Pre-Preason Rail Jam Madness!

So yet again I've been swamped with preparation for the upcoming Champlain Ski & Ride Club's Preseason Rail Jam and the quickly approaching season. Take this time to chime in with any specific boards, bindings, boots, etc. that you want to hear about in the coming weeks. Speaking of the weeks to come, on Saturday, November 14 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm East Coast Skate and Snow in Merrimack, NH is having a rail jam with a Skate Banana to be raffled off as well as a shop sponsorship for the winner of the jam. Get stoked shred rats, this could be your breakthrough. Check out their facebook or website for details. Or just check them out, because these guys are an awesome shop run by some great people who know what they're talking about.

Big shout out to One Love out in the UK for hooking me and some friends up with a dirty baseball jersey-style tee. These guys are a boardsports shop with a focus on the urban, hop hop-inspired style of riding. Click the link to peep some seriously steezy threads and rep an up and coming shop dedicated to riding with style. The OneLove B.Ball Vest is "a 6 button, 100% polyester baseball style vest designed to be worn over hoodies or as a base layer up on the hill or just as a regular T while chilling." I got a XXL for 2X the steeze when rocking this over a sweatshirt and it's plenty wide so you won't feel constricted when layering it up. I must admit it's not as tall as I was expecting, so I suggest going up a size or two (or more...) when ordering. As noted, this shirt is polyester, meaning it's not going to get as soaked and saggy as that white XXXXL cotton tee you would normally rock on the hill; a major plus for those warmer/wetter days. The buttons also make for quick changes: instead of trying to pull off your top layer with your sweatshirt and base layer coming up with it or getting caught up in a hood, you can easily strip it off in seconds and toss it in your bag without holding up your crew. Another cool thing about the company is their customer relationship. They're easy to reach and will get back to you pretty quickly with any questions about shipping, etc. So basically, check these guys out if gettin' G'd up is your scene or you're just into repping an up and coming company.

Once again I apologize for the short blog this week. Perhaps I can make up for it with something like...a banana? I am the proud owner of a brand spankin' new 2010 LibTech Skate Banana and have been waiting (un)patiently to give my two cents on reverse camber and more specifically, "banana" tech. Love it or hate it, reverse camber has become a big deal this season and every company has their unique take on the concept. I'm not making any promises, but expect the first review on banana tech coming soon...

Burton Moto Boots

I apologize once again for the late review. I'm at the point where I think rather than having Sunday be the review day, I should just change it to "sometime after the weekend". Sound fair? Anyways, things are heating up for ECGR: The die-cuts are almost at the point of printing, the Champlain Preseason Rail Jam is quickly approaching and the winter season (or at least snow) is right around the corner. This means I'm going to be busier than ever and will start to build up the ECGR crew with additional reviewers/writers for new areas such as female-specific gear and ski gear. By the way, if anyone has ever owned or ridden a Rome Graft snowboard, let me know ASAP.

So this week I decided to go with yet another new topic: snowboard boots. I feel like boots are just one of those areas that tends to get neglected and does not receive the attention it deserves compared to boards, bindings and outerwear. When you think about it, your boots are one of the most important parts of the snowboarding ensemble after your board and bindings. Just because a boot fits well doesn't mean it's going to perform well in all situations. If you found a nice pair of football cleats that fit well, it doesn't mean they'll be great for playing shootin' some hoops with the bros on the court.

I have been riding a beat up old pair of Burton Moto boots for some time now. They have legit laces (not that boa crap...) and have a nice "all-around" feel. These black beauties have held up to some serious abuse with nothing more to show for it than some frizzy laces and a few tears on the right toe (from resting the tail of my board there instead of the hard ground/pavement). Being considered one of Burton's more "economy" (or "beginner")-oriented boots, these are just about as flexible as they are cheap. Just barely cracking the $150 level for boots, these give quite a bit of bang for your hard earned bucks. Comfortable to walk in, I usually rock these from the time I get out of my car to the time I start packing up. I've never had an issue with pressure points or an uncomfortably rigid or stiff feel and they give pretty good support without sacrificing mobility for all those riders who love to get steezy wit dem tweaked-out presses. These aren't even that bad for hiking-whether you're hitting that same rail all afternoon or on your way to the summit of Mittersill (fun experience and something all of you wannabe backcountry enthusiasts should check out for an easy yet rewarding start).

