Archive for category: snowboarding gear

Test Riding the Men’s Burton Gondy GORE-TEX Leather Gloves at Blue Mountain

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Quick Review: Men’s Burton Gondy GORE-TEX Leather Gloves

Coming in at around $150 CAD, the Burton Gondy Gloves are a solid pair of warm, well-insulated leather gloves. They’re durable, featuring a pull-on loop at the base of the palm and a Velcro strap that ensures a snug fit around the wrist. While they add a bit of bulk to your hands, you’ll still be able to pinch and grab zippers or ratchet your bindings. I’d recommend these gloves to all-mountain riders. This pair works just as well for someone looking to ride groomers at a resort all day or anyone who wants to carve lines through the trees and deeper snow conditions.

Full Review of the Men’s Burton Gondy GORE-TEX Leather Gloves

I headed out to my usual stomping grounds at Blue Mountain. The weather was decent—low wind, but the sky was overcast, and the lighting was flat. It seemed like as good a day as any to try out a new pair of leather snowboarding gloves.

For a while, I’ve been riding with pipe gloves and using a separate pair of liner gloves for insulation. I developed a preference for this glove setup while snowboarding in Ontario, as it gave me the most dexterous fit. However, during my last trip out west to BC, I found that the pipe gloves—acting as an outer shell—would start to stiffen and freeze in the colder, mountainous air. My hands never got cold while wearing the liners underneath. But I wanted to find a new pair a gloves that could suit my riding needs both locally in Ontario, and also better withstand a trip into the backcountry.

When I tried on the Men’s Burton Gondy GORE-TEX Leather Gloves, I immediately noticed the density of the insulation. I knew I wouldn’t need liner gloves with this leather pair. The insulation in the Gondy gloves is plush and warm. However, I’m curious to see if the ThermacoreECO insulation, which contains 95% recycled materials, will packout and lose effectiveness over time.

For now, I’m deciding how to best use them. I’ve noticed the gloves don’t fit well under the cuffs of my Volcom Brighton Pullover jacket. The cuffs of my sleeves bunch up at the base of the gloves as I stretch and move around. Tasks like bending over to clear snow from my binding footbed or grabbing the straps to buckle in cause the sleeves to ride up and refuse to settle over the gloves properly. Additionally, the Brighton Pullover jacket doesn’t have wrist gaiters, so I’m concerned snow or cold air may get up my sleeves.

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Burton Snowboard Collection Night 2024

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Burton Snowboard Collection Night 2024 at their Ossington store. It was an intimate yet buzzing social event that brought together a vibrant community of snowboard enthusiasts. Among the crowd was Aaron (@burtonsnowboardcollection), a lifelong snowboarder and passionate Burton fan, who showcased his curated collection of classic Burton snowboards. Each board told its own story, sparking admiration and nostalgia among attendees.

The event kicked off at 6 PM on November 30th, with an online RSVP system ensuring a smooth check-in process. As the store closed to the public, its doors reopened to a gathering of snowboard lovers ready to celebrate their shared passion.

A Chill Evening with Friends and Gear

I arrived around 6:30 PM, greeted by the warmth of familiar faces and new ones. My friend Matt was already there, chatting away with fellow attendees. The vibe was relaxed and welcoming, complemented by complimentary Steam Whistle beers and light snacks.

Adding to the excitement, everything in the store was available at 20% off for the night. I couldn’t resist picking up a pair of black Burton Gondy gloves, which I’m eager to try out on the slopes. Keep an eye out for a future blog post where I’ll share my experience with them!

The event also featured a raffle with some enticing prizes. While Matt and I didn’t have luck on our side this time, the thrill of the draw and the camaraderie of the crowd made it worth every moment.

It was a fantastic evening of catching up with friends, meeting new people, and indulging in the shared joy of snowboarding culture. If you’re a Burton fan or just love snowboarding, events like these are a must-attend.

Here are some photos I captured from the night. Let me know if you’ve ever been to a Burton event or which snowboard is your all-time favourite!

Burton Twin
Burton Twin
autographed burton throwback snowboard
autographed burton throwback snowboard
classic burton snowboards love collection
classic burton snowboards love collection

 

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Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show 2024: My Review

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Here’s my Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show 2024 review: It was a great day to get out with the family and walk over to the Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show. We live near the Exhibition Place grounds so walking to the Better Living Center building was very accessible. The last time I was at the Ski & Snowboard Show was in 2022, and I can tell you the venue and event was much better this year!

