adam2433

this is my first season. been out 7 times so far and am just getting comfortable doing some good carving on blues. still need to work on getting more comfortable at speed. anyway, i ride a 09 158 Burton Clash with Burton Custom bindings. had i found this forum a little sooner i would have realized these were both poor choices. and thats the advice a i want to offer as i see vets telling new guys like me to skip cheap junk beginner set ups and pay a little more to buy something you can progress with. the Clash/Customs were great the first few times out. but now i realize just how poor the board performs and the bindings just arent giving me the response, stability or durability id like. its a little late in the season to invest in a new set up now so im gonna hold off for next years stuff and just make due with what i have for now. cant wait to pick up a Premier/Raptor and Targas.

so to other new guys out there like me... listen to these vets when they say to pick a quality set up off the bat as it will only help make your progression easier and faster.

ThugHunter

I rented my first time out and was riding the Burton Cruzer with some worn out as bindings and boots. I decided that I was not going to settle for renting crap like that again for $35 a day and ended up buying my own stuff after visiting this site and getting info about the gear I was considering.

In the end, I ride a Bataleon Goliath, Rome Targa bindings and Vans Cirro boots all at the suggestions of forum members and personal research. I only get about 6-10 days a year being that I live in Texas, but the purchase was well worth the $600 I spent on brand new stuff. I have some of the best equipment out there, so I know it'll be reliable and will not hold me back from progression giving me peace of mind. Deals are out there, especially this time of year.

djsaad1

I would demo the premier/raptor before you get one. I am thinking once you get one of those boards you might be a little dissapointed. They are probably great boards but the jump from a clash to either one of those boards is pretty big.

VAhasnoWAVES

this advise is somewhat... situational. there are a lot of variables that fall into play when someone decides to buy their first board. i think the biggest factor being dedication, how far is the new rider willing to push? if they just want to cruze around the mountain with their bros i dont see the need to buy top of the line stuff. (yes, there are riders comfterble where they are at and have no desire to progress). someone who charges hard and isnt afraid to go big... jumping on a high performance board right out of the gate still might not be the best bet. i see it often, where are new rider hops on a very technical board without proper form or fundamentals. that is a recipe for disaster.