Switchback Snowboard Bindings have arrived at The Easy Rider!

Switchback bindings are sold as a complete set of bindings – BUT you are able to choose  the colors of the parts.
They assemble with no tools in a less than a minute.

Easy Rider is the exclusive dealer for these cool bindings in Edmonton and area – stop by and check them out.

This is a SET of bindings – all in White.

Same set – assembled

Black base plates / orange base pads / orange straps / orange FL highbacks.

White base plates / algae base pads / black straps / algae high backs.

Algae base plates / black base pads / red straps / black highbacks.

Red base plates / orange base pads / red straps / orange highbacks.

The Possibilities are ENDLESS!  Come design yours today!

HOW TO VIDEO HERE

Switchback bindings How To

Starting on September 15 and running until November 8 – Burton is giving away  13 huge prizes, including a full board setup, a trip to Vail and everything in between. New prizes will be revealed and awarded every few days on www.burton13contest.com. On November 8, the grand prize winner will be announced and will take home all 12 prizes — people can enter up to 13 times a day.

You will need to enter your local shop – that is where we come in.
Under “What’s your local shop?” – Enter “Easy Rider”.   Then click and hopefully win.

As a prize for our 25th Annual Snowboard Cup back in April – Ride Snowboards gave away a trip to their factory in Seattle for the draw prize winner and a guest.  Myself and our Ride sales rep. – Tom – were also invited ot tag along.

It was an awesome trip – and I really want to than Thank – Ride Snowboard and Tom for an awseome prize.

Here is a photo essay of the trip.

First off was Dinner at “The Crab Pot” – any meal which involves a hammer has to be good!

Yup – it was good!

We then walked around the water front area – including a trip down Post Alley – including the famous “Gum Wall” (yes – that is all used chewing gum)

The next day at the factory – the tour began in the offices – including a stop in the graphics department.

Then into the warehouse. It’s BIG!

From the warehouse it was into the prototype facility – where we were walked through everything that goes into making a snowboard. Wood Core here.

Cool die cut Easy Rider base – Base and edges on left and the mold is prepared on right.

The fiberglass is “wetted” with epoxy.

Core and more glass added – along with carbon strands.

Into the press.

Out of the press – and left to cure for 24 hours.

They made Mackinzie’s board the day before – he got his own die cut base!

Trimming the excess.

Finish sanding.

After watching our boards get made we were able to go into the freezer (-30c) to see how they test boards. This machine smashed a board at 50kph into a metal bar.

Then it was a quick lunch and back to the airport.
Thanks again to Ride and Tom for such a kick butt prize!

It’s official – the local snowboard season is done for another year.
I managed to make it to Sunshine Village a couple of times in May – and they were the best days of the season.
Sunshine had an all time record amount of snowfall this season,  and it showed.  Two weeks from closing the ski out was still in perfect shape all the way to the bottom, and 5 days from closing it was wide open down to the Goats Eye station.

I truly hope you had a great snowboard season – I sure did.
So for now it’s either a flight to Chile or a trip out to Whistler or Mt. Hood.
Have a great summer and remember – our snowboard gear shows up in August!

I even pulled my kid out of school mid week for the last trip - note how few people are around.

Riding in a long sleeve and no toque is the best!

Trey showing off his "grasser" technique on the next years Burton Parkitect

The 25th Annual Easy Rider Snowboard Cup – presented by Burton Snowboards at Panorama Mountain Resort was FREAKING AWESOME!

We had  443  competitors show up to race the legendary Banked Slalom and take part in the Big Air events. (That was not a typo – Four Hundred and Forty Three people showed up!)

Panorama did an amazing job at building the best course in 25 years!

Saturday morning saw the first run of the Banked Slalom take place – while it was dumping snow.  Competitors snuck in their race run in between pow runs on the mountain.  Later in the day the Big Air event was held with lots of rad tricks thrown down.  We had a “man sized” jump as well as a smaller take off for the groms to hit, and fun was had by all.

Saturday evening we held a showing of the Red Bull Supernatural show that had been on TV earlier in the day with a couple hundred people showing up in the Great Hall Lodge at Panorama to watch the riding.
After the showing Lester Quitzau and Billy Hicks took to the stage with some mind melting guitar and drums.
After Lester’s set it was off to the T-Bar Lounge for some good old snowboard contest fun.

Sunday arose to fresh powder and blue bird skies.  The Banked Slalom course was open for everyones second run and was nice and fast.
Lester and Billy again entertained on the Lodge deck in the afternoon and that was followed up with the awards and Draw Prizes.

