Snowboard Blog

13th March 2012 Want to come and work with us?

We are looking for a full time employee to come and work with us in our shop in Fleet.

We are Hiring!

We need a full time person to start work in our shop in Fleet.

It's not your ordinary 'shop assistant' role as you will be expected to do a whole lot more than that!

First off, you need to be a snowboarder. You don't necessarily have to know the ins and outs of snowboard technology as we can teach you that but you have to be passionate about snowboarding!

As well as general shop duties your role will include the following -

Customer Service Skills
Website Administration
Internet Order Fullfillment
Snowboard Servicing

You need to have a valid UK Drivers License and Car.

Please either bring your CV into the shop or email it to us at darren@thesnowboardshop.co.uk

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26th January 2012 Snowboard Sale: We have been busy over here adding product into our snowboard sale ! There are some great deals to be had on Snowboards, boots and Bindings and lots of other items. As normal we are going our best to price match other sites to make sure you get the best deal with us at The Snowboard Shop. We have already seen a lot of next winters stock and prices are going up a fair bit...so save yourself some money and buy this year!
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3rd January 2012 Happy New Year!: We hope you had a fantastic New Years Eve and that the weather here in the UK is not depressing you too much.....hey, all the rain here has got to be snow somewhere else right? If you are heading to the mountains soon then make sure you grab yourself a bargain from our website as we have great reductions on lots of snowboard items right now!! Start by taking a look at our Snowboard Sale
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16th November 2011 Snowboard Laces Vs Speed Lacing

Most of our snowboard boots we have in stock this year no longer have a conventional lace system. Every year we see an increase in speedy lacing systems and this year is no different.

For Winter 2012 we have the BOA system on the Thirtytwo Focus BOA boot, we have Speedzone on the Burton Moto boot, Burton Ruler boot, Forum Musket boot & Forum Antenna boot and we have FastTrack on the Thirtytwo Prion FT boot and the Lashed FT boot.

The BOA system is a clever system that uses wires to keep you locked in. It has two separate BOAs – the first controls the top section of the boot and the second controls the lower section. Probably the most common question we get in regards to BOA is ‘does the BOA wire snap?’. Yes, it will snap....eventually but wouldn't expect this in the first few times of wearing! But, just in case you get a wire snap, thirtytwo include with the Focus Boot a spare set of laces and the tool you need to swap them over.

The lacing systems from both Burton, Forum and Thirtytwo work in similar ways. The Burton & Forum system comprises of two Kevlar laces with handles attached that you pull up to tighten. When pulled fully up the laces find their way into a locking mechanism that keeps them nicely secure. The Thirtytwo FastTrack system works in exactly the same way as the Burton Speedzone system but instead of featuring an autolock you have a little flap to lift up that pinches the laces and holds it in place.

Without doubt the main benefit these speed systems have over conventional lacing is in the name ‘speed’. All systems are so super quick to do up you will be on the mountain in next to no time and they are easy to adjust when you are riding too (often without the need to remove gloves etc!).

If you have any questions about any of our Snowboard Boots then please give us call.

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7th November 2011 Burton Snowboard Bindings - Which ones to choose?

Burton Snowboard Bindings

Burton Snowboard Bindings are our best selling bindings by a long way. Burton bindings can be categorised into two different types - ‘Disc Bindings' that are for use with the majority of snowboards on the market and ‘EST Bindings' that are designed purely for use with the Burton Channel Snowboards (also referred to as Burton ICS Snowboards).

This year Burton Disc Bindings start at a little over £100 for the Burton Freestyle Bindings (£104.95). The Burton Freestyle and the model above - the Burton Custom Snowboard Bindings (£134.95) both have the same baseplate which is made out of polycarbonate and provides and easy forgiving ride. For the extra £30.00, The Burton Custom Bindings have an upgraded canted hi-back, Capstrap, tool free adjustment, and a full baseplate padding.

The model above are the Burton Mission Snowboard Bindings which are quite a bit more responsive than the Freestyle and Custom because the Baseplate rather than being polycarbonate is Single-Component 30% Short-Glass/Nylon Composite. It also has upgraded ankle straps which are more comfortable and an upgraded toe strap that is better shaped to fit more snowboard boots and less likely to slip up when you are riding.

The model above this is the Burton Cartel Bindings which are slightly stiffer (and therefore more responsive) than the Mission. New for this year it has no natural forward lean (although this can be cranked on in the normal way) and B3 gel underfoot in the heal area to give you more comfort when riding (and extra cushioning for those big landings). It also has a cool new bit of tech called the 'Re:Flex' which is basically a split in the material on the underside of the binding which gives the binding a truer flex pattern when it is fixed to the snowboard.

All Burton Bindings have a lifetime warranty on the baseplate and 12 months on the other parts. They also all have one of the best designed buckle systems on the market which are super easy to do up and even quicker to undo.

Simply - The Freestyle and Custom both have a polycarbonate baseplate and are therefore forgiving and easy to ride, The mission baseplate is made from a more responsive material as is the Cartel. The Cartel has a truer flex pattern when attached to your snowboard due to a hinged type design

Come and take a look at all our Snowboard Bindings and as usual if you need any further help then please let us know.

