September 9, 2008 E-MAIL PRINT

New boards feature brains and beauty

by Matt Boxler/

It takes about 100 milliseconds to blink the human eye, so what could you possibly accomplish on a snowboard in just five milliseconds?

Thanks to “intelligent” fibers and an integrated microchip built into the Head Intelligence I.CT, riders can defer all those split-second decisions to their snowboard and instead focus their own thoughts on having fun.

Times have certainly changed. It wasn’t long ago that you’d ask a snowboarder what they liked most about their ride and you’d get, “Dude, the graphics are killer,” or “I’m really stoked about the torsional rigidity.” These days, you’re more apt to hear, “I love my board for its brain.”

Head is ahead of the curve when it comes to integrating artificial intelligence into its sporting equipment. For 2007-08, the trademarked Intellifibers and microchip technologies are featured in the Intelligence I.CT and Premium boards, giving riders full-time co-pilots with superhuman reaction time.

Intellifibers started in the field of aerospace technology, where they were developed to reduce vibrations while increasing the thrust of helicopter rotor blades. The snowboard reacts neutrally at slower speeds, but the harder you push the speed and the more vibrations you create, the more energy is generated by the Intellifibers. This energy is captured and fired back to the fibers in, you guessed it, just five milliseconds. When this energy is fired back, the fibers stiffen and increase torsional stability. This means that you can power into a turn and hold an edge like you’re on rails and get stability when you’re going flat out.

The integrated chip amplifies this energy before it fires back. You could be the dumbest kid in class and still be the smartest rider on the hill.
What else is new in boards for 2007-08? Here’s a quick glance.

Arbor
For 12 seasons, Arbor has used its exclusive wood veneer topsheets to differentiate the brand both technically and aesthetically. Now, a new inlaid wood-top technology takes this concept to a whole new level. “We developed a way to inlay a variety of environmentally friendly wood veneers into a design, telling a more elaborate story,” said Jessica Ng, marketing manager for Arbor.

The Wasteland, a name inspired by T.S. Eliot’s famous poem, is Arbor’s new all-mountain, mid-wide, and it uses 10 different types of wood to paint a picture and overlay excerpts from Eliot’s work. Each wood adds color, texture, and depth, just as a paint stroke would.

Burton
Burton combines brains and beauty with its new Supermodel X, which it describes as an all-terrain vehicle of supernatural powers. Freeriders are put on fast forward, as the X offers “every speed, strength, and weight-saving advantage possible in a laid-back, relaxed snow surfer.”

Forum
New for 2008, The Superstar is by far the highest-end, most technically advanced freestyle women’s board the company has ever created. Its narrow, aggressive shape makes it extremely responsive, and its pioneering core construction makes it lightweight and durable. The Superstar is designed for hard-charging riders. Graphically, it features an opulent jewel inlay, chic graphics, and posh matte-varnish finish.

K2
The new Darkstar freestyle board goes both ways with a true twin-tip design and centered stance that puts snowboarders in a better position for pulling off big tricks in the backcountry or park, riding forward or switch. The board has a Hyper Progressive Sidecut that smooths out high-speed turns and a Hybritaper Tip and Tail that reduces swing weight for stability during landings.

K2’s classic Zeppelin sheds some weight with a new Multi Superlight Core and sintered 40 percent carbon base, making it faster and lighter. The new ultra-light core is also featured in the Eldorado, Jibpan and Believer, and in women’s boards, the Duchess, Mix, VaVaVoom and Skyla.

Nidecker
Weight is also the primary focus at Nidecker for 2007-08. Weighing in at 2.4 kilograms, the new Ultralight is one of the lightest, most advanced freeride boards to date, according to Nidecker’s Courtney Boyer. The board utilizes Nidecker’s innovative “wood welding” technology, a process that eliminates resins in the core manufacturing process, thus reducing weight, improving natural flex and pop as well as increasing durability.

Also new for Nidecker this season is the Legacy, a board with directional construction, shape and flex. “Designed in the spirit of leadership that typifies our approach, this board leans more toward all-round freeriding and will enable you to rediscover the true meaning of the word snowboarding,” Boyer said.

Rome SDS
From the Burton refugees who started their own snowboard company, Rome SDS is offering up some unique rides this season.

The Design, Rome SDS claims, is “the world’s lightest, waxless (doesn’t need to be waxed), fiberglass-free snowboard.” The new Mod features a unique shape and construction. This high-end, park-specific board is built with proprietary impact plates in its core, making it significantly stronger than a traditional wood core.

For women, the Vinyl is a dual purpose ride that has flex designed for riders who are looking to step it up in the terrain park. The Vinyl is also easy to control on normal terrain at midspeeds, so women who only ride a handful of times a year but can still stomp it will find this board right up their alley.

Santa Cruz Snowboards/NHS
The new Twinza 159 is a board that will “change your life,” said Brett Sigur, Santa Cruz snowboards and apparel brand manager. The Twinza’s spoon-like nose and tapered tail shape helps riders quickly plane to the top and float through even the deepest of powder. “The Twinza will pretty much do all the work for you,” Sigur said. “A 159 Twinza rides like a 164, floats better and gives the ability to make the tightest turns in the trees. With the tapered shape, this board is quicker edge to edge and works great for cranking turns on groomers.”

Venture Snowboards
Speaking of the deep stuff, the backcountry splitboard, Divide, is Venture Snowboards’ ticket to accessing untouched powder fields. Developed with input from professional guides and serious backcountry enthusiasts, the Divide features a sustainable harvested wood core, triaxial fiberglass and quadratic sidecuts. “A moderately tapered shape and softer nose provide increase float in the deep stuff, but the key to the Divide’s superior performance is a specially engineered core which incorporates ash stringers for enhanced stability and control in challenging terrain,” explained Venture owner Lisa Branner.

Matt Boxler is a Bay State-based snow sports writer.

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