Snowboard Reviews, Articles, News & More
Padding & Protection
09-10 Crash Pads Thermal Long Underwear Review
0When conditions are extremely icy and it is easy to slide out, or when riding in the park over potentially harmful features, I will take discomfort over safety. However, there should be no reason to have to choose.
When it comes to safety I will do most anything to protect myself and these pants are a start. The thick padding won't boost self esteem, but is worth it when you find yourself in the snow instead of upright. Most effective are the knee and butt pads. A few changes would make them much more functional on days when they are needed, not to mention more realistic to have on for everyday riding.
The most necessary design change needed is to have the padding sewn to the outside instead of the inside of the thermal long underwear. If you were to stand in a dressing room and look in the mirror you would see a finished-looking product. But, since I am always going to wear snowpants over them I would rather have the comfort of the stitching being on the outside than a cleaner looking pant. As they are, the stitching digs into the skin and is irritating. It is possible to wear additional long underwear as a first layer, but then even I become way too warm.
Also, for as padded as they are, they could be slightly lower profile. I took several crashes onto my knees and did not feel a thing, which I will not complain about, but still the amount of padding is a bit excessive. Thankfully all my snowpants are several sizes too large otherwise I probably wouldn’t fit into them.
I would prefer a lower-profile pant that I could wear comfortably all the time over something that I only can stand to put on when I need to surround myself with pillows.
All of this said, I wouldn’t completely disregard the pants (especially if you are learning to snowboard or in the park). If you are interested in what they have to offer, my advice is to be sure that they fit properly (so the pads will cover the areas they are intended to protect), and to try them on to see if the inside stitching is bearable without long underwear on.
09-10 Smith Optics Maze Review
0This helmet is sooooo light that I kept reaching up to make sure it had not fallen off while I was in the Gondola headed up for its test drive.
This helmet is sooooo light that I kept reaching up to make sure it had not fallen off while I was in the Gondola headed up for its test drive. Once I was strapped in and moving, however, I knew that it was on my head…it was a 10 degree day and the cold air raced through the front vents, reminding me that it was a 10 degree day. While effectively waking me up from the lazy gondola ride, it would have been a more pleasant experience on a spring day when the apparently unobstructed airflow would have been a welcome feature.
As is, it is a great helmet, but has room for improvement due to the insufficient interior vent covers. Once Smith has masterminded a thicker, more effective block to the cold air, this helmet will be the best of the best and I can save the ice cream headache for Ben and Jerry’s couch sessions!
09-10 Sandbox Classic Brain Bucket Review
0The Classic Brain Bucket by Sandbox is a distinctive and comfortable helmet that is definitely worth your consideration.
In the couple of weeks I've had this helmet out on snow, I have yet to get through a day of riding without getting a comment or question about it. The Brain Bucket has a very distinctive shape and look, and is definitely an eye catcher. What sets it apart is a very low-profile fit and a larger bill, an overall look reminiscent of a baseball helmet. The color selection is one of the best parts, with great electric blue, neon green, and hot purple to choose from in addition to the standard black and white.
The fit is adjusted the old fashion way with removable foam pads, and it comes with three sets of pads so you can dial it in just the way you like it. Helmet fit is a pretty personal thing, but I've got a pretty big head, and it is super comfortable on me. With a few minutes adjusting the foam pads, I expect most people will find it just as comfortable.
The Classic Brain bucket is pretty light-weight, and has become my favored helmet for most days on the mountain. It isn't vented, so if it's baking hot you may want to consider a helmet with some airflow options, but the ear-flaps are removable, so you get a little more air that way.
My one annoyance with the helmet is that if you do wear your goggles over the helmet, it can be a bit of a hassle to pull your goggles up, due to the larger than normal bill. To make it really work you need to keep your goggles a little looser and use both hands to pull them out, up, and over. As I've taken to wearing goggles under the helmet this isn't a problem for me; I've never particularly liked the goggle-under-helmet approach for myself, but it really works well with the Brain Bucket, and really complements the styling. Sandbox was nice enough to make the goggle clip removable, so if you do decide to wear the goggles under you can get rid of the clip the keep the helmet exterior clean.
It is available in either a certified or non certified model. I chose the non-certified, because it's what Sandbox had shown me back at SIA, and I like the low-profile. The certified model is almost as thin though, so if you need a certified helmet, Sandbox is still a good choice
07-08 Pro-Tec IPS Back Review
03 years ago
by User Review
in Pads
Comfortable spine protection that stays in place. I would recommend it to anyone into jumps and freestyle in general.
