TAKE IT FOR A SPIN: Snowboarders plot their descent (Digital Vision)
One Sunday each year, I wake up before dawn like a kid on Christmas day, except a little sleepier and still sporting makeup from the night before. Armed with coffee, I hit the road for a 90-minute drive to Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin ready to ride. This is Demo Day, the one day a year that I have the opportunity to try out next year’s snowboards for Viking Ski Shop.
Although my 9-to-5 keeps me in the world of online marketing, I spend my weekends at Viking Ski Shop. Unsuspectingly located in Chicago, Viking has been named best ski shop in the country year after year by Ski Magazine. People come from all over to get expert service on skis and snowboards, while soliciting the advice of knowledgeable staff. As a family-owned company, Viking Ski Shop makes a point to get firsthand feedback on new products—this is where I come in. As one of two female snowboarders working at the shop, I have the opportunity to test and rate next year's boards. This year’s Demo Day offered a wealth of amazing boards.
Let’s begin with K2. Next year’s boards offer a plethora of sizes and weights that are sure to please all skill levels. For the more advanced snowboarder, check out the Airdu, a high-performing women’s freestyle board with flatline technology to keep things light and playful. The intermediate snowboarder will love the Fling. It’s an in-between (not too light, not too heavy) board that is designed for the park, but offers a smooth all-terrain ride. My personal favorite board from K2 (and of the day) was the new Ecopop board. This eco-friendly all-star is light as a feather and handles like a dream. The switch to eco-friendly materials took a whopping three pounds off the board making it easy to maneuver and very fast. Mother Nature and I were very impressed.
Rome Snowboards was my next stop for demos, and I was very impressed. The first board I tried was the Lo-Fi, and I almost stole it from the rep—it was that amazing. Light, but not too light, the Lo-Fi handled very well. Carbon in both tips gave it a lot of pop but it was the flexibility of the board that really set it apart from the rest. Soft enough for rails but stiff enough to land jumps, the Lo-Fi was my second favorite of the day. (Add some bio-degradable material and the Ecopop would have to step aside.) The next board I tried was actually a men’s board, but offered a seamless ride that any woman could enjoy. Heavier than a typical women’s board, the Artifact is very forgiving (read: much harder to catch an edge) making it a nice choice for a beginner or intermediate board.
Aside from a few other brands, my next and final stop of the day was at the Drake booth. With 30 minutes left in Demo Day, I only had time to try the Drake DFL, a high-end freestyle board that was a nice ride, but nothing to write home about. Drake Snowboards are perfect for the boarder on a budget. While the K2 Ecopop will run you close to $500, you can get the Drake Charm for $250 or the Venice for $270—a good product for the price point.
Seven hours of demoing snowboards left me happy and exhausted, but optimistic for next year. There are a lot of innovative, fun boards on the market that I can’t wait to get my feet on. And with the rise of eco-friendly technology, I am that much more excited to hit the slopes. --Kate Schwartz
Kate Schwartz is a marketing coordinator for Orbitz Worldwide. From hiking the Rockies to lounging on the beaches of Barcelona, Kate is always looking for adventure.
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