on foot.

To be a good boarder, you gotta have the right gear.

First; we'll go to one of the most important parts.

the boots, you can't board without them!. .

again, it all depends on what you're willing to spend as well as what style you're into and how often you plan to use them. I suggest that either way, you look for a great quality and you may want to go out and pay a little extra ( and not buy the cheepest pair ) because you're feet are going to be the first to get cold, so with these; quality and strength is everything. We all know that in boarding you are required to bend your legs constantly, so you want to look for something that is flexible at the top, but sturdy enough that your feet arent flopping*. also, you want to make sure you have the perfect fit. a bad fit will cause for a) if the boots too large; too much air flow, making your feet cold or b) if the boot is too smal your feet will get the circulation cut maybe resulting in itching, or sweating ( which sucks! ) you want something that will keep you warm, but still allow some air circulation throughout. I used to ride a pair of forum boots, but since then i have went through a pair of burton, and are currently wearing a new pair of burton boots, which i love. the burton boot allows you to tighten the inner layer, as well as the outer.. which allows for me to choose on more than one level how tight i want them and how loose i want it to feel. they allow just the right flexibility. they are super warm and allow the air pockets on the sides to keep my feet feeling just the right heat.

staying with the feet, lets talk socks...

I used to just wear some sort of knee socks, or whatever else i could find in my room that looked warm, but a year or two ago i bought a pair of burton snowboard socks. they are the coziest thing, and, working with the right boot, they keep the foot the right temperature. these socks ranged from about 25-30 dollars, but are generally all the same. 30$ for socks? crazy i know. but it's worth it. i got two seasons out of one pair of socks, which is worth the thirty bucks i paid for them. as for quality and what name to go with ? I just recently got two pairs of Salomon snowboard socks, and i honestly cannot tell the difference between the Burton and the Salomon, so i wont suggest either. No matter what though, i do sugeest you get a pair before you hit the slopes. while companies like burton and volcom offer a much wider range of nice looking socks, they are no different from campanies like salomon or thirtytwo who offer a much plainer variety of styles and colours through their socks.

holding it all together; the bindings.

this ones a touchy one. it all depends on you if you like the park, and thats where you're entire snowboard experience takes place, you're going to want to go for something much more sturdy, something that will hold together when hit ( hard ) you'll want something flexible, prefferably with a toe strap. something like the burton cartel would be perfect. However, if you're in the mood for a quick start, or justt ready to make the whole mountain yours, i suggest the Flow NXT AT. i have flows, not the NXT AT, but a difefrent style of Flows, and the are the perfect start to a perfect trip down the hill. they allow you to start quick; just put your foot in and flip the back up, so you're not wasting any time. I have, however tried the Burton cartel ( on a firends board ) and they also work great. they give a super secure grip and work great to keep your foot right where you want them. