SNOWBOARD GEAR FOR 2023
Tamara Hinson rounds up the boots and boards you’ll be adding to your Christmas wish list this winter…
BOOTS
VANS HI-STANDARD OG KENNEDI DECK
Kennedi is famous for forging her own path – someone who’s known for her talent on the mountain, and who’s also become a voice for the queer snowboarding community. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this boot can’t be pigeon-holed. A unisex design with Vans’ V1 UltraCush liner, V1 Popocush footbed and V1 Waffle Lug outsole, it’s a boot that opens up all areas of the mountain without sacrificing comfort or control. Full disclosure – the boot itself isn’t new for 2022/23 (Vans are known for focusing on quality, not quantity) but the colourway will be.
BURTON SLX
For the SLX boot, Burton sought out the finest materials and ramped up the tech to create a men's boot that is perfect for snowboarders who love to ride from dusk to dawn. We love the cushion-like comfort – this is a boot in which you can hit your favourite après-ski bar without any hint of foot fatigue. In this case, it’s the colour scheme that is new, rather than the boot itself, but given the SLXs’ popularity, there’ll be no shortage of snowboarders keen to switch up their look without ditching these all-time favourites. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, after all.
SALOMON ECHO
Salomon has taken a sustainable approach for winter 2022/23. The highlight of the men’s Echo Dual Boa Boot is the Fuze Surge midsole, made with 78% recycled 3M Thinsulate Insulation for maximum warmth and minimal environmental impact. It’s a boot that is both versatile and precise, with medium support flex and an anatomically designed Precision Liner. We’d prescribe it for riders who value a sense of control, and who want to max out their time on the mountain by cranking up the comfort.
DEELUXE X-PLORER
The unisex X-plorer boot offers unbeatable support and comfort without allowing performance to take a back seat. The X-plorers’ appearance offers a nod to old school styling, with traditional lacing paired with a BOA system, which makes on-the-go adjustments easy. Deeluxe has shoehorned some of our favourite features into this boot, including their Double Back (a reinforced rubber highback in the heel zone), the Freeride Tongue – a fat, plush tongue that ramps up both comfort and durability – and the recently introduced Stage 4 liner.
SNOWBOARDS
JONES MIND EXPANDER
Thought you couldn’t improve on perfection? Think again. Jones has taken the Mind Expander – an all-mountain board known for its ability to slash through all types of terrain – and cranked up its versatility by reshaping its profile, more specifically, swapping its full rocker for a rocker/camber mix. The result? A unisex board that is even more responsive, ridiculously agile and that opens up all areas of the mountain for freeriding fun, irrespective of snow conditions.
BURTON MYSTERY CON ARTIST
If you’ve ever ridden Burton’s original Con Artist, you’ll be familiar with its fantastic agility. Next winter, consider the men’s Mystery Con Artist – a board that offers the original’s brilliant versatility while retaining the lightweight design the Con Artist is known for. For a speedy, powerful ride across all areas of the mountain, this one’s going to be hard to beat.
YES SNOWBOARDS THE PYL UNINC.DCP
For next winter, Yes Snowboards has taken the versatility of their Hybrid board (famous for its snap and almost telepathic responsiveness) and blended it with the big mountain profile of the PYL. The result? The PYL UnInc.DCP, a directional, unisex board that offers unbeatable edge hold but that still packs plenty of float when you’re cruising over those powder stashes.
SALOMON SUPER 8 PRO
Freeriding isn’t necessarily about speed, but the men’s Salomon Super 8 Pro will be a hit with anyone who loves life in the fast lane. The star of the show is the Area 51 base material – Salomon’s fastest – and the tapered directional shape, which ensures it powers through any terrain. An extra-long rockered nose allows it to float like a butterfly over the powder, and the pairing of a quadratic sidecut and backseat camber makes tight turns a whole lot of fun.