The 2013 SIA Snow Show officially kicked off Thursday as the best brands in snowboarding came together to show off their latest and greatest products for 2014.
The Snowboard Mag team hit the trade show floor with excitement as we went booth to booth talking with the men and women behind next year’s gear. We felt like little kids on Christmas morning as we got the scoop on what’s new for 2014.
Here are the highlights from day one:
Vans is releasing a 20th Anniversary boot that rocks a secret color pattern that appears only when it’s wet along with a matching 20th Anniversary Vans x Union binding that will surely get your attention. Along with the 20th Anniversary gear, Vans has stepped up their boot closure systems giving you 6 new ways to customize the way your boot fits your foot. It’s a huge leap in technology with more options to make sure your are comfortable and look good.
Arnette is introducing a new goggle, The Windshield, that plays off the same technology as the Highlight but without a concave lens. Along with The Windshield, Arnette teamed up with Think Thank on a new collab Skylight goggle that rocks an orange pattern that the Think Thank riders are wearing in their new movie.
Jeremy Jones showed us his new line that looks amazing as always. The classics like the Hovercraft, Solution and splitboard variations to the new Aviator, an all-mountain shred stick that fills the void in the Jones line creating a board for everyday shredding. Also, working off his Jones backcountry pack, this year’s bag utilizes the same technology with a removable air bag, giving you options in the backcountry.
Quiksilver continues the always popular Travis Rice line with his latest, top-of-the-line GORE-TEX jacket with a colorway inspired by Greek pigment dyes. Another jacket to point out is the Cory Arnold (renowned National Geographic photographer and Deadliest Catch deckhand) entry-level jacket that rocks a unique Seagull print that might seem odd when you hear about it, but up close is one of the coolest prints we’ve seen.
The North Face continues their dominance in technology with its new jackets and pants specifically designed for TNF athletes Lucas Debari and Xavier De Le Rue. Each setup utilizes special pockets designed by the riders themselves to easily store and use cellphones, gps devices and radios to always be in the know when shredding the gnarliest lines around the world.
Patagonia keeps tradition as they introduce another rider driven line of great looking outwear designed and tested by ambassadors Forrest Shearer, Ryland Bell, Josh Dirksen and Alex Yoder. Each piece offers something different that each rider demands in there respected elements.
Lastly, K2 Snowboarding improves upon its Kwicker Backcountry System with an new binding-less, step in system that K2 says is “The quickest splitboard system on the market.” After testing it out a few times, we’ll have to agree that it’s pretty damn fast.
Well that’s it from day one, stay tuned as we hit the floor all day Friday to bring you more of the best 2014 products from your favorite brands.
