The snowboard sales are ending – get on it! Dragon, Analog, Forum

Posted on January 27, 2012 by SnowKaz

It’s been 4 days since we got back from the snow, and I’m already having withdrawal symptoms, even though there’s only 5 days til we’re back out again.

See no evil - the Dragon APX goggles.

See no evil - the Dragon APX goggles.

It’s been one of those weeks where I’ve been trawling through websites, window shopping in time for next week. My bag’s already packed with everything I need, but the temptation to impulse buy is still high!

But either way, it’s the last week of the snowboard January sales, so there’s no better time to get involved with stocking up on the snow kit in time for your next trip. Or just for the sake of impulse buy.

We’ve just hooked ourselves up with a pair of Dragon APX goggles. It’s been on the shopping list for a while, and even when I did buy it off other sites and they didn’t seem to have them in stock, I still didn’t take it as a sign, and still bought a pair.

I’ll be taking them out to the mountains on Tuesday, but til then, all I can say is they’re awesome for walking around a Croydon flat, watching the rain outside!

Analog Asset Jacket - save £44

Analog Asset Jacket - save £44

But on a more rider-focused side of things, several mates who ride with them all say they’re immense, so I’m hoping they’re right! I’ll let you know next week. Til then, get them in the sale while you can!

On our search, we also came across the Analog Asset Snowboard Jacket, reduced from £174.95 to just £131.21 – giving you a sick saving on a sick jacket! I actually own the matching pants to this beauty, but you know from Analog that they don’t mess around with outerwear – it does exactly the job it needs to.

The Analog Asset jacket is literally an asset to your mountain days (sorry!), with its 10k waterproofing, and 2L microfibre herringbone fabric. Whether you’re layering up for those frozen days or stripping off for spring sessions, they’ve all the tech you need to keep you rocking how you roll!

Save £140 on the Forum Holy Moly

Save £140 on the Forum Holy Moly

Plus if you’re still after a board, check out the Forum Holy Moly – reduced from £439.99 to just £299.95 – knocking £140 off your price, making an amazing board an even more amazing price!

It’s a super-park board, which lets you ollie like a king, while still playful like the pawns. It’s also got a super-light core, lifted points in the nose and tail to make them as catch-free as possible, and literally steals shredders hearts around the world. Wreck yourself before you check yourself… or something like that…

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Reviewed: Lib Tech Attack Banana Snowboard

Posted on January 19, 2012 by admin
Lib Tech Attack Banana

Lib Tech Attack Banana

Lib Tech’s Attack Banana has won a raft of awards this year from snowboard industry insiders but what’s it like for a normo like you or me to ride? I’ve just spent 4 days in Serre Chevalier getting used to my brand new Attack Banana.  Read my review to find out what I think of it…

I bought a Bataleon Evil Twin a year ago and I must be the only boarder on Earth who didn’t fall in love with it.  Maybe mine was a lemon, or maybe I picked up some bad habits that were accentuated by the Triple Base Technology that I’d been so excited to try out. Whatever it was, I had some really sketchy moments on it last season. On tracked hard pack I’d feel more like a passenger than a driver. My rear leg would swing round making me brick myself about catching an edge at speed.

It also seemed pretty damned slow. Even after waxing it was way slower than my friend’s 3 year old Ride DH on the flat. After fantasising about owning a Bataleon for two years I was really deflated by the reality.

Lib Teck Attack Banana Awards

The Attack Banana has scooped several awards this season

Whilst on a trip to Sweden last season I had a quick ride on my friend’s Lib Tech Skate Banana just to compare boards.  It felt totally different; way more fun and faster  I had to have one.

Roll forward ten months and after a brief consultation with SnowKaz and some chit chat with people in the know at the Metro Ski Show I took the plunge an invested in a Lib Tech Attack Banana.

Banana Basics

The Attack Banana is a more all-mountain version of the Skate Banana. Lib Tech describe it as a twin tip all terrain freestyle board.  It sports ‘elliptical camber’ which in Lib Tech’s own words ‘…moves the apex of the camber inward (closer underfoot), which helps distribute tip and tail pressure more evenly, provides a more focused pop, and creates better suspension to absorb big landings.’

You can check out the full spec here if you like the nerdy stuff.

Sticky Banana

The conditions in Serre Chevalier were mainly hard pack to icy, always challenging for a boarder, and possibly the best conditions for testing a snowboard as you get to push it to the limits of it’s grip and stability.

The Attack Banana has huge amounts of grip on the hard stuff, sticking to it’s edge when carving down steep icy reds and long fast blues. Only the steepest, baldest black runs caused a couple of minor slips.  This is probably down to the Magne-Traction tech whereby the the edges are ever so slightly ‘serrated’ to give you extra contact points with the piste when turning on hard pack, icy slopes.

Speedy Banana

This grip gave me loads of confidence, letting my riding style start to flow and setting me up to push the board harder and harder.  On long undulating reds and blues I could push my speed past it’s usual limits on rock hard pistes that I’d normally ride more cautiously.

The base is super slick and felt incredibly stable even when I gave it the full beans, soaking up all the vibration. According to my Ski Tracks iPhone App I topped out at 41mph which broke my previous top speed by 7 mph. Big grins all round!

Fun Banana

The confidence the Attack Banana gave me was also present when mucking about at slower speed teaching myself to pop 180′s on the flat and buttering. I didn’t catch an edge once thanks to the rocker tips on the board. The board has a medium flex, enough to manual down the slope with ease but not as floppy as my old, battered Ride DH. I’m not a big freestyler so I haven’t tested it on rails and kickers but on paper it has all the right ingredients to please most park rats.

Ugly Banana?

If I have one gripe it is the design. The air brushed graphics remind me of the first board I bought back in 2004 (a Burton Cruzer I believe) and it feels a bit dated.  I prefer something cleaner and bolder like the Bataleon, Signal and this season’s Salamon designs. However, if the only flaw with a board is it’s graphics I’m a very happy boarder!

Robust Banana

Build quality seems solid. After four days of French skiers trampling on my tail in lift queues, the top sheet looks completely unscathed and the edges seem perfect too. The base has a couple of scratches from the Gallic rocks but nothing out of the ordinary.

Verdict – Lib Tech Attack Banana (2012)

In summary, the Lib Tech Attack Banana is by far the most impressive board I have ever ridden. It inspires confidence, it’s fast enough to induce a nose bleed and most importantly it’s incredibly fun!

Surfdome still has the Lib Tech Attack Banana in stock and you can compare all Lib Tech snowboard deals at Snowboarding Deals UK.

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Rider focus: Steve Addicott – Westbeach, Salomon, Dr Zipe

Posted on January 18, 2012 by SnowKaz

We spent last week riding on the BoardnLodge snow camps, under the guidance of Steve Addicott.

Steve Addicott in Nassfeld Austria

Steve Addicott in Nassfeld Austria

Steve runs his own snowboard coaching programmes for pre-instructor training and freestyle coaching through his company Why Aint You Jibbin, and coaches many of the GB Junior freestyle team amongst others.

Through his training, he has not only got us better riders on the piste, but also performing sick flatland tricks, aerial tricks, spins, butters, flips, and given us park confidence – whether it’s hitting kickers or riding boxes in switch.

Steve plays chicken with the copters

Steve plays chicken with the copters

Steve rocks three main brands – Westbeach outerwear, Salomon snowboards and Dr Zipe goggles.

So in honour of Steve, we thought we’d set you out Steve’s kit, which we can’t promise to make you better riders, but you can look pretty sick too. (To get better at your riding, join one of his courses!)

He was rocking the Westbeach Alta Vista 10k snow jacket last week which Hardcloud have reduced from £180 to £144 in their winter sale.

Westbeach Alta Vista jacket

Westbeach Alta Vista jacket

If you use code JKX15 at the checkout, you can save another 15%, getting you this immensely rad Westbeach jacket for just £122.

The jacket has all the tech Westbeach are famous for, as well as 80G insulation, and 10k waterproofing/10k breathability, keeping you riding for longer.

Salomon Drift Rocker

Salomon Drift Rocker

Steve also rides the Salomon Drift Rocker, and if you’ve ever seen him ride then you’ll know it’s an awesome board – a true-twin freestyle board designed to slay the park.

It’s packed with tech to keep landings stable, take-offs strong, and hold when slicing the ice.

It’s light, flexible, and makes sure you have fun on the mountain.

