Alpe d'Huez is opening in 2 weeks on the 2nd of Dec. The sun is out and it is time to get my legs working and ready for winter!
I do plenty of cycling in the summer, and now the snow has been cleared from the roads, it was good to get the bike out again.
As the sun was setting a few of us here in Alpe d'Huez built a small kicker to rail set-up. After 6 months off, it felt good to be back on a board again!
With winter just around the corner, whether trawling through last seasons equipment hunting for a bargain (here's a good start), or scoping out the new seasons gear, now is the time to be looking for your new board. Whilst essentially just a plank of wood with some metal edges on, I still manage to get very excited each year about new snowboards. Most of the time they are exactly the same as the year before, with a different graphic, however there are always some new shapes which stand out from the rest!
Keep reading to see whats on my wishlist for the 2017/18 winter season...
There has been a trend to shorter fatter boards over the last couple of years. The basic idea being to combine the surface area of a longer board into a shorter one, giving you increased float in powder whilst still being highly manoeuvrable.
For someone with larger feet I always ride a wide board. There's nothing worse than washing out from toe or heel drag when railing a hard carve. With a wider than average waist, this board will allow for the lowest of Euro Carves!
On top of this the board has a directional shape, and camber underfoot for that snappy response between turns. Whilst not a freestyle board, there's no reason this couldn't be taken for a few laps in the park as well. If you're looking for a good fun all mountain board, with more of a preference for carving the piste or floating through the powder, this could be the board for you!
The K2 simple pleasures was also featured in the Whitelines top 100 products for this winter, check it out here.
PFD Skis have been around for a few years now, producing bespoke bamboo skis. However, the owner and designer Rupert, clearly knows that snowboarding is where the fun is at and has been crafting a handmade snowboard!
Although not yet for sale on the website, this first glimpse of the board looks awesome. The slight swallow tail and directional shape give us a clue for its desired use, it has been designed for charging deep powder!
Built from bamboo, this board will be lightweight, snappy, and responsive. And what's not to love about that topsheet? I can't wait to get my hands on one!