Hardgoods 24/25

[eleveneightnate]

I think k2/ride make decent boards but their brands have never really felt like snowboard brands to me. I can’t even explain it. Like, posting something anti Olympic (idc about the Olympics) when sponsoring a previous gold medal winner is goofy. Are you the edgy brand or is Ride? I’m just babbling.

<— also same guy who would love another 154 instrument.

I feel the same way about Salomon, but love their boards/boots/bindings. They seem more product-focused and less "scene" focused to me, which can be a good thing sometimes.

[jclinares]

Interesting debate. Might have something to do with the fact that I came into snowboarding later in life (I was 20 the first time I got on a board), later in the sport's development (late 2000s), and didn't have any context for the sport's history until much later than that; but I consider brands like K2, Salomon, Nidecker, and even Rossignol, to be snowboarding brands these days.

But it's interesting where the distinction would be, compared to a brand like Atomic, that sells snowboards but I'd never consider a snowboarding brand. I guess, for me, would be a similar bar as for those Instagram gear brands like Outdoor Master and Montec: how much do they actually support the sport, vs just being a bandwagon brand in order to increase the sales numbers (in the case of ski companies).

[benjinyc]

k2 Salomon Rossi have been around for a while… like since the early 90s. They've stuck with snowboarding and never 'dropped out' unlike Atomic and a few other ski brands. I think they've treated their riders and dealers better than a lot of 'core' brands as well. All 3 have def pushed snowboarding r&d as well with some innovative and experimental products instead of just making a fatter ski and calling it a board.

— It's funny how people still shit on them for being a ski company but no one says anything about Lib making skis.

[eleveneightnate]

k2 Salomon Rossi have been around for a while… like since the early 90s. They've stuck with snowboarding and never 'dropped out' unlike Atomic and a few other ski brands. I think they've treated their riders and dealers better than a lot of 'core' brands as well. — It's funny how people still shit on them for being a ski company but no one says anything about Lib making skis.

I've always wondered that about Lib as well. And Never Summer also presses skis for Icelantic and a few others.

[Spenser]

It's because they originated as ski brands, and some people won't let that go.

Mervin is different because it's an OG snowboard brand, with snowboard roots, which supports snowboarding and has done a lot for it, and then they chose to make skis later. Totally different scenario.

[michaelangelo]

Mervin never even crosses my mind because I don’t have any major interest in their boards. At the shop I used to bring up the fact that they make skis when people would bitch that we didn’t carry them. All things considered, I think I just got annoyed over time when people would come into the shop just to tear into Burton for whatever reason and then tell me [insert brand] was more core. Lol

I have a memory of a K2 shirt that said “if skiing was easy it would be called snowboarding” hahah

[C.Fuzzy]

We turn a blind eye to lib's transgressions because we know they use the wood too shitty to make snowboards with, to make the skis. They also don't wash their hands after the bathroom when pressing em, and pop boogers into the epoxy.

Actually, I think it's because it's a snowboard company subverting the skiers instead of skiers subverting snowboarding.

I stopped believing snowboarding had a core when Nike and adidas we're given such a hearty warm welcome after bailing numerous times before under the lame justification that they were comfey, and supporting pro boarders in lean times and they 'mean it' this time. Some folks would pepe le pew right back to them if they started up again.

Meanwhile an OG pioneer of snowboard boots like Northwave gets nose wrinkles from folks when they're making some of the best boots out there (imo).

[unsuspected]

k2 Salomon Rossi have been around for a while… like since the early 90s. They've stuck with snowboarding and never 'dropped out' unlike Atomic and a few other ski brands. I think they've treated their riders and dealers better than a lot of 'core' brands as well. All 3 have def pushed snowboarding r&d as well with some innovative and experimental products instead of just making a fatter ski and calling it a board.

— It's funny how people still shit on them for being a ski company but no one says anything about Lib making skis.

K2 and Rossignol since -87 and Salomon since -97
The word core is just dumb.

[scrub]

I have skier friends that love their Lib skis and one of them skis pow like a snowboarder rather than those horrible sewing machine pow farming skier turns.

[jota]

We could even expand the debate. I am more of a purist or nostalgic (or maybe it is the same thing in this case). I guess it’s the passing of the years…

Now I think about boots… I think about snowboard brands like Burton, Northwave… but I wouldn’t wear Adidas or Nike boots, and here Adidas are top for many EL riders

But do we generate the same rejection or reaction of “external” brands if we talk about boards as if we talk about boots?

Do we think the same thing when we talk about our toys as when we talk about the comfort of our feet?