Snowboarding
Do The New Burton Love Snowboards Go Too Far?
Shred gear giant Burton appears to have ignited a bit of a storm with Burton Love, a new line of, er, risque snowboards. According to the Transworld article, the boards were designed by team riders Mikkel Bang and Keegan Valaika, and feature classic Playboy models printed across the deck.
I’m not going to post the photos but you can check at least one out by clicking the “Burton Love” link above.
The description of the product on Burton’s website certainly leaves little to the imagination:
“Hi. My name is Love™ and I’m on the market for someone who’s looking to score serious action, no matter where they like to stick it. I enjoy laps through the park; long, hard grinds on my meaty Park Edges followed by a good, hot waxing. Whether you’re hitting it from the front or the back, my mid wide shape, supple flex, and twin tips like it kinky. Keegan and Mikkel love riding me, I hope you will too.”
The board sells for $429.95 on Burton.com and is geared toward park riders. CNN has a brief story on parent reaction here.
Burton is clearly going for the shock factor here, and they do quite a good job. I’m into vibrant snowboard decks, but I’m not sure that includes photos of Playboy bunnies - I’m more into stuff like hilarious cartoons, possibly involving unicorns.
Discussion
Post a comment
Interesting! I’ve always associated porn-boards with companies about to hit the skids. SIMS is a fine example. Burton has made a mistake here. What kind of marketing alienates 50% of your potential buyers?
I think they’re great, a bit of cheeky fun for an older snowboarding crowd. Let’s face it, turn on any music video channel for 5 minutes and you’re likely to see something more risque. These images look like quaint throwbacks to a more innocent time, like a bettie page or marilyn monroe board.
They might have taken it a little too far. They were always good about hitting the crowd, but kept it G-rated. This happens with every company at some point, it’ll blow over in no time and it’s not like Burton is going anywhere.
Snowboarding is a commitment to a lifestyle one which not everyone belongs in or understands. This is why I don’t beleive that everyone understand the concept of this board which Burton has on the market. And as for the 50% alienation of the Burton marketing well I guess you have no concept of snowboarding because you would have know that this is a guys board which isn’t meant for girls to ride & all those which I have spoken to both men & women love the design & creativity of this board. Burton in no way made a mistake with this board especially not marketing wise. More people have seen this board & heard about it the any other board previously so were did they go so wrong with the marketing??? If anything more people have heard about the board & they will be selling more of them this season. I am actually looking forward to seeing this board on the slopes & for those with young children well its called the human body nothing wrong with that!!!
What about those boards with bloody or violent images? Are they acceptable?
I persoanlly think this is all a non-issue. As long as there is nothing explicit, then I don’t see the big deal.
What is a problem? People who do not follow the basic courtesy rules of the hill such as not stopping at a dangerous part of the mountain or dropping their garbage right on the run (I once had a rough wipe out on a discarded gatorade bottle). THIS is the stuff that grinds my gears