I can't say much for the boa lacing option with these because, well, I don't really like boa systems. Maybe I'm just some anti-change old-timer stuck in a 19-year old body, but I like regular old laces just the way they are. I have nothing against people who feel that these crazy intertwined wires do a better job; go with whatever keeps your feet in there. I have no gripes in regards to the construction of these bad boys, cause they've held up like tanks since I got them. You can argue them being too stiff or too soft, but that really just comes down to personal choice and whether you like to feel like a skier or a skater when you're strapping in. Truthfully, I kinda hate sounding so pro-Burton because all those helmet-to-board moving billboards drive me crazy with their ignorance. Yes, Burton is by far the industry leader. Yes, they do offer a generally wider selection than many other brands. Yes, they do make many quality products, but that does not always mean they make the best products. Don't take my rants as bashing them and what Jake has done for the sport; I just feel that people need to buy a product for what it is and not who makes it. With that being said, I remain genuine in my approval of these boots and the many years of quality riding I received from them.

The Bottom Line:

Pros

• Nice for the price
• Well-made, durable, comfortable

Cons

• Pretty basic boot
• Mine didn't have great traction, but it looks like this year's model is better

Rating: 9/10

News Flash!

Ok, so I apologize for yet another late review. I've been pretty busy lately and this is still more or less a one man show. Mount Snow had a nice weekend, raising over $5,000 and 1500 food items for donation to their local food pantry. Nice job guys, good karma for you. Hopefully Mother Nature will send some chilly weather (and possibly...snow?) their way so they can open things up again for another weekend soon. Meanwhile, things are shifting gears farther up north as Stowe prepares for its opening date of 11/21; get Stowked...

In recent news for ECGR, things are moving forward. I've been reviewing some sticker designs and logo submissions from friends and tweaking them. Hopefully we'll have a functioning web logo within the next week or so and some gnarly stickers (matte black die-cuts...just wait) to boot. These will (hopefully) be ready in preparation for Champlain Ski and Ride Club's preseason rail jam on November 6th. I haven't placed an order for the stickers yet, so hit me up and I'll make sure I set a few aside for anyone who wants a free one, otherwise look for them at upcoming events in the Burlington area. Until then, just feast your eyes on this one-of-a-kind gold die-cut East Coast Gear Reviews sticker. If there's a demand for this design I might even bring it back after the initial black-out design is released, just let me know and I'll listen.
So getting back to the blog itself, you can expect to start reading some "certified" (author and gear approved by yours truly) guest reviews from other riders I know and ladies, I haven't forgotten you: expect to start seeing some female-specific reviews soon from the best of the best. East Coast Gear Reviews is growing and you, the readers, can help direct me (us) on which direction you want this blog to take. This blog is powered by the input of its readers, so be active and let us know what you want to hear about and when. Earlier tonight someone texted me asking for advice on what boots to look into buying. I planned on having a guest review of the 32 "Lashed" boots sometime later in the season; now I'm going to shoot for making that the next review. I'm in this because its my passion and I want to help out other riders and maybe even learn a thing or two myself in the process. So, to cut short my rambling: give me your input, tell me what you want to hear about and be a part of helping this blog grow.


Oh, yea by the way, get stoked for this board. I know I can't wait to ride mine...any guesses?

Spy Soldier Goggles

First off, a belated congratulations to Abby Keller on winning the Rome "Roadie" Snowboard bag! This raffle is over but keep checking in on the blog because we'll be having more raffles and contests later on. Oh yeah, by the way, it was snowing on Stowe and Killington yesterday...no big deal. Also, a minor disclaimer: I am now required by the FCC (or risk a $10,000 fine: not the kind of pocket change I carry around) to note that I am not paid by any of these companies to review their products. That's right, I'm not some sneaky Head of Marketing posing as a college student, I really am a poor 19 year-old who just likes to snowboard and talk about it for fun. If in the future I receive any "donations" I'll let you know before I talk about it.

So this week's review is for the Spy "Soldier" Goggles, another favorite of mine. It's tough to nail down a price on these because, well, it varies. Many brands will price different styles of the same model of goggles differently, leading to (sometimes extreme) variations in price. For example, I own the limited edition "The Wall" color from the "Rock" collection (styles inspired by Pink Floyd, The Ramones, Van Halen and The Rolling Stones). These supa-steezy, extremely limited edition goggles feature Pink Floyd's "The Wall" pattern on the frames and strap with "The Wall"-inspired Spy logos and silver mirrored lens. They also set me back about $250 (ouch...). Most Spy "Soldier" goggles retail in the neighborhood of about $100-$180. So you can see that that little bit of extra style can cost you when it comes to goggles, even within the same model. Now I was never one to splurge on goggles; I used to rock some crappy old...honestly I don't even remember what brand they were. They were typical persimmon lens goggles that were small, flat and fogged up within a few runs and stayed that way. Then I bought my Soldier's.

