TWO PENNIES MORE FOR BOARD NO 3

VARIABLE CONDITIONS PERFECT FOR TESTING

By PETER THOMAS BUSCH

The test runs of the new snowboard could not have ended on a more challenging day on Sunday.

Whistler Blackcomb have been getting accumulation of snow but the daytime temperature warms up, resulting in falling drizzles of rain and nightfall powder turning to mush before the lunch hour.

A few days later the mountain had variable snow conditions and on this final test day, variable visibility due to fog and brief flashes of sunlight.

I have put 100,000 vertical feet on my 2019 Burton Custom snowboard, over 5 days. This 2019 Christmas purchase is my third snowboard.

The first day I had put the Burton Mission Flex bindings on the new board backwards so that my goofy was regular instead of my regular being a goofy. Just for the record, I upload regular and ride goofy.

Choosing what board to purchase was not easy. So many choices on the market that picking the right one seemed like too much of winging it. 

So I contacted Burton Canada in September, and of course, they recommended one of the most expensive boards. Spending that kind of money for a winter sport caused considerable delay in deciding mainly because spending all kinds of money can be habit forming.

I had bought the bindings last year, so when I received some Christmas cash, I turned my mind to buying the Burton Custom in the early part of the season to spread the cost out over as many days as possible during my third winter snowboarding.

I ended up buying the board in Whistler. I shopped around but like many high end products by the original designer, the prices are fixed by the supplier, and the retailer has limited price flexibility. This pricing is true for cars, electronics such as cameras, computers, sporting equipment – and espresso machines.

Once I got the bindings on correctly, I took a few days getting use to the different technical aspects of the board. The board immediately feels lighter, not just for carrying from the parking lot to the gondola for uploading, but for turning and adjusting the line on the trail.

Turning is easier but also quicker, and once you get use to the new flexibility, the board produces more precise and compelling carving.

The board also has excellent balance. I am able to almost sit down on the board without any loss of control. And going lower on the board actually increases control. I found this particularly useful in powder and cutting through low soft moguls, on cold days after heavy snowfalls.

The board carves really well toeside and then chatters a bit coming back heelside.

But the board quickly adjust to changing circumstances. I even recovered quicker from a wipeout.

Essentially the ultimate question is whether the board is better than the board I had and whether the 156 cm board warrants the price tag.

The board has a bit of a wobble in the middle, which occurs when riding aggressively in challenging terrain such as hard packed moguls, and also chatters a bit, as previously mentioned, when carving heelside.

The board rides well in slow and fast speeds, and accelerates in hard packed conditions.

What I really like about the 2019 Burton Custom 156 cm snowboard is how the board responds to weight transfers. Leaning back and down a bit adds substantial acceleration and then by standing up the speed immediately stabilizes.

Carving becomes much more accurate just by shifting a little bit of weight from heelside to toeside, and if you want to slalom race, you just put a bit of hip and back into the turns, and of course, working the back foot the entire time.

I recommend the Burton Custom board, but at $719 CDN, I would like to see that price drop to $500, but not likely any time soon. I would have bought the board right away with a $500 price tag, whereas at $719 I had to talk myself into the purchase and then, of course, wish for getting about five seasons out of the board.

I also appreciate that the price tag is out of many riders price range. And I wonder whether I have paid a bit for the brand name. But generally, if the board lasts five plus seasons, I will have no regrets.