Pin Email

The industry has come out en force, and Day 1 at SIA 2014 is officially a wrap. Brands, riders, buyers, photogs, TMs, filmers, designers, and more; personalities from every corner of the industry have descended upon Denver for another round of tradeshow madness. The latest, greatest, wildest innovations in snowboard gear have made their debut, and we’re here to make sure you don’t miss a beat.

Here’s a run-down of all the classic styles and progressive tech that we found roaming the floor on day 1 — stay tuned, we’ll keep you updated on all the nifty new gear we come across as SIA 2014 rolls on…

Trend watch:

—90s throwbacks: Prints, patterns, & Anorak jackets are invading brands across the industry.

—Island prints: It looks like ‘Shaka brah’ is making a comeback.

—Elbow patches: That street style, still making a statement.

—Moto-inspired designs: Electric’s new helmet line… you’re going to want to check it out.

Union:

Union’s award-winning Forged FC binding

Travis Rice, Gigi Ruf & Lambourghini now have something pretty sweet in common. The binding company has teamed up with Italian car maker Lamborghini to build a binding that is brand new to the market. Made out of forged carbon, the Forged FC binding is not only incredibly lightweight, but strong. The forged carbon, a material found in the interior of Lamborghini cars, makes the binding stiff, while also lending it solid heelside response and control.

While the Forged FC is the only binding made almost entirely out of carbon, Union rider Gigi Ruf’s pro model also utilizes the material for its highback, which, matched with an injected EVA rubber base and revamped toe and ankle straps, is a killer binding from every angle. One of Travis Rice’s pro models, The Northstar, boasts an asymmetrical highback, refined straps, and some next level artwork. Last but not least, Union’s 10th Anniversary binding matches T. Rice’s in both strength and style; no carbon here, but the same tried and true durable design that has made Union an industry staple over the past two decades.

INI Cooperative:

Eco-friendly has been INI’s M.O. since day one, and year over year they’ve managed to create new gear that is both environmentally conscious and impressively stylish. Their line heading into 14/15 does not disappoint; here are a few of their latest and greatest jackets, merging style, tech, and recycled materials—

The Quib: A streetwear inspired 10k/10k jacket, The Quib is make of recycled polyester.

The Sherpa Hoodie: This hoodie is made of organic cotton and recycled PET — recycled plastic bottles, revamped into new material— all topped off with a nice little DWR coating. Dry, durable, and sustainably made. INI has got it dialed with the Sherpa.

The Peak Jacket: Looking to innovate the zipper front wind flap, which can prove annoying when riding goofy, INI created a dual-zipper for the Peak, giving you the same protection as a standard velcro wind flap, while eliminating the chance of wind catching on the extra material. Bonus: the zippers are color coded, to make life super simple. Aside from the sweet new zipper set up, the Peak jacket is also a 20k/20k 3-layer shell, so you’ll be toasty warm and streamlined all day long.

Dragon:

New for 2014/15, Dragon has introduced the X2, a goggle that takes their previous quick-change lens concept to the next level. They’re marketing it with the phrase, “adapt instantly,” a fitting tagline considering how simple their new system makes it to swap out your lenses: a tiny lever on the side of the frame slides down to release the lens you’re trying to lose, and then simply slides up to lock in the new one. No stress, no fuss; golden.



Up next: Vans, Neff, Thirty Two & more…

Read More: 1

2

3