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. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

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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