Man isn’t meant to stay indoors — our weekly “Trekking” column can attest to that. It’s a column dedicated to the adventurer inside of all of us, the one pining to ditch the office humdrum for a quick surf session or seven-week jaunt in the Grand Tetons. One day we may highlight an ultra-light stove and the next a set of handmade canoe paddles. Life doesn’t just happen inside the workplace, so get outside and live it.
These days, few people would argue that snowboarding is a cheap sport. The best gear has only become more expensive with rise of lift tickets and lofty ambitions, and once you factor in the current drought conditions afflicting most of the United States, getting out for a day or two of boarding seems even less enticing. Such was not always a case, however, especially when snowboarding was just on the fringes. That said, the Burton Throwback Snowboard ($130) is a testament to those times.
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Although the Burton Throwback is more of a “snurfer” than a traditional snowboard, it’s still perfectly suited casual rides and the snow-capped terrain lining your own backyard. It’s a resurrection of the 1981 Burton Backhill — one of the first production model snowboards ever issued — and as such, it takes a cue from Jake Burton’s original design and directional shape. The core is nothing more than five plies of wood laminate, which gives the board a bit of stability when in motion and imbues it with some flex when you tug on the rope handle attached to the nose. The latter allows riders to easily keep the board’s front end above the powder, too, so both amateurs and professionals can jump on the rubber stomp pads and take the Throwback for a spin.
Unlike most snowboards, the Burton Throwback doesn’t come in many configurations. It’s currently available as a 100 or 130-cm model, wither either red or blue accents on the top and underside, each reminiscent of those that adorned the original Backhill. Burton also made a collaboration board in conjunction with Neighborhood, an apparel company based out of Japan that caters to a small subculture of devoted motorcyclists. The end result? A stylish board that would look as slick posted up in the snow as on the wall of your favorite sushi joint in the heart of downtown.
Check out Burton online to make a purchase, or to further browse the snowboarding company’s extensive collection of boards, apparel, and winter gear.