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4th November 2011 686 Hook Up Day - Free 686 Gear

If you like 686 and want some of their kit for free then get yourself down to our shop next Friday on the 11.11.11. The is no catch, the boys at 686 are darn generous and have some free shizzle just for you.....and hopefully a bit for me ;)

686 Outerwear Free

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3rd November 2011 How Waterproof is your Snowboard Jacket?

Good quality Snowboard Jackets (and Ski Jackets!) are designed specifically to be worn on the mountain in adverse weather conditions. Probably the most important features to take notice of when buying a new Snowboard jacket is the waterproofing and the breathability (closely followed by any other tech benefits it may have).

A good waterproof Snowboard Jacket will have a measurement in millimetres (MM) specifying just how waterproof it actually is. The higher the number, the more waterproof it is. A basic snowboard jackets like the Bonfire Volt Jacket (below) has a waterproof level of 10,000mm where as our Analog Acetate Snowboard Jacket has a rating of twice that - 20,000mm.

Jackets like our Burton AK 2L Stagger Jacket are Gore-Tex and are not rated but they are pretty much water tight - the guys over at Gore-Tex maintain "No liquid from the outside will get to you on the inside".

It's a similar concept for the breathability of a snowboard jacket, this time measured in Grams of water or moisture (G). Again, the higher the number the more breathable.

One other thing that you should look for is a snowboard jacket with a powder skirt! A powder skirt is found on the inside of the snowboard jacket and is essentially an extra piece of material on an elastic closure that can be fastened so that when you take a tumble in the power you don't get powder inside your jacket.

Take a look at all our Snowboard Jackets and if you need any advise then please give us a call.

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2nd November 2011 Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Testing

We have been testing snowboards for years and have tested the vast majority of snowboards that we stock. Every year (without fail) we drag ourselves out to the mountains of Europe and get down to some hardcore product testing. We take each snowboard out and test it across as varied terrain as we can find so that we can give you an honest opinion on how it rides in differing conditions.

For the 3rd year in a row we are also an official tester for the Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard Magazine.

Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard Magzine

Take a look at all our Snowboards and if you want any advise on any particular models then please let us know!

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1st November 2011 What lens to buy for your snowboard goggle?

Snowboard goggles come in loads of different styles and colours. The lens that comes in the goggle determines how much light is transferred to your eyes and hence how much you can see when you are riding. This is usually referred to as Visible Light Transfer/Transmittance (VLT) or Light Transmission. Basically the darker the lens the less light gets through and the lighter the lens the more light.

The Anon Hawkeye (above) comes with a ‘Dark Smoke' lens which allows only 6% of light through and so is great in Super sunny conditions but the moment the clouds come down and you are riding in a white-out you are going to struggle to make out much on the mountain.

The Dragon DXS (below) with a Pink Ionised lens allows 45-60% VLT which makes it pretty decent in white out conditions but on a bluebird sunny day may leave you squinting a little. If you want a lens that is most suited to night time riding then a clear lens should work just fine.

There is a no lens that is great in all conditions but there are some lenses that are in the middle of the spectrum that will hold their own in pretty bright and pretty dark conditions.

It's always better to have a spare lens in your pocket that you can swap out when the conditions change. These can be either be purchased separately from your snowboard goggles or you can buy a snowboard goggle with a spare bonus lens like the Dragon D2, Dragon DX, Dragon DXS or the Anon Helix.

Come and take a look at all our Snowboard Goggles and If you need any more advised on the most suitable lens then please contact us.

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31st October 2011 Why Layering is so important?

Getting wet & cold on the mountain is no fun. Make sure you wear the right clothing and you'll be able to ride for longer!

I was once told buy a sales assistant in a snowboard shop in Canada that cotton was one of the biggest killers in the mountain. Now I am not too sure that this is correct BUT, it's certainly true that you should dress appropriately before you go out for a days shredding.

Layering is a really important and versatile way of dressing for the mountain. If you buy a super warm down jacket then this is great for sub zero conditions but when the temperature increases and you want to get your shred on in the spring, your down jacket is probably going to be retired to the wardrobe. Perhaps a better option is to get a waterproof and breathable lightweight snowboard jacket that you can layer underneath as this way you can wear your jacket in the coldest winter with lots of layers underneath and then again in the warmer conditions with minimal layers underneath.

You need to start off with a base layer*. You should wear your base layer next to your skin and as our Canadian shop assistant mentioned earlier, this should never be cotton. Cotton does not wick moisture, rather it will soak up your sweat and remain wet. As soon as you get stuck on a chair lift with an icy cold wind chill you will experience just how bad cotton can be. Don't wear cotton. Most base layers that we stock today are either straight polyester or sometimes a mix of polyester and spandex/elastine. Any sweat that is produced by your body will be wicked away from your skin keeping you dryer and therefore warmer throughout the day meaning you can ride for longer!