This website is a trip down memory lane for nostalgic snowboarders

Nostalgic snowboarders can check out old models and see how the sport has evolved

By Tom Kilpatrick January 4, 2023

Do you long for those halcyon days of snowboarding, when riders wore lurid one-piece suits with perfectly coiffed hair flying loose out the top of a bandana? Remember when snowboarders were the underdogs, the outcasts, only allowed at certain resorts and looked down on by skiers?

Well, probably not some of that, but with our modern snowboards and high-tech snowboarding gear, we’re in the sport at a pretty sweet time. That said, a little nostalgia never hurt. Remember that board you had in 1998 that you swore you’d never outgrow and now can’t even remember where it lives? Well, lucky for you BoardVault is here to stop you from having to root too deep through your garage.

A snowboarder rides high over a jump on a Burton Snowboard.

BoardVault has set out to be the largest online gallery of snowboards in the world. Starting life as BurtonVault, this site currently showcases predominantly Burton snowboards, ranging as far back as 1977 — before bindings were cool and when most people still referred to us as Snurfers. Even better though, they’ve got a whole collection of catalogs, showcasing snowboarding boots, bindings, jackets, styles, and the latest tricks of the day, all featuring pro riders you’ll remember idolizing as you hit the slopes.

Seriously, you could — and should — spend a whole load of time on this site. Remember the oh-so ’90s Mystery Air 1990, with the red, yellow, and black decal? What about the 2008 collaboration with American Visual artist Andy Warhol? There are boards on this website that you may have never known existed — and plenty more that you might wonder why they do.

As with all industries, fashion, trends, tastes, and technology have changed a lot throughout the decades. Every year you click on brings about a nostalgic pang that reminds you of where you were riding, what you were wearing, and what else was going on in your life at that time. 2009? I was out on a college trip, hitting the slopes for the first time while my buddy was absolutely shredding on a Burton Supermodel. How about you?

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A London-born outdoor enthusiast, Tom took the first ticket out of suburban life. What followed was a twelve-year career as…

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Rhythm Rentals review: If you’re hitting the powder in Japan, you should leave your snowboard at home

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Having traveled to six different countries spanning three continents now for snowboarding trips, I feel qualified to make this statement. The most stressful part of any skiing trip is getting to the resort. You have the flights booked, great. But then you have to try to decipher the airline's website to see whether your ski or snowboard bag is OK to go on or whether it needs to be booked. Then you haul it through the airport to your shuttle, then from your shuttle to the front door. And don't get me started on post-trip travel — ever tried to drag a ski bag through a major city? Don't.

This is what I was facing heading into my recent month-long trip to Hakuba, one of Japan's powder capitals. But Rhythm Rentals came to my rescue, and it can do the same for you. It was a nerve-wracking experience, loading up for a month of snowboarding while my pride and joy was sitting at home — what if the board I get isn't as good? Spoiler alert, I needn't have worried; its gear rocks. Here's what I found when I hit up Rhythm Rentals for a month of snowboarding and why you should leave your skis or board at home when you head to Japan.
Why choose Rhythm Rentals?
Rhythm Japan has been servicing the Japanese ski rental industry since 2005, when its first store opened in Nisseko. Since then, it has expanded across various ski regions, including our destination, Hakuba. Back at the start of 2022, Rhythm became part of Evo. That's right, your favorite ski and snowboard store in the U.S. hooked up with this rental outfit in Japan in a collaboration that took them both up a notch. This is a rental store with an ethos based around endless stoke, a love for winter, and a genuine interest in actioning feedback — seriously, the Hakuba rental store opened because of customer demand.

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Modern skiing and snowboarding goggles often come with lenses made to be exchanged. The idea is that when conditions change, your goggle can adapt with a simple swapping-out of the lens, which is the only thing that needs to change when conditions do.

Most goggles come with an extra lens — and most skiers and snowboarders never bother to swap their lenses. Instead, they squint or struggle to see. It's not safe or smart, but they do it anyway.

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The DaKine High Roller snowboard bag meets all of your traveling needs

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A good ski and/or snowboard bag should meet some critical criteria. Your gear should be protected, it should be pretty easy to tow behind you when walking through an airport, and it should carry all the things you need for your snowboarding or skiing adventure. The DaKine High Roller is one of the best available at meeting all of these needs.

No snowboard gear bag is going to be “comfortable” or “easy” to manage whilst walking through the airport. The model I tested is the 175cm version, one of the longest DaKine offers. It’s too much linear room for just snowboards and bindings, but that’s okay. My boards are usually right around the 160cm mark, and once I had edge protection on my boards, there was still a bit of wiggle room on the top and bottom.