There are a couple guys who hand-make snowboards in N.A. that cost about the same as a higher-end board in any of the mass-produced companies (see for example
here or
here). I hear that what you get is a fantastic product, as you're literally in correspondence with the dude making your board. I'm thinking of picking up something like this for next season, what do you guys think about something like this in terms of buying in the country?