About Burton Snowboards

Burton Snowboards is one of the oldest snowboard companies on the market. It's also the largest snowboarding company in the world. Since the inception of the sport, Burton has been at the forefront of technology, new product development and has created a global brand in the sport.

History

Burton Snowboards was founded by Jake Burton and began production in his Londonderry, Vermont barn in 1977. The company manufactured snowboarding equipment, while helping to advocate for the sport and lobby for its inclusion at ski resorts. As the company grew, it moved to larger factory space. First to Manchester, Vermont and then to Burlington, Vermont. The company began making outerwear in 1984 and has since expanded into every area of snowboarding including clothing, accessories, tools, and hard goods. Burton opened its European division in 1985 and its Japanese division in 1994. Today Burton owns a number of several companies including R.E.D., Anon Optics, Gravis Footwear and Analog Streetwear.

Types

Over the years, the sport of snowboarding has expanded and changed, creating new and varied needs for riders. Burton has constantly worked with its pro team riders and designed new boards and technology to meet the changing demands. Currently, the Burton line is split into the categories of freeride, for big mountain and powder riding; all-mountain freestyle, for a versatile ride; and park, for pure freestyle disciplines like halfpipe and park. Each category includes a number of different boards offering different levels of performance and price. In all, the 2009 line includes 61 snowboards in men's, women's and youth.

Function

Burton snowboards include functional design features that set them apart from other snowboards on the market. The Channel binding mounting system allows for painless, on-the-fly binding adjustment unthinkable on traditional snowboards. Vaportech design, used in the flagship Vapor snowboard, keeps the board very light while maintaining strength, integrity and responsiveness. The T6 has long used an aluminum honeycomb core that is 90% air, eliminating much weight while making a nimble, responsive and poppy deck. Core type, base, construction and other technology vary by snowboard.

Identification

Burton's pro team has been central to its leading role in snowboard production and development. Some of the biggest names in snowboarding have ridden for Burton, helping in the research and development of their snowboards, including Craig Kelly, Terje Haakonsen and Shaun White.

Significance

For the 2009 season, Burton has teamed up with NoBoard to create the first production noboard, a snowboard that doesn't use bindings that allows for more freedom while riding. The board is the No Fish. While the noboard is an innovative concept in snow sports, it is also a throwback to the origins of snowboarding. The predecessor of snowboarding was the Snurfer, a stand-up, bindingless board. However, the Snurfer was much more rudimentary and the No Fish incorporates modern snowboard technology while dropping the bindings.