Pro-Tec has been making snowboard protection for a number of years. They have a reputation for making protection that works. This one fits very snug and doesn’t take up a lot of room under your coat.
Pros are increasingly wearing spine protection to save their season. Spine protectors aren’t commonly used in the USA by the snowsport public. In Europe they are considered of higher importance than helmets. Spinal injuries in snowboarding generally occur when jumps have unplanned outcomes. I didn’t consider using a protector until I had a skier take me out from behind and my back got slammed onto a slab of ice. I could barely walk for a week or two. If I had been wearing this I don’t that it would have been as severe. The IPS Back is made to absorb high impacts to the spine.
I tried out a number of spine protectors before settling on this one. Some protectors are big, bulky, and make you feel like you are a turtle with a big shell on your back. Not this one. It offers solid comfort and stays in place. The hinged design allows flexibility too. If you land on your spine, this does a great job of absorbing impacts. Unlike heavy foam protectors, you won’t sweat like a pig on a hot day. A great value for the money. They come in several sizes so you can get one that fits you. My only complaint is that it took me so long to discover that this type of protection existed.
07-08 R.E.D. Mutiny Review
03 years ago
by User Review
in Helmets
Awesome new helmet
I picked up this helmet partway through the year and really like it. It has super smooth styling and a low-profile look.
I don't usually ride with a helmet, and got this mainly for park riding, but have found myself wearing this more and more often.
07-08 R.E.D. Mutiny Review
03 years ago
by User Review
in Helmets
Great all-around helmet for most riding.
I've worn RED's HI-Fi for the last couple of seasons, but picked up the Mutiny this year when shopping for a new helmet. Overall I've been very happy with the helmet, but it does get pretty hot on warm days.
I love the looks of the Mutiny, it's super low-profile and clean looking. Definitely copies the Bern look, but I think it's way better than their helmet. Fit is almost identical to the Hi-Fi, but maybe a tad less padded. It's just a little heavier than the Hi-Fi, but still super light, Red definitely knows their stuff when it comes to weight reduction.
The only thing I don't like about the Mutiny is the lack of venting. When I'm hiking on warm days I often have to take the Mutiny off because it just doesn't let heat out. It's fine when you're riding, because there is some venting that pushes air through the inside of the helmet, but that doesn't work when you're moving slow.
06-07 SixSixOne Bullet Review
0I was not too impressed with six six ones design of this particular helmet. For the money I have seen lighter, flashier helmets on the market. Six six one has some great snow specific products, but this helmet definitely has room for improvement.
There are a lot of helmets from a lot of different companies these days, and this one ranks somewhere in the middle. Functionally it has all the components distinctive to a basic snow helmet; padding, air vents, visor and a styrofoam inner with a hard plastic shell. Some extra features include detachable ear covers and a removable washable interior.
The bullet helmet seemed a little bulky for my liking. I enjoy wearing a helmet you forget you are wearing. This was definitely the heaviest helmet I have ever used, and maybe you don’t notice it right away, but by the end of a day of riding my neck was sore from supporting the added ounces. Something else this helmet can improve on is to incorporate an MP3 compatible system into the ear covers. Nowadays, with more riders hitting the slopes with iPods in hand, this should be a standard feature.
06-07 SixSixOne Fleece Bomber Pants Review
0I am very impressed by this product and give the crew at Six Six One props for this design. This is a must have piece of gear in everyones winter wardrobe. The beauty of it is that it crosses all riders levels and is very beneficial to a beginner rider learning, who may spend more of the day on their backside than their board. It also offers valuable protection for advanced riders stepping their game up in the park.
I will have to admit I was a bit skeptical about this product until I tried them and found these crash pads to be both comfortable and functional. With fleece lining throughout, these will keep you warm on the coldest of winter days. They replace your base layer and add foam padded protection where snowboarders need it most, hips, ass and knees. With a full leg design you gain warmth and protection from waist-line to boot, far superior to other models that just mimick shorts. Six Six One has also incorporated convenience into this underlayer, with a large zippered easy access fly and very comfortable elastic waistband. After riding with these 20+ days this season I am hooked! My only concern was the volume they may add to my backside, but I have found them to be undetectable by anyone who knows the size and shape of my butt!