Beginner Snowboard Packages

[Ride Delaware ?]

I have been helping a friend of mine who is finally ready to invest in his own equipment. I have not ridden many types of boards (Rad Air and Burton), and I would appreciate some help on buying a board package for him. We would like to keep it under $450 for board, boots, and bindings, which I know is pretty low, but he is a beginner and would likely upgrade in a year or two. I was looking online and found some pretty good deals for a Forum Recon package and a Sims Oath package. Does anyone have any input on either of these boards? The Recon seems like a pretty legit all mountain beginner board, so I am kinda leaning toward that. Can anyone offer a review or some advice?

[method9455]

I have been helping a friend of mine who is finally ready to invest in his own equipment. I have not ridden many types of boards (Rad Air and Burton), and I would appreciate some help on buying a board package for him. We would like to keep it under $450 for board, boots, and bindings, which I know is pretty low, but he is a beginner and would likely upgrade in a year or two. I was looking online and found some pretty good deals for a Forum Recon package and a Sims Oath package. Does anyone have any input on either of these boards? The Recon seems like a pretty legit all mountain beginner board, so I am kinda leaning toward that. Can anyone offer a review or some advice?

 

A different way to go about it is to buy last years gear and get a better selection of stuff. At this point in the year though, that is probably not going to happen.

 

So I would pay for a good set of bindings, buy the cheapest board possible, and get a decent pair of boots. If you get a solid set of bindings they will last you for several years, my original pair or Ride SPi's worked for 3 years for me, and I gave them to a friend who is still using them 6 years later. I only replaced them because I could.

 

On the other hand, my original board is now in more than one piece, and my original boots packed out after 2 years and had to be replaced.

 

A beginner will trash the board, there is no doubt about it. Plus what you pay for in a board is stiffness, light weight, and base material quality. None of that matters for a noobie. When you are just pushing snow around, you can't feel the difference between one cheap board and another.

 

Boots are more important than the board, if you have heel lift problems or pain they will detract from learning, but I find it easier to get a decent set of boots cheap than anything else.

 

So I would go out and pick up a pair of Burton Custom, Ride RX, Salomon SP3? type bindings (~$150-$180). Stay away from the bottom level at ~$139, the $40 saved is not worth it. If I were to splurge on anything over your budget, this is it, up to $225 is reasonable for something divided over the next 3-4 seasons.

 

Then sit down and try some boots in the $140-$200 range. There are plenty from Ride, 32, Burton, Salomon, K2 that are decent boots in this range but it depends on your foot so I won't make many recomendations.

 

That means you are somewhere in the $300-480 range.

 

Whatever money you have left over, pick your board. If you don't have enough to buy a board (it should be in the $200 range for a last years beginner/intermediate board), rent one for the year and buy a board next year. (Should be like $35-50 for the year).

 

I know that isn't the answer people want to hear, they want to buy a new board becuase it is the most visible part. But the reality is that it is the LEAST important part for a beginner/starting to turn into intermediate. The first time I switched to real bindings having been on rentals for a season, it blew my mind. Switching boots made a solid difference too. Switching boards from a rental wood core biaxial fiberglass with extruded base board, to owning your own wood core bixaxial fiberglass with extruded base board is no change, except for the graphics.

Edited November 6, 2008 by Method9455

[zaldon]

I have been helping a friend of mine who is finally ready to invest in his own equipment. I have not ridden many types of boards (Rad Air and Burton), and I would appreciate some help on buying a board package for him. We would like to keep it under $450 for board, boots, and bindings, which I know is pretty low, but he is a beginner and would likely upgrade in a year or two. I was looking online and found some pretty good deals for a Forum Recon package and a Sims Oath package. Does anyone have any input on either of these boards? The Recon seems like a pretty legit all mountain beginner board, so I am kinda leaning toward that. Can anyone offer a review or some advice?

for that price i would be looking at used gear that wont be great but it will work. last time i checked the loft had a used snowboard rack most boards with bindings under 250, but dont quote me its been a while since ive been their

Edited November 6, 2008 by zaldon