PK Thunder

Light, responsive. Lots of baseplate padding. What more do you want? One of the best toe straps around for sure. The ratchets are a bit sticky, but never a problem on the hill. Comparable to Rome 390s or Burton Cartels in terms of flex & response, but the stiff aluminum baseplate is not for everyone. Built like it'll last forever.

The Uninc is really a snowboard to measure others against. Great mid-stiff flex, even though one might mistake it for a noodle based on its "park" marketing. The elevated wu-tips on the stick does significantly improve riding through pow or chop. The ICS/EST thing tends to polarize opinions as either a great innovation or Burton money grab, but I for one think it's pretty neat, the icing on a great cake. Very poppy, very light, and it's the last year of the Uninc so it's something of a collector's item, despite its terrible graphics. But that's why you have diecuts. Buy it.

To start off with a disclaimer, any one person's opinion on a snowboard is not necessarily applicable to another person. That being said, this was one of my least favorite boards I ever tried. Very lifeless, no real pop to speak of. It wasn't very soft/buttery either, so I'm not sure what it would excel at. I typically love Ride decks, but this is one I simply can't recommend.

Rome has been killing it for a while now with their sticks, and the Graft is no exception. Awesome mid-soft flex that's buttery smooth, but not soft enough to rob your carving confidence. The sidecut feels much mellower than most other snowboards I've been on (discounting strictly jib decks), tracks straight. Great pop. Very fun board for park and all mountain freestyle that could sell for a lot higher than it does.

There is pretty much nothing that will beat the edge to edge quickness of the CX. The response is so lively and instantaneous you'll just laugh as you mach carve your way down. Great pop on both ends. The deck has a great lively flex but it's definitely on the stiffer end of things, so it would be best to stay away if you're in the beginning stages. This deck rarely changes much year-to-year, so pick this one up at a discount and shred it next year.

I meant to say I wear a S, instead of M in the previous post.

I used to wear 20K rated pants, but man, the goretex is just at a different level of waterproofing. It's dry no matter what, even in the rain. The fabric is a bit thin, and not terribly warm, but you are likely wearing long bottoms anyway, which makes it a moot point. The only reason I take away a star is that mine has torn very slightly where there is a lot of wear (from bindings) after 30 days.

Since I got the Anorak I haven't worn any of my other jackets since. Dope styling, fit & functionality, the thing will keep you dry while looking good. Period. Some minor negatives would be lack of zip-in interface with Burton pants that most other AK jackets have, and the two smaller front pockets are relatively useless. The lining seems to fray somewhat easily, but good thing you're buying from dogfunk since they'll stand behind you 100%. One more thing, the jacket is HUGE. I'm 5'10 180lbs and the medium comes right under my ass and the sleeves fully cover my fingers. Size appropriately, maybe even order 2 different sizes and return 1. Oh, and FYI the 2010 Anorak looks terrible so snap these up while they last!

The suit's a great midweight base layer (very similar, if slightly thicker, than Burtion midweights for reference) and the material is everything you would want in a midweight base layer, warm, wicking, etc. The fit for this year's is kind of strange, though, with a pretty long torso. The rainbow flap is a good idea in theory, but in actuality, the zipper just chafes your ass and tends to rip pretty easily. I had mine modified to take the zipper out, quite frankly even if you have to take a dump you're not going to use the flap. Still, this is pretty much my first layer of choice for any day in the EK.

If you don't know what you want, don't get these. If you have to ask yourself if the Drivers are a fit for you, they're likely not. In fact, if you are the kind of person who would love these boots, you are likely not even reading this. A common mistake is for people to just look at the pricetag and determine whether a boot is "good" or not, instead of analyzing the attributes. Don't get me wrong, these are amazing if what you want (and you need to know exactly what you want) is INSTANT response and ultra-stiffness in your boots, and it serves a certain segment. For the rest of us though, it might be better to stick with boots that have some flex at the ankle.

Very warm, stylish. The extra length is great, if you tuck in it makes sure it stays tucked, and if you keep it out it makes it less likely for snow to get down your pants. Fits true to what I normally wear, maybe a hair larger in width.

Unlike the description, it looks like a tech shirt, not a cotton shirt. Because it is. Still, it does what you want it to, namely, wick sweat and dry quickly. Lightweight, so don't expect it to keep your very warm, but it's a nice shirt regardless, and it's nice to not have to change out of it for those of use who hit the slopes in between or before work/class/whatever. VERY long but otherwise true to fit.

It's a bit of a disservice to yourself to not get EST. The difference is admittedly subtle, so a decision needs to be made re: cost vs. return, but if you ride anywhere with lots of hardpack (like here out east) I think your knees will thank you for it. Again, the difference isn't remarkably otherworldly, but the extra cushioning is definitely noticeable, especially in flat landings, and the triads have a bit more cush than the Cartel EST in my opinion.