David Duffy

These boots are medium width, so you can get away with them if you have a wider foot with no problem. Length-wise, they are true to size as well, so just look at the sizing chart to figure out your UK to US conversion.

I keep saying this about Salomon boots, and this year they seem to have taken a step forward with this problem with the Pledge, but Salomons have this issue that they literally manufacture into their boots where snow gets lodged in on either side of the lacing system, between the laces and the tongue. These ones are a little better than normal because the lacing system lies flatter to the tongue, but in years past the Pledge has suffered from the effects of this problem.

Salomon gives these a 7 out of 10 in their stiffness rating; however, I think they're a little softer than that. And if you ride more than a few weeks a year, you'll definitely see that the stiffness they build into these breaks in very quickly. They're a fine boot to hike in or hit the park/pipe with confidence. Send 'er!

Alright, so to start off, I have to say that these boots run a bit narrow, so if you have a wide foot, you probably want to look elsewhere. Other than that, they are true to size. Also, the inner lacing boa is shorter than in years past, so you won't be able to wrap it around your leg and hook it back on to the front of the boot anymore. I've kind of yet to find a good place to put the inner lace clip. Also, aesthetically speaking, the boot in the picture is probably an 8 or a 9, as well. I've heard people suggesting that the F22 has a smaller footprint, but let it be known: the bigger size boots definitely do not have a significantly reduced footprint size. You'll still need your XL bindings.

However, Salomon keeps making the lacing system of their boots with this chasm between the laces and the tongue of the boot. This can eventually make for wet feet, since snow can get into that area of the boot, melt a little, and end up taking up permanent residence. You can see what I'm talking about in the sample picture for the boot at the top of the page: on the sides of the outer lacing system over the arch of the foot, there are two little dead spaces on either side of the tongue that can fill up with snow. I had a pair of the Salomon Pledges from a few years ago, and they had a similar design flaw, which led to wet feet after about 4 hours. Had some 32's before that, same story.

Melting snow leads to wet feet = wet boots = stank boots = stank feet = you not getting laid. This is a problem that needs to be addressed.

Other than this, these are great boots. Very stiff, but my spider senses tell me about 2-3 weeks of riding in them will break them in, no problem. And remember, they are a narrow footbed design.

Five years ago, I got these goggles as a Christmas gift. One year later, I moved to Jackson WY and started riding 100+ days a year with these goggles exclusively. I stocked up on some different types of lenses (The Feenom has a hilariously diverse selection of replacement lenses) and would swap them out as needed for low light, sun, fog, whatever.

I eventually wore through the strap, but because of the construction of the goggles, all I had to do was rivet the strap back onto the plastic frame and I was good to go again within one week (took a long time to build up the motivation to go to the hardware store).

I'm still wearing them daily, even after 100+ days a year, every season since I've owned them. These aren't just the best goggles I've ever owned, I have to say these are the most reliable piece of snowboarding equipment I have ever owned.

Ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at one damn sweet pair of goggles.

Fit-wise, these babies are without a doubt, WAY too big for anyone who could describe their head/face as "smaller". But, if you rock a medium to large dome, these will fit you just fine. Another thing you might notice (or rather, NOT notice) when you're wearing them is the frame. You pretty much can't see it when you've got them on.

You can wear them with a helmet, as long as you wear the strap outside. I wouldn't recommend wearing them underneath, jib-kid style -- they might be uncomfortable because of the raised rubber thing on the straps, not to mention the size of the lenses. A pair similar to these that fits straps-under is the VZ Feenom.

Nonetheless, since I have a big head/face structure and wear goggles outside of my helmet, these are awesome.

Alright, it might sound like I'm complaining, but let me just say these pants are rad. They're made with a kind of material that seems about half way between soft shell and hard shell, and are definitely waterproof as f***. I ended up getting an XL pair, which you can wear with a 33" waist if you've got a belt to go with it. I'm 6'1", 200 lbs with a 33" waist and I'd actually recommend the large instead.

Regardless, these are a nice choice if you're not looking to spend 3L money, but still want a pair of pants that will keep the farts in and the powder out.

I got these in a Large, I'm 6'1" 200 lbs with a 33" waist and they fit pretty much true to form. I have to say that the leg vent placement is a little weird -- it goes across your knees. But, other than remembering not to kneel in the snow when your vents are open, there are no other problems.

They're nothing super special, but I'm pretty satisfied.

I say YES (no, not YES the board manufacturer).

If you have 11.5+ size feet, chances are you've experience that unspeakably annoying part of a powdery traverse where everyone blows by you as you're one-footing it and fogging up your shit. Well, no more.

