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I've never used Burton anything, but I think the graphic design of their boards is really cheesy and not cool at all.

 

Their clothing looks very well made, although functional rather than cool.

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Burton the best? Depends what you are after. I was told the same thing as you Danny when I started out riding and so I bought a Burton board, bindings, board bag and jacket.

 

The board is doing great as are the bindings. The bag fell apart on the second use and the jacket fell apart on the first. Burton do guarantee their stuff, but trying to cash in on a guarantee in Japan is nigh impossible (and I have not managed it yet).

 

Unlike Occy11, I quite like Burton's designs and I am very pleased with my funkier than thou board which I have only seen one other person with.

 

Burton clothing is also funky, but you are simply paying for the brand which in reality is made in China and not brilliant. For the cost of their jackets, you can get much more practical (but less gnarly) warmer jackets, say like Goretex.

 

One thing I will say about Burton is that their binding systems are designed to go with Burton boots... which I could not fit into (very narrow fit for women's range). So so I opted for another brand. Cool boots but the fit is a bit squeezy. Not to mention Burton's unique 3 binding system makes most other non-Burton bindings incompatible with older Burton boards.

 

All this said, I know very little about other brands so comparitively speaking, I have little to offer. But there you have it!

 

Belle

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Common complains about Burton gear

 

-Expensive for what it is

 

Especially true for accessories sold under the Red sub-brand

 

-3D binding system

 

Burton boards have a trinangular screw pattern, not a rectangular one like everyone else. This can lead to problems attaching other firm's bindings to a Burton board. I started with Ride bindings on my Burton, but the number of positions was extremely limited. I bought Burton baseplates but they didn't fit the bindings. Some firms (Drake I think) offer *fully* compatible Burton baseplates, and I'd recommend them if you're not going to buy Burtons own.

 

-Bindings are all plastic

 

A problem for some people. Some of the 2003 Burtons have metal buckles.

 

A lot of Burton gear in Japan is imported directly from the US without passing through Burton Japan. The price is usually 20%-30% cheaper, but people say that Burton Japan won't cover the guarantee. There are rumors that such gear is all seconds, but you see so much of it in Japan that the rejection rate at the Burton factories would have to be exceptionally high for this to be the case. Burton Japan set the 2003 prices back in May when it was 130 yen to the dollar, and while they're cheaper than last year, the yen's appreciation will make it even easier for grey importers to better those prices.

 

Gloves aside, I'm happy with the Burton gear I've got, designs included. I made a point of buying it in the sales, however.

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most of my gear is burton, they have never disappointred, both clothing and riding gear, though a little expensive, at the end of the day, you do get what you pay for i think.... never had any problems with the gear... including gloves.... have had the same pair for nearly 4 seasons now!

 

who cares about graphics guys?!?!

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I don't really care about the graphics - price is a much more important factor.

 

But why do snowboards need graphics anyway? I'd like to be able to choose a board that doesn't have tanks or space monsters all over it. Burton obviously isn't the only offender here, but their space monsters are pretty in-your-face examples.

 

I'm surprised to hear from some people that Burton gear doesn't last. The items I've seen appear to be very substantial and well made.

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Reckon for clothing you can't beat mountaineering gear, esp. marmot, patagonia, etc. Made to last, and generally has better weather proofing. Yen fa yen, much higher quality (but not cheap).

 

As for the 'made in China' question, most outdoor gear is, nowadays. Better that way, don't want a fat, unionized American with an attitude accounting for half the cost of yer jacket!

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Burton gear....good but very pricey. Depending on your skill level, you can ride lots of other companies that will perform almost/just as well. Canada's Option snowboards are very awesome, as are Forum, Libtech, Ride, Rossignol, Heelside, etc. You can also ride a few lower end boards that are still good, just not as costly. K2, Lamar, Liquid, they're all decent boards and will definately do the trick.

 

As for outerwear, if you dont want to spend an arm and a leg, try Ripzones Trilogy series. Very good quality at good prices. If you are gonna go for any of the BIG names, you'll definately pay the coin.

Hope this helps!!!!

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rajeem, I was joking. You might want to try and find what you want to know on the Burton so hip it knocks itself out website. It'll take you forever.

 

I read somewhere that the 3D pattern gives you the greatest number of possible positions, but I can't see how it would offer any more than the conventional setup.

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Burton makes some good high end freestyle boards.

 

They make the best bindings - or did until a few years ago, but then everyone copied their technology and now there are plenty of good binding companies.

 

Their boots are nothing special.

 

Their sweaters and lightweight fleeces are good outerwear options, but jackets and pants are too expensive.

 

the 3D binding system is a total scam - Allows you to only use Burton Bindings on Burton Boards - super lame - Forum also perpetrates this non-universal board & binding scam with their "slider system"

 

i was very disappointed when I couldn't fit my new ride bindings to my burton board, and had to switch around both of my setups to put the ride freestyle bindings on my Never Summer (clearly a freeride board) and had to put my C14's on my Burton Dragon.

 

I'm not going to buy Burton again.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by barok:
Forum also perpetrates this non-universal board & binding scam with their "slider system"



Do Forum's sliders discourage the use of non-Forum bindings? I've demoed a Forum board, but it just seemed like it was a slidable 4x4 or 4x2 pattern. I would question whether such long grooves are good for the board's construction, or for a strong board/binding interface but I don't see how the system would stop you using other people's bindings, like Burton's system does.

Burton's system gives four positions off just seven holes, three of which are down the middle of the board. In itself, it's quite an elegant solution, but it was patented back in 1992 giving Burton control over it until 2009 or so. Through trial and error, you may be able to find three holes that let you fix another company's bindings (I did with Ride Prestons), though this may result in the angle readout not being properly aligned or with you being incapable of moving the bindings perpendicular to the plane of the board. If you ask in a shop, usually they'll say "oh yes, they'll fit". Just remember that you may not get the adjustability you'd like.

What's the verdict on the C14's barok?
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Yeah I've never ridden a Forum or used the slider system so I guess I don't know how compatible "universal" bindings are with the system, but what I do know is that you have to use Forum hardware, or else your bindings WILL tear out, causing you some serious on-hill problems.

 

And Yeah, although I could probably fit my Ride Brushie's on my Burton Dragon, my wide, ducked-out stance would never really allow it, so I'm stuck riding featherweight bindings on a super-stiff board, but whatever. . .

 

I just hate companies that refuse to play it fair . . . They'll tell yah oh it gives you more options on the board but all it really does is limit you when you want to change up your gear. The way I see it now, there are plenty of core companies who make "universal" gear, so that's what I'm going to go for.

 

The C14's by themselves are great. I can't compare them to much, yet, but they are super-light, comfortable, durable and responsive. There is no play or lag whatsoever. Plus they look cool.

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