I Guess Snowboard Graphics DO Matter!
Photos courtesy Burton Snowboards & HEAD Skis
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I guess snowboard graphics really do matter. Several weeks ago, I asked readers whether or not they take graphics into account when buying a new snowboard (see "Do Snowboard Graphics Matter?"). The results of my über-scientific poll indicated the majority (77%) of snowboarders think graphics do matter. Enter Burton Snowboards, a company whose industry leading market share and fondness for stirring up controversy has once again succeeded in tweaking the noses of ski area management nationwide.
WARNING: The link to the snowboard graphics in question below contains images of scantily clad women in suggestive poses. It's NSFW, unless you happen to work in the snowboard industry, in which case I suggest you gather your colleagues 'round before clicking.
Burton's 08/09 Love snowboards graphics feature scantily clad Playboy models in suggestive poses. Although there's no frontal nudity on display, the artwork leaves little to the imagination, which earlier this week led six ski areas to go all V.I. Lenin on the 1st Amendment. Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Heavenly, Keystone, Smugglers Notch, and Vail have all announced their employees will be prohibited from riding the Love during working hours. Protesters also congregated in front of Burton H.Q. in South Burlington, Vermont to demand the company pull the boards from the market, a request the company denied, saying it supports freedom of artistic expression.
The kicker to this whole brew-haha is that ski manufacturers Head and Rossignol are producing skis with similar graphics for the 08/09 season, but neither ski area management nor legions of uptight protesters have reacted as of yet.
So what do you think? Is this a double standard? An example of snowboarders once again being treated differently than skiers? I'm not arguing against the resort's ban on employees riding the Playboy boards - after all, they have a reputation to uphold. It's not in their best interests to anger their customers. All I'm arguing for here is equal treatment for everyone on snow. Ban the boards, fine. But ban the skis as well, guys. FIGHT THE POWER!
Comments
Snowboarding graphics promote style that is diverse. It is a symbol of who you are. A freedom of expression.
Ok, I feel the need to speak up since I commented on the previous topic of snowboard graphics. Christopher, I totally agree with you. If you are going to ban suggestive imagery on snowboards and not on skis, you are selectively discriminating and that is hypocritical and divisive to the snowsports community. There’s already enough tension between the culture of boarders and that of skiers, why feed into that? C’mon people, can’t we all just get along and enjoy the snow together?
Oh, and just to comment on the freedom of expression angle, just because I would not ride or ski with the graphics doesn’t mean someone else shouldn’t.
same as with any other product you use, it’s natural that you are surrounding yourself with ‘nice’ stuff and with stuff that has a meaning to you. it so happens that snowboarding and skateboarding graphic artists have over the last couple of decades become trend setters for the main stream as well…
It’s not artistic, they’re trying to play it off as artistic as an excuse to exploit women. As if men don’t disrespect us enough already, now we’re gonna have this crap on the slopes, and we’re gonna be taken even less seriously. If it was switched, if the snowboards had images of naked MEN on them, there would be a huge outrage.
Here is a site to freshen-up your old snowboard with some new graphic skins. With your own design!!!