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Burton Clash
by chrisheels
I bought the burton clash as my first snowboard a few years ago at snowbombing festival in Austria. It just happened there was a sale on as it was the end of the season and I got a very cheap entry level snowboard. It lasted me three seasons and allowed me to develop my skills and know what to look for in my next board.
== The ... board ==
The Burton Clash is an entry level board. It's designed as an all mountain meaning that is 'average' in all areas including speed, turning, park use, piste use. It calims to be OK for off-piste but I wouldn;t recommend it unless the snow is packed and effectivley just like the piste. The board doesn;t work all that well in powder and I have ended up trapsing out of deep snow before.
The board comes in a range of sizes which are suited to different sized riders. These are:
151cm (41-64kg)
155cm (55-80kg)
158cm (59-82kg)
160cm (66-90kg)
I have the 158cm which I find is long enough for me being about 88kg (above the rating). It is quite a narrow board and I do find that my toes overhang the edge a bit once in snowboard boots (size 12 UK) which can scrape when moving on an edge or carying out a sharp turn. I learnt to deal with this but found it wuite annoying when I was learning.
The camber of the board is a continuous rocker that makes turning a little easier than a flatter board. I now prefer the 'clever' camber options on libtech boards personally, but a simple continuous camber shape is ideal to learn on and the rocker from side to side helps to avoid catching an edge and ending up with a facefull of snow.
The board has standard Burton binding fittings which allow all Burton bindings to be attached. You find the set up is slightly set back which is ideal for a beginner to place their weight on the back foot and learn that you only shift weight forwards to turn. Having the board set back makes the board directional (more board forward than back) which can be annoing once you learn to ride switch (either foot going forward).
When turning on an edge the edges are not perfect and the hold (how much the board bites into the surface) can slip in icy conditions. This takes a bit of getting used to but is acceptable for an entry level board.
The board has a soft flex meaning it can be bent quite a bit making it good for jumping. This does mean that it is not going to go really fast as you would require a very rigid board for that.
== Build Quality ==
Burton make a huge number of boards and have been on the scene in snowboarding for a long time. They obviuosly know what they are doing by now and this board is well made and has lasted well. Apart from the obligitory few scratches I have picked up the steel edges have not deteriorated much and the board is in good shape after 3 years.
The core of the board is made from wood with the laminates made form fibreglass. These are pretty standard for cheaper boards and you pay a lot more for 'interesting materials' on high spec boards.
I like the fact that the base is made from 40% recycled material. Not something I would particulary look for in a snowboard but a good idea and something that should be applied to more snowboards.
== Price ==
This seasons version of the clash sells for £280 on amazon, which is similar in price to other entry level boards. For a beginner or someone who doesn't use it a lot this is ideal and reasonable compared to the more expensive boards available.
== Summary ==
An all round 'average' board ideal for learning and progressing. I can only bring myself to give it 3 stars even though it suited me well as I really have discovered how much better a more expensive board can be.
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Da Kine Wrist Guard
by Pyrexx
Don't go snowboarding without wrist guards on. This is something I learn the hard way on my first ever snowboarding holiday when I broke my wrist. It's really easily done and it hurts lots. It was that week that I bought my Dakine wrist guards. 8 years later, fully qualified snowboard instructor, I'm still using them. Would never go ... without them.
The guards come in a range of different sizes, and it's important you try them on and get the right size because although they're made of stretchy neoprene, they pinch if you get the wrong size. Squeezing round your wrist can also limit the blood flow to your hands, making them really cold!
These guards only have one strap on, which makes them really fast and easy to put on or take off. Round your hand the neoprene is comfortable and flexible. It's also nice and warm, providing it's not too tight as I mentioned before. Although the neoprene has perforations in to allow your skin to breathe, they don't work too well and can get a little sweaty.
The splint is really strong and fits comfortably to the shape of your wrist and palm, although it might feel strange if you're not used to wearing wrist guards. I've had some really heavy falls onto my wrist guards and they're still in really good condition after all these years. The splint is really heavily padded with what feels like a gel, so it absorbs much of the shock when you land on it, and it really comfortable.
The wrist guards were about £10 when I bought them, they're available on amazon for £12.99 but obviously you can't try them on there. I think for such a key safety item that's not too much to pay at all.
I should talk about the bit of wrist guard controversy that's going around. When your wrist breaks because you fall over, that absorbs loads of the shock. If your wrist is protected then the shock keeps going up your arm and can damage your elbow or shoulder joint instead. In my experience, this is only in EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES. I've torn ligaments in my elbow in a fall, which was probably made worse by wearing wrist guards but this was a seriously big fall. And, if I wasn't wearing my wrist guards I would have broken my wrist, which would have probably hurt more.
I've never seen or heard of anyone else having elbow of shoulder damage due to wearing wrist guards, but I know plenty of people who broke their wrists not wearing wrist guards. I still always wear my wrist guards.
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Snowboards - General Comments & Tips
by Pyrexx
I've been snowboarding for, oooooh, many years. I'm a highly qualified snowboard instructor registered with CASI (Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors). I've learnt from my mistakes buying boards in the past and I've advised plenty of people on which board would be their perfect happy partner :) I actually advise people on their ... perfect happy board partner in my professional capacity working for Quiksilver and Roxy.
Number one mistake that people make buying a board - pick one because you like the pretty picture, or rule one out because you don't like the nasty picture.
board graphics change every year, trends move so fast if you were buying boards to keep up with the latest fashion, you'd be very very out of pocket. It can be really really tempting to buy something because it looks awesome, thats the reason they put pictures on them in the first place, but think, how often do you even look at someones board whilst they're riding? You don't. They're moving too fast and besides, it's covered in snow. You might think a board is perfect for you because it looks really pretty, but if it's the wrong camber, size, shape, whatever, you're not going to be able to ride it very well. And that won't look very cool. On the other hand, don't be put off a nice board because the graphics are ugly. Just cover it in stickers. Solved.
When picking what length of board to get, make sure you check the information. Most boards are classed on weight and NOT height. You've most likely heard the 'between nose and eyes' rule. Thats out-dated. I have one board which is 143 and one which is 149. If you're not sure, pick the smaller size.
Don't rush into buying a board. When you first start snowboarding it can be really tempting to go out and buy all new everything right away. I've seen loads of students go and buy either a 'beginners' board which they grow out of really fast and need something more specialised, or a buy more specialised board right off, and they have trouble riding it. There's a huge range of different types of board that suit different riding styles. It makes sense to wait until you know what your riding style and pick a board to match it before shelling out loads of money.
Just because a board has the latest technology it doesn't mean it's a good thing. A major board company has recently bought out a revolutionary new binding technology. It works really well, you can get a great range of stances and really tailor it to your riding, however, it looks like it makes the board weaker, because plenty of people I know you bought into this new fad have snapped their board. All of them in the same place. That doesn't mean you should be put off by new advances, I have a board at the moment which is using a new way of constructing the base and I think it's the best board I've ever ridden. Just make sure you read around new technology before you buy any of it.
If you're buying a first board and you're not sure what board you want, ask your instructor. They probably know someone who knows a guy who can sort something out at a discount. They might even know someone who could sell you something suitable second hand. At they very least they'll be able to point you in the right direction of what would be suitable, what wouldn't work, the best place to shop and how much you should be paying.
I hoped I helped someone looking for a new board, stay safe and have fun riding!
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