It was like a Claritin commercial: the world became brighter, clearer, and never foggy or blurry. As I said earlier, mine had clear silver-mirrored lens. They did/still do an amazing job at cutting down glare on bluebird days but didn't leave me blind for night riding. I do an even mix of day and night riding, so visibility in low light conditions is important to me. The large spherical lens give an incredible range of vision and keep you from feeling like you're riding in a tunnel. In short-these goggles do an all-around great job in a wide spectrum of light and conditions, so if you're looking for something that will hold up on sunny days, cloudy days, friday nights under the lights, and anything in between, go with a nice pair of silver mirrored lens with 100% UV protection to protect those peepers.

As for the actual construction of these goggles, I have somewhat mixed feelings. The actual frame is a durable soft plastic/rubber-like material that flexes but doesn't feel too soft. The frame is connected to the strap via hinges, allowing the strap to be stretched out without doing the same to the frame or lens. Around the frame is a very comfortable double-layer of foam. This helps with the ventilation of the goggles, but also makes it feel like the goggles come out from your face pretty far. I ride with a helmet most of the time so this isn't an issue, but the few times I've ridden with these goggles over a hat they do feel kinda bulky. I've hardly ever had issues with these goggles fogging up on me and they are very scratch resistant. Of all the times I've dropped them, gotten poked in the face while riding glades, kicked up some ice, etc., I've received only one very slight scratch that I don't even notice while wearing them.

The only issue I have with the construction of the Soldier goggles is how the lens fit into the frame. Because of the flexible construction of the frame, the lens can pop out slightly at the top of the frame when the goggles are being put on/taken off. This isn't really a big deal but it can be a pain to take of your gloves and try to snap it back in when you're out in 15 degree weather with high winds. This is really more an annoyance than anything and is an easy fix.

The Bottom Line:

Pros

• Great range of vision
• Very scratch and fog resistant

Cons

• Somewhat bulky when worn without a helmet
• Lens occasionally pops out of frame with handling

Rating: 6/10

Burton Custom Bindings

Ok, so I'm a day late this week, my apologies. There's nothing like realizing you have a paper due at 11:55...at 10:45. Oh the simple joys of being in college! Alright enough of my whining, back to snowboarding.

This week I'm reviewing the Burton Custom Bindings. These are some of the most popular bindings out there and they are a nice middle-ground between quality and economy in a pair of snowboard bindings. These bindings are a nice step up from the Burton Freestyles but are still relatively cheap (about $160) compared to the Burton Mission or Cartel bindings (around $190 and $230 respectively) I rode these with my Ride Kink on a pretty even mix of all-mountain and park riding (mostly rails and jibbing) and they felt great for both.

The Burton Custom bindings are mostly plastic, which is a blessing and a curse: they are nice and lightweight, however they are also less durable than metal binders. This did not pose much of a problem until the very end of my second season with them. I was riding at Okemo Mountain on closing weekend and around lunch time I realized the knob connecting my highback and baseplate had broken off. As long as I had the foot strapped in I was fine because the pressure of my boot being in the binding prevented it from twisting too much. Once my foot was out, the highback was loosely held on by a single thin plastic piece. Being the visual person I am, this is difficult to explain the exact part of the bindings without showing you.As I said, this minor break didn't affect my riding, but the handling of my board. If my highback was pushed too far to the inside, or right side (I'm regular, by the way), of my left binding, it could have snapped right off. Simply by being careful with my board when it wasn't on my feet saved me from the need to replace these entirely, so it still isn't that big of a deal.

Other than the issue with the mostly-plastic construction, I loved/love these bindings. One of my favorite parts of these bindings (or pretty much all other Burton bindings) is the capstrap. I was a skeptic at first of the change these strange curved toe straps; how could moving the toe strap in front of my foot possibly make riding better? In short: it did. No more pressure points when I felt the need to lock it up and no more wiggle-room when I felt like getting nice and loose. Think about it, how do two straps over your foot hold your boot in place? You crank them down until they're tight enough to hold your foot down. What about two straps that pull in different directions? They hold your foot in. Now I know I'm starting to sound like a Burton rep, but I truly love the concept of a strap that hugs around your toes instead of crushing them. Let's not forget the nice and smooth ratcheting straps as well the ease of on-hill highback adjustment (after all, they are the "Customs"). I could go on for a while about these, but now I'm technically two days late with this posting, soooo...

