Ride Snowboards

Everything you trust is made from aluminium – cars, planes and beer cans. This was the slogan used for Ride bindings a few years ago and it’s a big favourite of mine since. I have wanted more than my 3 year old niece wanting the newest Barbie doll. So I suggest you grab a cup of coffee, tell your boss you’re on a break, close the door or put the kids to bed and sit back and relax.

Ride Snowboards began back in 1992 in Redmond, Washington (USA). A relatively shy company compared to others Ride have always let their product and team speak for the brand.  From Slimewalls to 3 dimensional top sheets to vibration dampening cotton, from day one Ride have been using some really unique materials and constructions across all their products. I was first introduced to Ride Snowboards when I saw a pair of bindings in Mt. Hotham back in 2002 that had more fake chrome on them than a gangster rappers mouth. From there I’m happy to say the bling got dropped but the product quality sky rocketed and I have been more than happy to recommend their product ever since.

Ride boards have had a long free riding tradition. The late 90’s through to the early 2000’s saw some of the best big mountain and free ride boards ever produced. Two boards which stood out were the Timeless and No.4. Both boards were quite similar in technology but the Timeless was constructed with a slightly wider waist width and a more carbon fibre. The result was a board that was lightning fast, stable and yet as nimble as Jack himself. Now days with the market demanding softer twin shaped boards Ride have shifted their design concepts but without losing character. To date boards such as the DH, Kink, DH2 and the Machete have really made their stamp on the market. Like a lot of other companies Ride have also introduced ‘rocker’ technology to their line. But Ride paid special attention to their boards and realised that by adding rocker a boards grip is greatly diminished during a turn or on an in run to a jump. The first step to solving the problem was designing different rockers for different boards depending on their purpose. At this point you might be saying ‘well that’s all well and good but everyone is doing that genius’. The second and main solution to washed out rocker board turns came from their free ride history. One of Rides unique features is the way they lay their carbon fibre. By laying carbon fibre in an ‘X’ pattern on the nose and tail the torsional stiffness was increased. The result was the contact points (main gripping area of the board) held during a turn. Now days Ride boards are one of the only few companies who produce rocker boards that will turn properly and be stable at speed. But it didn’t end there. To really cement this grip and stability Ride introduced a flat rocker into their boards which means it the board is flat between the feet and lifted at the nose and tail. From there it was on for young and old and if Ride does not have a board for you need to check yourself.

Ride boards made huge leaps in the board market but their bindings were not far behind. Known for their use of aluminium base plates Ride bindings have always been strong, responsive and suited for all boards. Indeed many board companies who exclusively produce boards we find Ride bindings to be the great match. In recent years Rides’ binding collection has extended quite a long way. 2007 saw the introduction of the Movement (MVMT) base plate series and lightweight response was redefined. Then 2 years ago saw the introduction on the Contraband system. Some of you may have seen them; it resembles a G-string for your boot. For the sceptics out there I can guarantee you it works. Quick, light simple and strong. And just in case you do break the ‘ G-String’ strap accidently the replacement is cheap and easy to do yourself. With all this development going on Ride didn’t lose focus on comfort. When using aluminium, a material that is rigid by nature, Ride bindings ran the risk of transferring a substantial amount of vibration from the board through to the binding and ultimately into your foot. These vibrations cause the circulation in your foot to slow and you end up having a numb foot. Not fun people.  Rides’ technicians realised this and made sure that all their bindings come with a mountain of padding and gel to stop this ever popping up. So that the binding doesn’t become soft and sloppy, particularly in the heel the strap, Ride has added polycarbonate reinforcement (good plastic not the stuff your coke bottle is made from). If that wasn’t enough Ride have also introduced an adjustable stiffener into the heel strap so you can personalise the stiffness of your binding. Ladies and gentlemen get stuck to your board with Ride bindings you know you can trust in aluminium.    

Boards and bindings, it was all good for Ride but it wasn’t enough. The story was simple and the concept was successful. In recent years Ride has aimed at producing a boot that is light, comfortable and responsive. Easy task you might say? Well in fact it takes quite a bit of knowledge and some high quality materials to produce such a boot. One of the main features of Rides boots is their Intuition liner. This liner is not actually produced by Ride but rather a separate company who only produce liners. These liners have to be specifically fitted to your foot through a heat moulding process; however the big upside of this is that your boot will be custom fitted to your foot giving you a very comfortable ride. Intuition liners are also well known for their longevity. With the lowest ‘pack out’ rate (the liner breaks down) of any liner on the market you can be sure your custom fit will stay firm for a good period of time. Intuition liners are just one component of Rides boots. In reality their boots are like NASA in boot, too much technology to even list without getting bored. Like all boot companies Ride have particular fit. So pop on into the store, get measured and see if a Ride boot is right for you. Ride boots as comfy and functional as a pair of Crocs minus the ugly factor.

Well that’s the nuts and bolts of Ride. I don’t think anything more needs to be said without boring you. If you would like to find out more, pop by into the store and ask for a Ride. Board, binding or boot that is.  I’ll end this blog by wishing you a good day at work if you’re reading this blog from work or a good evening if you are reading this from home at night. Until next time take care. 

Andy C