After 25 years of running the funnest event in snowboarding – all I can say is bring on #26!

A huge THANK YOU goes out to everyone that made is such a great event.

Burton Snowboards
Nixon
Panorama Mountain Village and all their amazing staff!
Ride / DC / Vans / Converse / Spy / Volcom / 32 / Dragon

Bataleon / Lib Tech / Skull Candy / Platinum Video / Electric / Celtek / Quiksilver

Oakley / GoPro / Forum / Snowboard Canada / DaKine / Air Hole / Anon / Analog / RED / Sector 9 / Landyachtz.

Warwick Patterson for his video work. (DVD to be released soon)
Lester Quitzau and Billy Hicks for their amazing playing.

Most of all to my Family / my Brother / Friends / Staff and Team for their help – the event would not happen with out them!
The Biggest THANK YOU goes to ALL of you who came out and actually went snowboarding!

And Finally – The Banked Slalom Results . . . I am sorry to say that due to several factors (our lengthening of the course / the snowstorm / the huge number of entries / etc) we had a massive timing system failure on Saturday that resulted in the majority of times not being useable.  The amazing Staff at Panorama tried very hard, for a very long time to make sense of the messed up data and unfortunately they could not.   A few of the times from Saturday did work – and we did have manual back up for them to be verified, so those times do stand.
I am sorry to all those who were counting on their times to prove to their buddies who was faster – we are already working with Panorama and a couple of ski race teams to insure that next years system will work flawlessly.
(The “Timing Fail” note is just that / the DSQ means that you missed a gate in your run / and the DNS means that you did not show up for your run)

Thank you!
Warren Currie
The Easy RIder

Banked Slalom Start area.

Tom from Ride in the gate for his run.

Little Grom taking the first turn.

Happy "Cup'pers"

Lester Rocking the Deck! Guest drummer Griffin - filling in for Billy Hicks

Awards ceremony.

25th_Results

With the mountains still receiving a buch of new snow – the riding has never been better.
Longer day light hours mean no “darkness to darkness” drive to ride anymore.
Easy Rider still has BY FAR the Best Selection around – and all boards / boots and bindings are 30% off!
Come get some!

Boards, boards and more boards.

More boards, boots and bindings!

Managed to get our hands on a few pairs of next years Switchback Bindings.
The white set is how they get shipped to us – like Lego for snowboarding.
The staff had fun making up a few of their favorite combos.

Parts!

Assembled – takes about 2 minutes.

Warren’s choice.

Trey’s set up.

Richard’s dream combo.

Will’s “on fire” set up.

Just back from the big trade show in Denver and are STOKED to report that The Easy Rider will be bringing you Switchback bindings next snow season.

The crew that brings you Bataleon Snowboards is bringing you a kick ass way to get the exact binding you want.

Thousands of combinations – unlimited style!

More info REALLY soon.

SWITCHBACK BINDINGS from Switchback Bindings on Vimeo.

Just 2 of thousands of options.

SIA booth

A few more options at the SIA booth in Denver

Trey with an option.

Did I mention they have a killer Team? Well they do!

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the DC Snowboards day at Powder Mountain Catboarding and Heli operation this past weekend.

Not only fortunate to get to go – but fortunate that there was 50 cm of fresh over night on top of 30 cm of fresh the night before – that’s 80 cm of freshies for those that skipped math class to go sherd.

Along with other dealers and DC people were team riders Ikka Backstrom and Ryan Tiene.

To say it was a great day of riding is a huge understatement.

Big Thanks to Josh and all the gang at DC Canada for putting this day together, and to the gang at Powder Mountain Cat and Heli.

Yes - it was a raise your arms kind of day!

Easy RIder gloves warming up in the cab. Thanks for driving Jordan!

Ikka coming to a stop. Yes - that's over knee deep at the bottom.

When you stopped - this is how deep you had to dig down to be able to un buckle.

Ikka launching a little hit.

The gang. Note the Canuck flavor on the base of the new Devun 162.

Powder Mountain's own beer was waiting at the base.

In case anyone out there in cyber land missed it – Easy Rider is a SNOWBOARD SHOP.

We have almost 600 different boards in the store – AND we know how to make sure that you get the right one.
(a little tip – it doesn’t matter if the board is under your chin / pokes you in the eye / or sticks in your nose).

Get your board from people that actually snowboard.

Easy Rider – we ain’t Walmart!