Open Letter to Jake and Donna Burton Carpenter

[Dan]

LML, I thought this was just your unique sense of humor.  I even copied the quote and googled it.  Only your post came up so I thought the world was safe and God was in his heaven.  Then I searched just for Burton and Gwen Stefani.     Wow... WTF!?! I just don't get this anymore.  

 

I'm debating trading in my old Burton and just riding a cookie sheet in a pair of high-tops when the powder hits. 

 

Gobsmacked... that is the word I'm looking for.

 

Seriously, I have NO IDEA who Burton is targeting anymore. I do feel confident that it's not me, and it's not teens, who I think of as their traditional market. Not only is the concept of a Gwen Stefani collabo ridiculous, their copywriter should be forced to turn in his/her keyboard. Their whole current direction is so ridiculous that I wonder if we're being trolled. 

[lordmetroland]

Not only is the concept of a Gwen Stefani collabo ridiculous, their copywriter should be forced to turn in his/her keyboard. Their whole current direction is so ridiculous that I wonder if we're being trolled. 

 

It's like watching a couple of middle-aged people hook up at their high school reunion. They're thinking, "we should do this because we were both so hot 20 years ago" while the rest of the people look on with a mixture of horror, pity and embarrassment. You're right; it can't be happening. Especially when I'm sure W.A.S.P. was looking for someone to hook up with.

[neanderthal]

I'm not just being a contrarian but seriously why are we discussing a company that has not given any love to our sport in 20 yrs? 

Yes they were great.

Yes I just found the dreamboard of my youth a PJ7 and am super stoked to ride it. 

Are they relevant today to snowboarding? probably just as relevant as Quicksilver/Roxy are to surfing.  How many surfboards do you see leaving the Quicksilver store in the mall? Can you climb Everest with (NorthFace, Patagonia --- fill in name) top level products? Sure but what percentage of those companies sales actually leave a sidewalk?  When you think Lacoste is it hard core tennis products by a tennis pro that comes to mind? Not likely,  more likely you see a preppy kid with their collar turned up. These companies know that there are a very limited number of people who actually participate in their sport but many that dig the lifestyle/image and have morphed to style brands rather than equipment manufacturers.  In the long run for a company to survive the trends this may be a smart thing to do.

As for LAMB all I can say is why didnt I know about that earlier? would have saved me a fortune spent on Bogner for my wife.  Oh by the way I love my Burton digital camo outfit.  Will I ever ride a modern Burton board - Not Likely. Bemoan a few people who have figgured out how to live the party - Never.

 

PS - absent neglect from the behemoth an innovative community has arisen - If they still were the dominant powerhouse recent innovations we enjoy would likely have been squashed in pattent wars

[st_lupo]

I'm not just being a contrarian but seriously why are we discussing a company that has not given any love to our sport in 20 yrs? 

Yes they were great.

....

PS - absent neglect from the behemoth an innovative community has arisen - If they still were the dominant powerhouse recent innovations we enjoy would likely have been squashed in pattent wars

I used to LOVE Burton boards; Craig Kelly, Asym Air, Custom 159 (an abnormality) and Super Model 169.  Seriously, their gear was fantastic and never let me down.  But perhaps their best board ever was the Custom Flying V.  When I rented one a couple of years back I experienced an epiphany and saw where the cutting edge of traditional softboot snowboarding was going and I wanted no part of that.  The Custom Flying V was a pig wallowing in ...mmm... mud?    After that it was an F2 Silberpfeil and now a Coiler Nirvana and I'm happier than a pig in ....mmm... mud?