If you're in the market for a new snowboard this season, it's pretty confusing trying to decide which are the best snowboard brands to choose from. Walk into any snowsport shop and the buyer is immediately assaulted by technology, board graphics, and advertising hype that's difficult to interpret. Selecting a snowboard that matches your riding style while offering durability and performance becomes a daunting task.Choosing a deck from one of the five best snowboard brands will improve your chances of picking the right snowboard. A top snowboard brand will have a full lineup of snowboards that suits your riding style and the conditions you like to ride in. If you are looking for one of the top five snowboard brands, the following are the best of the best snowboard brands.
Lib Technologies/Lib Tech
Based in Sequin, WA, Lib Tech is unquestionably one the top five snowboard brands today. As one of Mervin Manufacturing's three snowboard brands Lib Tech has introduced innovative snowboarding technology for the past 22 years. Their multiple award-winning Magne-Traction improves snowboard edge hold in icy conditions while their Banana-Technology (BTX) rocker increases pop for freestylers and float in powder conditions.
In 2006 Lib Tech introduced the revolutionary Skate Banana snowboard, which first combined Magne-Traction with its new Banana-Technology. It quickly won the SIA Snowpress 2007 Innovation of the Year Award. It's since gone on to win multiple TransWorld Snowboarding Good Wood Board Tests. Other top snowboard brands now incorporate rocker technology in their premium snowboard lines.
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Lib Tech snowboards are made exclusively in the USA and are produced in limited production runs. As one of the best snowboard brands, it doesn't limit itself to producing freestyle snowboard models. Lib Tech produces a full line of freestyle and all-mountain freeride snowboards. It's easy to pick a winner with this top snowboard brand. Website - http://www.lib-tech.com/
Burton Snowboards
Vermont-based Burton Snowboards is the most recognizable snowboard brand worldwide. Founded 33 years ago by Jake Burton Carpenter, this top snowboard brand helped to establish snowboarding as a sport, pioneered snowboarding design, and continues to introduce snowboarding to all ages.
What makes Burton one of the best snowboard brands today is the sheer number of snowboards they produce across all demographics. Burton produces freestyle and all-mountain snowboards for men, women, youth, experts, intermediate riders, and beginners. In recent years, Burton expanded into new territory with its snowboard equipment for young children. There's a snowboard for every rider somewhere in their lineup.
While Burton is the dominant snowboard brand, it continues to advance snowboard technology. The Burton Infinite Channel System (ICS) allows the Burton EST snowboard bindings to be mounted and custom tweaked to for the individual rider. The Channel System allows stance, stance angles, stance width, and binding position to be infinitely adjustable to let snowboarders experience their performance potential. Just what one would expect from one of the best snowboarding brands. Website - http://www.burton.com/
Never Summer Industries
Never Summer may just be the best snowboard brand that you've never heard of. For the past 19 years Never Summer has built snowboards at its Denver, Colorado factory and then tested them at nearby ski resorts or in the Colorado backcountry. As one Never Summer employee once said during a factory tour "We can build the board one day and go ride it the next. We get immediate design feedback".
Unlike many other top snowboard brands, Never Summer snowboards are precision handcrafted in the USA. Every deck is inspected throughout the manufacturing process with a final inspection just before shipping. Inspection failures are destroyed and not sold as seconds. They back up their brand with an unheard of three-year warranty on all their decks.
While their construction materials and techniques make their snowboards light, they don't compromise on quality or technology innovation. Never Summer recently received a patent on their Rocker and Camber Technology which is incorporated throughout this top snowboard brand. When combined with their Vario Power Grip, Never Summer's decks offer solid performance in the park, powder, and stability at speed.
If you want to demo a deck from this top snowboard brand before purchasing one, Never Summer makes it easy. Never Summer holds demo days at ski resorts around the USA - free to the consumer. Leave a credit card at the demo booth and you are ready to discover one of the best snowboard brands. If you happen to be in Denver, call ahead and a factory tour can be arranged. Website - http://neversummer.com/
GNU Snowboards
GNU Snowboards isn't new. GNU has hand built their snowboards for 27 years at its Sequin, Washington factory. Produced as a top snowboard brand from Mervin Manufacturing, GNU builds decks for the diehard freestyle rider be it all-mountain or park.
As part of Mervin Manufacturing, GNU is free to use its Magne-Traction, Banana Technology (BTX), and the new C2 Power Banana Technology throughout its lineup. These technologies allow the intermediate to expert rider to experience performance riding from a top five snowboard brand.
One deck to try out is the GNU Park Pickle. The men's Park Pickle was selected as a 2011 TransWorld Snowboarding Good Wood Board Test winner and the ladies Park Pickle was selected as a 2011 Snowboard Magazine Platinum Pick. With its deeper heelside sidecut the Park Pickle allows more effortless heelside turns. The added BTX and Magne-Traction will demonstrate why this deck is another all-mountain winner from one of the best snowboard brands. http://www.gnu.com/
Jones Snowboards
There may be two pro riders named Jeremy Jones but there is only one Jones Snowboards. While Jones Snowboards may be in its first production year, Jeremy Jones is using his big mountain riding knowledge to design and produce one of the best new snowboard brands. Backcountry and big mountain riders now have a premium snowboard brand designed with their riding style in mind.
Jones Snowboards launched with four models at the January 2010 SIA Snow Show in Denver, CO -making it the youngest best brand of snowboards. The awards are now starting to stack up. The Jones Flagship was selected as a 2011 Platinum Pick in Snowboard Magazine, the Jones Solution splitboard won a 2011 Backcountry Magazine Editors' Choice Award, and the Jones Mountain Twin won the 2011 Outside Magazine Gear of the Year Award for Snowboards.
While Jones Snowboards is a new snowboard brand, is uses tested technologies developed by other top snowboard brands. The Mountain Twin is manufactured by Nidecker using a rockered tip/tail, a poppy wood core, and Magne-Traction for precision grip control. The Flagship incorporates directional rocker for powder and Magne-Traction for those pockets of backcountry ice. Both snowboards are built for strength and stability but are incredibly light in your hands. Website - http://www.jonessnowboards.com/
The next time you're shopping for a new snowboard, forget all the advertising hoopla and celebrity hype. Choose a deck from one of the best snowboard brands and you'll get a board that will enhance your riding experience.
By G. Kunkel, Associated Content Nov 5, 1:55 pm EDT This article was produced by a Yahoo! Sports
