on beginner terrain to natural chutes, tree runs and terrain parks, there is something for all abilities of skiers and rider. Hotham is the most accessible alpine resort in Australia with direct flights to Hotham from Sydney with QantasLink. Website: www.hotham.com.au Season dates: 11 June to 2 October 2010. Lift pass prices: Hotham offers the ultimate in flexibility and choice, with a range of lift pass options to suit all skiers and boarders. One-day lift pass costs $106 for adults and $53 for children up to 15 years. The youth pass for 15-18years at $90. Lift passes can also be paired with lessons and/or equipment hire for added convenience and value. Number of lifts: 13 total (including Dinner Plain). Elevation: 1861m. Parks: 4 snowboard/ terrain parks. Annual Snowfall: Average cumulative snowfall is 3m per year Kms of piste: 88 diverse valley runs over an incredible 320 hectares of skiable terrain On hill accommodation: From premium ski-in, ski-out apartments and chalets with sweeping views of the surrounding Australian Alps National Park, to cosy casual lodge-style accommodation and the charming houses of Dinner Plain Village, Hotham suits all group sizes and all budgets. Distance from nearest city: Hotham is located 375kms from Melbourne (4.5 hours drive) and can be easily reached by taking a short QantasLink flight direct from Sydney to Hotham Airport with connections from other states.

BOARD BUYERS GUIDE 2011