Snowboards -

[mojor]

Don't buy your kids any products from Burton! Burton is a $220 Million company that sells lots of products to parents like us. They have two new snowboards that depict Playboy models and cartoonish self-mutilation graphics.

Burton is a transnational corporation that is headquartered where I live in Vermont. We have always loved Burton and even though we are skiiers we used to buy tons of their stuff. Burton is an industry leader and positions itself on the leading edge of defining what is "cool" in snowboarding culture. Burton is trying to be edgy by appealing to young men but they want to be mainstream enough to make the big bucks from families and women (the fastest growing demographic in snowboarding). They don't seem to care about the power these images can have on the kids that will see them at resorts. They don't understand how pervasive cutting is among teenage girls and how objectification of women affects teen boys and girls. It is one thing to view Playboy Magazine models in the privacy of home and quite another to be forced to view them on a ski lift!

Burton owners and management have been very dismissive and defiant of the substantial concerns about these boards. They claim that an "isolated group of Vermonters" are concerned about this, so I want to let you all know about this too.

This is about Burton as an influential icon among youths. They don't just respond to youth culture, they help set the trends. Burton sees these graphics as "edgy" and "artistic." It's clear that Burton doesn't "get it", that using such images as marketing tools promotes the idea that these things are normal and healthy. (Besides the snowboards, they have stickers and other products - a 420 kit for concealing marijuana paraphernalia, and a "hook up" kit for one night stands, to name a few - that are widely distributed.)

Kids and teens are subjected to a daily barrage of negative images and messages from many different sources and they become desensitized to them, thus blurring the lines between what's right and wrong. It appears not cool to take the high road.

Don't buy Burton products until they act more socially responsible! And - help me spread the word -THANKS

[JWills]

Well, I am sorry to hear about your tiff with Burton. I am a snowboarder, and I wont buy anything other than Burton. I dont buy it because its cool or the in thing to do, I buy their products because the are good quality, and if properly cared for, will last for years. Im not saying that other compaines dont offer good products, they do, but I prefer Burton. i have owned many boards, most of which were not Burton, but when I made the investment, I was very pleased.

A simple solution to kids having boards (or whatever) with playboy bunnies and whatnot is not to buy that specific board for your child. Burton makes plenty of other boards/products that do not depict such things. And they are quite good, too.


I think to not buy any product from them is ridiculous, especially since they are among the top for snowboarding equipment. Just dont buy your kids the equpiment you think looks innappropriate. There are many products that they offer that dont have such things, and you still get top qualtity. This is just my opinion, I am in no way trying to make a huge debate about it.


since you seem detirmined to avoid Burton's products, I would reccomend K2, Salomon, and Ride. Also, I have used Switch bindings, Vans boots, and 5150 boots, all of which were excellent products that I got long term use from :) Good luck in finding equpiment for your child!