The Bottom Line:

Pros

• Lightweight, flexible, easy to adjust
• Good value (especially at post-season prices!)

Cons

• Plastic construction increases chances of breakage
  
• Honestly, the weak points were my biggest gripe

Rating: 8/10

Ride Kink

It's finally been getting chilly up here and everybody is getting stoked for the upcoming season. Premieres have been going on for the past few weekends starting off with Absinthe's "Neverland", Sandbox Films' "Shine On" and finally the ski flick "Wild Stallions" from Meathead Films (props to my fellow Champlain student Ian Compton on his part in that vid!). So now with all this hype about the '09/'10 season I have only one option; get into the good stuff and start reviewing some hardgoods!

I figured I'd start things off with a board that was/is near and dear to my heart: the Ride "Kink". I had originally walked into my local Eastern Boarder to pick up a new Rome "Artifact". Now don't get me wrong, one of my friends had an Artifact and he loved it, plus I think the bronze edges are a really cool idea, but after thinking about it, I wondered: "Do I really need that much flex?". I checked out some other rail/jib boards and talked to Earl about it and he pointed me in the direction of the Kink. It was love at first sight.

This board became my freestyle weapon of choice. It was a true twin, making it great for riders who like to switch things up a lot. With nice snap in the tip, it made popping up onto rails a breeze and giving the board a nice and fun feel when just buttering around. One of the things I liked most about the board's flex was that it still felt solid underfoot. Personally, I don't want a board to feel like rubber between my feet. With the Kink, it had enough flex when jibbing around but felt nice and solid on boardslides with a true skate feel. Another feature that I liked about the board was the urethane Slimewalls. They really dampened landing impact and softened contact with rails. Basically, this board was a total rail and jib slayer.

My only gripe with this board is its base. Its pretty obvious that this is a cheap rail board meant to be used, abused, and eventually replaced. Mine held up decently through the first season with a few nicks and scratches in the base, but into my second season with the board it really started to get beat up. It seemed like even the softest tree jib or other rough surface would put a core shot in my base. On top of this, the various colors of p-tex were not sealed well, creating a seam along the designs and lettering on the base. All it took was one good core shot to open that seam, which then continued to split all along the edge of a letter on my base. This crack in my base allowed moisture to enter and freeze, causing my wood core to splinter. I now have an irreparable crack/bump in my base, making regular mountain riding pointless. This board still works great for pre- and post-season rail jams (as long I don't catch on that bump while doing a boardslide) and I think it's a great board for its price range (around $330-$350, usually $200 for the previous year model).

The Bottom Line:

Pros

• Good board for a reasonable price
• Nice and flexible but still feels solid underfoot

Cons

• Poor base construction
• Slightly heavier board

Rating: 7/10

Raffle!

Alright, so who wants free gear?

I've got a Rome "Roadie" snowboard bag up for grabs. It's a pretty standard board bag: main compartment for a board, adjustable padded shoulder strap, handle at the nose of the bag, and a small clear pocket for an info card. Another small feature this bag includes that my own Burton "Space Sack" snowboard bag does not is the addition of a small zippered pocket. Though it may not sound like a big deal, I love the idea of extra space for all those random things my snowboarding ensemble requires (wax, a tool, extra bandanas, hand warmers, etc.). This one is gray with yellow-orange accents, is brand new, and still has all the manufacturers tags. Now, what would one have to do to acquire such a prime specimen of snowboard gear that would normally retail for about $50? Well, let me tell you...

Starting now and ending midnight on Saturday, October 10th I will be holding a raffle for this awesome board bag. To enter, simply subscribe to my blog. All "followers" will be entered in this raffle and at the end of the contest I'll pick one lucky winner. Now bear with me here, I'm just a college student so I don't have the means to assure some kind of totally random electronic selection process, so I'll probably have to resort to making a ton (hopefully!) of little slips of paper and tossing them into my beloved green Neff "Form" beanie and pulling one out. That's right, we do things the ol' fashioned way up here in the sticks. I'll contact the winner shortly after I select one and figure out how to go about getting this bag to you.

So there you have it, a $50 value, yours free with a subscription to my blog (which is free as well!). What a steal! All you have to do is make an account (if you don't have one already) and follow my blog (if you don't already...you should) and then you've just entered yourself to win a sweet Rome "Roadie" board bag. Good luck!