First off, this board is light. I'm not sure if that's a worry in the durability department, but most people aren't going to challenge the average snowboard's integrity for quite a few years, so that's pretty much a non-issue. Second, there is no skimping on the waistband. You can ride this board 5cm shorter than your average regular-camber normal-width board and still float WAY better in powder. Also, there is usually an assumption that wide boards are annoyingly stiff compared to their regular counterparts. I personally like to ride flexy boards, and while this is no park pickle, it's also not a steep-and-deep only fence post. The flex is there when you need it, and that's all you can ask.

One potentially annoying thing is the Burton proprietary binding mount system, which is not compatible with a lot of older bindings. Check your base plates to make sure that you can mount up on the single-track system if you have binders from say... 2008 or earlier. Or, just check them anyways.

I loved this board. It can easily be your one-stick quiver.

I got these off of a buddy for pretty cheap, and I'm happy to tell you that they're worth a lot more than I would usually pay for Burton gear.

First off, even though they use an all-plastic construction and there is a fair bit of flex, everything is still pretty solid feeling. I haven't had anything break in spite of daily use. Also, both the toe and heel straps are super-comfortable and adjustable, so there's no surprises there if you don't have the smallest boots in the world.

Potential downsides: the inside of the heel strap is prone to wearing out quickly because of the fluffy, comfortable stuff it's made from. I don't know what I'd recommend doing about that, but it's a fairly minor flaw. Also, the ladders end up stripping on me in a pretty-damn-quick sort of fashion, so keep a Burton dealer close -- in my experience, I think they are obligated to swap out your trashed ones for new ones as you need them.

Across the board, bindings have gotten shittier as time has progressed. These aren't exactly old school, but they are comfy and sure do the trick.

Not a huge surprise with all the stock that's left from last year and ridiculous sales you see on this item, but these pants are crap.

I had a previous year of this model and the crotch ripped out while I was making a jump, so I shipped em back to Bond and they (very nicely) shipped me back a pair of the newer model (which is this one).

I hate to say it, because the Bond people were so nice, but they're still total shit. The crotch ripped out again, which is to say that the seam just blew open. Speaking of blown out seams, the back right pocket blew out too (on the seam) so forget putting your wallet there. BUT, when you try to put your wallet in either of the cargo pockets, you realize that they are really just for looks, because anything you put in there rests nicely right against your kneecap. Not a great place for a wallet/flask/etc.

If you get these pants for free, take em. If you have to actually pay for them, you'd be better off with anything else.

These pants fit great and are waterproof, but they will actually melt if given the chance. Say you put your knee down on a box because you screwed up on a front board -- melted pants. Too close to a wall heater? Melted pants.

So, not cool.

Initially, I thought these were a good buy -- noise canceling headphones for under 20 bucks. After I had them for a week, the wires coming from the headphone jack connector started fraying inside the rubber casing. Having only one side of the headphones work just isn't cool, so I took em back to the store I bought them from. They gave me a new set for free, so I figured I was in the clear.

A few weeks later, same problem. For a while, I jerry-rigged a duct tape splint, and taped the wire to my ipod so it wouldn't move. Eventually, that didn't even work, and then the other headphone quit working about a month later. Since when did reliability indicate a manufacturer's willingness to replace a shitty product indefinitely rather than just make a good one in the first place?

I almost guarantee they will fail some time within your first year of owning them. I wouldn't recommend these to anyone. Do yourself a favor and get something else (like Creative Labs EP-630s, they're everything these aren't). Something that ISN'T made by money-grubbing, product-placement, "cool factor" skull candy.

These headphones are pretty damn low-quality. I wasn't expecting anything amazing though - I mainly bought them because #1, they were on sale on one of the deal sites, and #2, I can't hear anything going on around me when I ride with my noise-cancelling pair, which is a bad thing.

Unfortunately I can't find my nice earbuds at the moment, so I have to use these. Lets just say don't turn your mp3 player up past about halfway, and forget about using any EQ settings. Distortion galore.

I really don't like these headphones that much. But hey, they were really cheap, so three stars. Just know not to expect too much.

I have this board in the regular-camber magne 154.5 and 161.5. I know, that's not a very creative pair of boards but I got a good deal on both so relax, homeboy.

I like the way they ride, I have to say. I would probably have preferred btx, but everyone who's ridden a snowboard in the last twenty years rode regular camber, so who am I to say they were all wrong? The stiffness is bang-on, in my opinion - stiff in the middle, a bit more flex on the tip and tail.

My only gripe is the durability of the material they used to make the sidewalls and topcoat. They're obscenely easy to gouge and ding, so do your best to avoid sitting next to skiers and people who ride your opposite stance if you want to keep the top in one piece.

Overall a good board, but they built it down to a cost a little bit with the cheddar cheese sidewalls, and it shows.

LaVar Burton is gonna be pissed that you're biting his style.

There's no mistaking it - you buy these glasses, you automatically become the helmsman of the USS Enterprise. Then get ready to flip the cell when Data, Worf, or Commander Riker call up. Seriously, I'm wearing them right now and Captain Picard just sent me a text.

They also tend to fall off your face.