Money must be Funny
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The price
increase in snowboarding clothing over
the past two seasons has been huge to
say the least, and yet it has been sly
like a fox in its approach.
It is true to say that many brands have
gone through difficult times over recent
seasons, feeling the financial pressure
as they see a fall in profits after the
"settling" of the late 90s boom
in the snowboarding industry. But whether
the price increase in snowboarding goods
is a direct result of this, or whether
it is just a case of greed, is questionable...
As I flick through the latest copy of
onboard magazine (nice issue by the way
guys!), I am once again amped on snowboarding.
A week back in the UK with nothing but
empty grey sky and ugly uncreatively designed
buildings was all it took to suck every
ounce of inspiration to go snowboarding
out of my now pie filled body. But alas,
onboard arrives and as I drink my morning
tea (one thing that is better in england),
I am once again itching to get back to
the snow... |
And so I reach the product
section of the magazine, the page which many
snowboarders around the globe anticipate every
season the choose which board they will be riding
or which pants they are gonna order in XXL.
The jacket which draws my attention, and which
inspired this very article, is the Analog leather
jacket with "3-layer gortex". What
the fuck is 3 layer gortex anyway!? Who do Burton
really think can afford to spend 850 euros on
a snowboard jacket? ..Cos most snowboarders
I know are dead broke! Analog are probably the
worst offenders in snowboardings list of rip
off brands, although they are by no means alone.
Well maybe rip-off is the wrong term, I am sure
the jacket requires a high price tag because
of the more complexed manufacturing techniques
involved and more expensive materials used,
so to say rip-off is perhaps unfair. The question
is, are such complexed techniques and materials
really nessacery in a snowboarding jacket or
is it just a way to increase profit margins?
Mind you, fair play to them if suckers are willing
to buy it, they'll damn well sell it, after
all they are a business and the idea of business
is to make money, and more fool the guy who
spends 850 euros to look like a member of the
KLF.
Amongst all this, there is still hope for the
traveling snowboarder who having nicked his
breakfast from the local super-u, wants to look
and feel good in his clothes. Many brands still
produce realistically priced clothes using more
basic designs and materials which will perform
in all conditions short of an arctic expedition,
and you really don't need to make a spectacle
of yourself to be fashionable.
Again it all comes down to style, you've either
got it or you ain't, and if you really think
that buying the same pants that trevor andrew
was wearing on his last video part will make
you ride the same as him, you're so stupid you
deserve to be ripped off. On the other hand,
if you worry less about what the label says
on the side of your pants (like trevor probably
didn't 10 years ago) and more about going out
and having fun on the mountain, natural style
will come way faster, and then once you're pro
you don't need to worry about price tags!
Editorial : A Winter
    
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