Keep reading…

Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show 2024 Review

Buying Tickets Online
Enter the Show & Walking the Grounds
Shopping at Corbett’s & So Hip
Checking Out the Kids Area

Buying Tickets Online

I bought my tickets online way in advance and got a 25% discount. I got 2 adults tickets for my wife and I, and since admission under the age of 12 is free, we could bring my daughter for no extra charge. It all came to $30. The online checkout process was simple to use and getting the ticket via email was handy.

Entering the Show & Walking the Grounds

There was a lot more to see and do this year compared to the last time I was at the show. There was a great variety of vendors.

toronto ski & snowboard show 2024Ikon had a large booth that almost felt like it was in the center of the floor plan.

Volvo had a few of their SUVs on display on the show floor.  There was also a bar serving drinks and a few local breweries, like Something in the Water, that had booths at the show.

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toronto-ski-and-snowboard-show-tote-bag
toronto-ski-and-snowboard-show-tote-bag
toronto-ski-and-snowboard-show-2024-review
toronto-ski-and-snowboard-show-2024-review
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ikon-pass-destinations-toronto-ski-and-snowboard-show

When you first enter the show, you are welcomed by a Greeter. They hand out a branded blue tote bag and I managed to gather a bunch of things to store in it as I walked the grounds.

I got some magazines, promo-flyers, 2-for-the-price-of-1 lift ticket coupons and a sheet of stickers.

They also had this wayfinder that shows you where all the resorts and retailers are located on the show floor.

Ski and snowboard resorts from all over Canada have a booth. You can walk up and ask questions about the resort and their accommodations. Most resorts have some kind of lift ticket or lodging promotion going on. There’s also a handful of choice resorts from Europe and USA too.

Near the food court area, there was a documentary film playing with a pioneer of skiing speaking about his experiences of living through the industry. I think having the video screen near the food court was a smart idea. It allowed attendees to rest and eat while still staying engaged in everything the show had to offer.

Shopping at Corbett’s & So Hip

We eventually made our way to Corbett’s area. Which is usually towards the back because they’re always the biggest retailer with the most floor space at the show.

I use to work at Corbett’s while I was growing up in Oakville. I ran into old friends Darren, Stu and Dave who I use to work with. It was nice to see familiar faces and to get a chance to briefly catch up.

k2 lil mini 75cm snowboardWe purchased a K2 Lil’ Mini 75cm with Ride Micro bindings. The board is twin-shaped with zero camber throughout most of the board but a bit or rocker outside the bindings. I’m excited for my daughter to have her first snowboard. The board has a built in tow-rope, so I can’t wait for the snow to start falling so I can pull my daughter along on her board.

The binding have a single strap for entry, making it easy to use for both kids and parents. The highback also adjusts to allow for multiple boot sizes, so you can get a couple seasons of use out of them This makes Micro bindings a solid choice for absolute beginners.

For my wife, I bought the Volcom Fern Ins Gore tex Pullover Jacket that she found. It was 50% off, marked down to $180 from $360.

I they went by So Hip and grabbed myself an extra pair of Stance socks. This are a merino wool blend. You can read my ultimate men’s snowboarding socks guide to find out why I chose a wool pair.

Checking Out the Kids Area

The Ski & Snowboard Show has had dedicated kids areas in the past, but this year’s was much better. They had this tubing slide you could ride down. There was also a skateboarding area set up with a mini ramp and a kicker jump. My daughter had a blast in the kids area (I did too!). They had this ‘grab mat’ on the ground that helped teach young kids the name and manoeuvre of different snowboarding grabs.

learn-snowboarding-grab-mat
learn-snowboarding-grab-mat

Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show 2024 Review Conclusion

I had a great outing with my family on a Saturday morning. We managed to score some gear at a great price and enjoyed the various vendors and booths that were set up. Even though we still have some more gear to buy–I’d like to get myself a new pair of gloves and jacket–I look forward to the upcoming snowboard season. If they hold another Ski & Snowboard Show at the Better Living Center again, I’ll definitely attend!

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Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show 2024: The Official Start of Winter

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The official start of winter is back! The Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show is happening October 25th-27th, 2024 at the Better Living Center.

I’m excited and already bought tickets for myself and the family.

You can see all the event details here (torontoskishow.ca). For adults (age 18-64) it only costs $20, youth (age 13-17) costs $12, while seniors (age 65+) also cost $12. Admission is free for anyone 12 years old or younger. Here’s link straight to the online ticket box office.