Dr Zipe Mistress Level VII

Dr Zipe Mistress Level VII

What’s more Boardwise have it on sale from £280 to just £251.96, saving you those jager-dollars for the mountain.

Last but not least, Steve also rides for Dr Zipe goggles.

Last season, he told us why: “They’ve got this big strap so they’re super comfortable and they’ve never, ever steamed up. They’ve also got some super wide lenses so giving a big peripheral vision, meaning I can not only see where I’m going all round the mountain, but also make sure I can see everyone I’m training too.”

Check out BoardnLodge SnowCamps in Association with Animal to get your chance to ride with Steve Addicott as well as some of the UK’s other top professional riders such as Dom Harington and Kate Foster.

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The Beardo – Ain’t nothin’ warmer than a beard beanie!

Posted on January 18, 2012 by SnowFrost

We spotted the Beardo after they followed us on Twitter and we loved it so much that we asked them to tell us more.  Here’s a brief history of Beardo from the guys behind it. Read on for details of an EXCLUSIVE discount code for BoardStylist.com readers too!!

Beardo

If you can't grow it, Beardo it!

Who’s going snowboarding this season? Who has always wanted a Beard but can’t grow one (ladies we are talking to you too!)? Want to keep your face warm this winter without having to use a scarf that keeps falling down?

New to the UK scene, Beardowear has all the answers! A stylish, warm and comfortable beanie with a fully adjustable and detachable beard!

Beardo

I always wanted to rock a snow covered beard

The Beardo is the brainchild of Canadian winter enthusiast Jeff Phillips, who several years ago designed a makeshift Beardo on the slopes of Blackcomb mountain summit, at 7th heaven using part of a scarf. He realised ‘Hang on, I can make something out of this!’. Ever since then the Beardo has gone from strength to strength and has been shown on national television in Australia and Canada as well as countless websites and blogs.

Beardowear UK is the new UK branch and distributor of the Beardo. It’s practical, it’s warm, it’s fun and lets be honest its a little humorous too! Made from 100 % acrylic yarn, the Beardo is warm and soft and never itchy.Everyone loves a Beard!

Beardo

Lumberjack Beardo?

You can find out more about Beardowear at www.beardo.co.uk.

Beardo UK have created an exclusive voucher code that gives a discount of 10% on any Beardowear you purchase.  Hurry though as it expires at the end of Jan!

Discount Code:  boardstylistdiscount

Offer: 10% off your Beardo purchase

Expiry: end of Jan

Beardo UK

Disclaimer: We aren’t getting diddly squat for this guest post… we just love the Beardo! 

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Snowboard jackets clearance sale – plus save another 15% off sale price – discount code! Animal, Analog, Westbeach

Posted on January 17, 2012 by SnowKaz

There’s been no better time to buy jackets than now thanks to the Hardcloud winter sale. Not only is there up to 50% off already on jackets, but they’re offering another 15% off the sale price.

Animal Buckaroo Jacket - £50 anyone?

Animal Buckaroo Jacket - £50 anyone?

All you’ve got to do is once you’ve chosen your jacket, get your extra 15% off by using discount code JKX15 at the checkout.

So which jackets should you choose?

Well if you like rocking it G-style, there’s the Animal Buckaroo Jacket available in XXL. Why should you buy it? Well it’s been reduced from £110 to just £60… so use discount code JKX15 and you’ll get this very sick jacket for just over £50!

Analog Asset jacket - £100 anyone?

Analog Asset jacket - £100 anyone?

The Analog Asset 10k snow jacketis also pretty special – reduced from £180 to just £120. Save another £18 with your 15% off discount code, and you’ll get the jacket for just over £100.

The Analog Asset jacket has 10k waterproofing/breathability and all the tech you can expect from Analog outerwear.

Westbeach Chief Softshell - looks like a hoody, rides like a jacket

Westbeach Chief Softshell - looks like a hoody, rides like a jacket

Finally, if you’re thinking of spring, riding the domes or those trips to the apres-bar, the Westbeach Chief Softshell snow jacket has it all.

It’s available in Blue or Black, and has already been reduced from £100 to £80… plus you can save another £12 with the Hardcloud discount code, getting you one of the raddest softshells out there for just £68!

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