Buying my first board, options?

A snowHead

Hi all,

I've been on one snowboard holiday to morzine earlier in the year and loved it. I plan to hit the indoor slopes over the summer with a view to go on another holiday next year.

Having got the bug, I'm really torn about whether to get some gear. Since I started I have just used rental gear, but I keep on hearing that rental gear isn't the best. So I'm thinking if I am going to make a habit of this...why not fork out some cash and get my own stuff. I already have some boots, just after a board and bindings.

What are your thoughts? Am I silly buying gear or shall I keep on renting?

I've been to a couple shops and seen some deals on old season stuff. Such as:

K2 lifelike
K2 anagram
K2 ray gun

Plus many more. Generally going for 50% of the retail price at the start of the season. Despite this it isn't cheap. Just struggling to justify spending the money.

Thoughts?

Thanks

A snowHead

chaniobi,
Buy gear if you can afford to; I started on an Anagram & now have a 'raygun'; Anagram is a good place to start , if you're interested in buying a second hand one pm me.
Mitch

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Id have a look on Ebay for some cheap second hand stuff for your first board, see whats available then do abit of research on them. I got a forum Manual with Burton bindings for around £120 and it seems infinity better than the rental boards especially as Ive had abit of time to get used to it now.

It doesnt have to be the best board though, look what this guy can do on this thing:

from

http://vimeo.com/66612120

You need to Login to know who's really who.

buying last season (or even before that) is a great way to get some good gear and progress. Rental gear Im guessing is not the best unless you stay at a sponsored chalet such as Rude Chalets.??

I bought a 3 season old Custom wide this year for 70% off and its an amazing board. Much better idea than spending a little more for a lower grade board just because it is next years model

Go for it, you wont regret it!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

chaniobi, Yup, go for last season or even the one before top line board and you can't go wrong. Don't fall into the hype of the next best gimmick(sp?) Buy a traditional camber/rocker board with a normal edge profile . . . this means that you learn all the standard skills for board control without developing the bad habits that some of the more market hyped kit will give you. By all means buy into the BS once you have the skills to break the rules but to begin with, a really well made 'vanilla' snowboard is a great and long lasting tool to learn on and develop with . . . and don't skimp on the boots and bindings. Find the best fitting boots you can and go for mid range or better bindings, same rule apply, last season high end, will give you a full season's worth or 6 years+ of trips . . . good value for money. . . . welcome to the Zen of snowsport Toofy Grin

You'll need to Register first of course.

It depends where you rent your stuff. You can rent the best of this year's gear, and if it's not brand new or properly serviced then get them to sort it out. I've heard from people on here that that isn't true in some parts of Europe, but in North America it's not a problem at all.

The advantage of renting, other than not having to lug your boards about, not having to service them, and not having them depreciate rapidly, is that you can pick and choose what you ride. I rent powder boards all the time, hence each season I check out what's around and pick the best board from that year's selection to ride. I have my own quiver of powder boards too, but mostly I rent for these reasons.

As far as buying stuff's concerned... after a week or two's riding you're probably still a beginner, so you need to buy a board that's good for beginners. If you're any good then you should improve rapidly at that point, so you will likely outgrow the board fairly quickly. In another week or two your experience will have doubled, and you may need a more advanced board at that point. Factor the cost of renting for a couple of weeks against buying and selling a new board and you'll see why buying is an expensive option. It's worse if you buy a board without trying it first, as it may simply be the wrong size or otherwise not what good for you at this stage. With boards you don't "grow into" them - if they're hard to ride, they're hard to learn on. See the number of threads on the net about people asking what size board to buy and you'll understand how common a problem this is.

If you're rich then I guess you can buy a handful of boards in the UK, take them to a resort, then throw away all but the best one.

My advice would be to spend the money on good lessons, rent different boards, take advice from your instructor on what you're riding and what might work. Then try a few boards so you get a feel for what works for you. When you find something you're happy with then buy it. Don't buy at the start of the season or in the UK unless you don't mind paying more than you need to.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Flow bindings are about as marmite as you can get. Some love, some hate. Not tried nitro bindings.

Buy your boots first.

This will to some degree affect your choice of binding. My first boots were paired up with some Burton Missions, changed boots and found that my boot would slide around sideways in the bindings and eventually had to change them for some Union Forces which i quite like (although they've got a couple of issues). So boots first, then bindings to fit.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Good point. I've got a pair of size 9 Thirtytwo 86ft boots. Never thought about the fact that different boots may fit better or worse in certain brands of binding!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

chaniobi, if you can head into a local shop and try different brands it'll give you some idea of compatability - you might even bag a bargain at this time of year.

Help!!

Buying my first board, options?

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