I’ve been attending the Ski & Snowboard Show for years, although I didn’t attend last year in 2023. You can read about my experience at the 2022 show here.

At that time, it was being held at the International Center in Mississauga, ON. It had been there for a number of years. But I’m excited that the show has moved back to the Better Living Center. The Ski & Snowboard Show use to be held at the Better Living Center at the Exhibition Place grounds in Toronto many more years back.

I live in the Liberty Village neighbourhood of Toronto, so walking over to the Better Living Center will be a cinch. If you see me at the show, come over and say hi!

I’ll write a blog review of my experience, so be sure to check back or follow me to stay in the loop.

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Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show 2022

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This past Friday, my wife and I went to check out the Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show at the International Center from Oct. 28th-30th, 2022. It was very exciting to me because this year marked the return of the event after it had been on hiatus the last few years because of the pandemic.

While growing up I loved attending the Ski & Snowboard show as it was the big industry kick-off event in the Greater Toronto Area to get enthusiasts stoked on the upcoming season. It was always a great place to meet up with friends in the scene, walk the isles of the trade show scoping out deals on gear from retainers and vacation packages from the resorts.

I’ve also worked at the Ski & Snowboard Show multiple times in the past when I was an employee at Corbett’s–who always has the biggest booth at the show–and have fond memories of attending the after parties at different venues throughout Toronto over the years.

Which is why it’s unfortunate I have to admit the show has become a shadow of its former self.

My Experience at the Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show 2022

Like I was saying, I was super excited for the show so I got there on the first day; the Friday.

I know from having worked at the show in the past, the first day is the best. You get first pickings on all the gear the snowboard shops bring to sell during the show. Plus, it’s less busy. The crowds really come on the Saturday and Sunday.

In the weeks ahead of time, I was already surfing all the snowboard websites doing product research. I knew exactly what I wanted to get. I was on the hunt for a pair of Burton Kendo boots and some fresh snowboarding socks. My last pair have a hole around my pinky toe.

I figured after I get my gear I’d take a walk around visiting the resort vendors at the show. Usually all the resorts in Ontario show up and have a table. Then some resorts around western Canada and the United States have booths too. I had already purchased an IKON base pass for this upcoming season months earlier.

Aside from riding Blue Mountain in Ontario, I’d like to go to Red Mountain in British Columbia with friends and Tremblant in Quebec this winter with family.

Walking around the Show

The first thing I did once I got through the entry gates was walk the outer perimeter of the trade floor. I immediately noticed that the show was smaller than it use to be. There were fewer vendors than I remember and a few that seemed out of place. There were people selling vacuum sealed salami and pepperettes, locally farmed honey and that granola snack brand MADE GOOD.

One of the coolest booth designs was for IKON Pass. If you don’t know, IKON is a season pass program where with one pass you can get access to a number of participating resorts. There’s over 51 resorts on the pass and they had this large print map that pinpointed all the resort locations.

All the resorts that were participating in the IKON pass had branded flags at their booths. I visited most of them to see if there were any opportunities to enter contests to win lift tickets or lodging packages.

While walking around a bit more I got myself a merino wool blend pair of Stance snowboarding socks. You should read my guide on snowboarding socks to understand why I went with a merino wool bend instead of polyester.

I then went to the Corbett’s booth in search for those Kendo boots but they didn’t have them. I then stumbled upon a vendor selling heat pads. They were called Express Heat Therapy.

I’ve had a few shoulder injuries while snowboarding and I thought purchasing a few heat pads could help with my recovery and wellbeing. They had a great deal, for $110 you could get a neck/shoulder heat pad, a lower back heat pad and 4 hand warmers which I though might come in handing while walking around the city in winter.

The neat thing about these therapeutic heat pads is that they are reusable.

Final Thoughts About the Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show 2022

It would seem that the glory days of the Toronto Ski & Snowboard show are behind us now. Snowboard Canada magazine no longer hosts after parties. I remember them being awesome times where I got to see premieres of the latest snowboard videos, there were musical acts like Trouble Andrew and I recall one time Andrew Hartingham bought me a shot.

The show overall seemed smaller and more tamed nowadays. Mind you, it’s only $20 to get in but I’m not sure if I’d continue to check out the show every year.

Maybe I’ll continue to go every once in a little while but there isn’t really enough going on at the show for me to recommend it to other people.

In the end, I decided to walk to the Burton Flagship store on Ossington in Toronto and I was able to buy the Kendo boots there. I’m excited to ride them and I’ll try and write a review post about it later this winter.

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