Burton snowboards raise a brow!
Column by Heather Burke Dec 4, 2008

Have you seen Burton’s new snowboard graphics? The Burton Love series pictures lovely but scantily clad ladies (okay – nude). Wait, Burton gets even edgier with their Coalition Primo series of four different boards each with a cartoon diagram of appendage amputation, specifically - removal of fingers.

Burton clearly wanted to make a splash and turn heads with these bold new cosmetic covers on their popular snowboards. I am not certain they anticipated protesters showing up en masse at Burton’s Burlington Vermont headquarters with picketing signs demanding the gritty graphics be recalled.

Now some ski resorts including Vail’s five resorts and Smugglers’ Notch in Vermont are banning employees from using these boards at their resorts.

As a ski journalist I am all about freedom of speech and expression. However you have to be sure your free expression is appropriate for the audience within view. Our movie theatres have ratings to keep mature content (specifically nudity or violence) away from young impressionable minds. Our lift lines do not have ratings and these blasphemous boards will be highly visible, especially to the smallest skiers and riders.

Snowboarders have certainly always been in the front of their own free spirit movement. Let’s remember that many resort banned snowboarders from their slopes in the early 1980’s but single-plankers did not take “no” for an answer. And now snowboarders make up about 30% of the “skiing” population here in the east, over 50% in the far west state of California.

These Burton graphics are definitely news makers, and I am betting that was the mission behind Burton’s release of these attention grabbers. As a publicity stunt, it’s brilliant since the media has been spreading the word about these shocking new snowboards for free (myself included here I suppose). That beats any paid ad campaign any day. You know the adage, “there is no such thing as bad publicity.” I could argue however that there is such a thing as bad taste.

In a statement, Burton’s CEO Laurent Potdevin said, “Burton supports freedom of artistic expression. Snowboarding is a sport and a lifestyle where boundaries are pushed.”

Speaking of pushing boundaries, last season Burton sponsored a “Poach” event with a cash purse of $20,000. The company encouraged snowboarders to ride at the four ski resorts that ban snowboards and submit their snowboard sneak video of Mad River Glen, Deer Valley, Alta, and Taos (Taos has since lifted their snowboard ban - last March).

So the company that brought the culture of surfing down a snowy hill on a single board to the masses now brings more chatter to the chairlift. The playboy-style “Love” series is inappropriate in a predominantly family sport. The Burton’s Coalition Primo line depicts gruesome finger removal; the most graphic aspect is on the base of the board so it only shows when you’re showing off, grabbing air or resting your board on the rack when you go in for a sweet cup of hot cocoa.

Marketing these boards to impressionable teens, presumably Burton’s target, is just bad form. Kids want to be cool, with their cool snowboards. Is it cool to promote lopping off fingers to make gestures like “peace” and “ok”?

Frankly, I can’t picture parents racing out and buy one of these racy boards. As for the “mature” market share, I would think any adult would tire of looking at any of the four ladies all season long and the finger gore would also get old real soon. So, who’s going to buy these Burton’s boards? Well, perhaps you will have the chance to ask some snowboarder in the liftline when you witness one of these eye-popping planks this season.

Of course, my daughter’s new twin tips show a shirtless guy graphic. Clearly, I was not paying full attention when that purchase was made. That’s what I love about the sport of downhill skiing (and snowboarding). It’s never dull; you always need to be on the balls of your feet, paying attention. You just never know what’s coming down the hill next.

I hope to see you out on the slopes.   

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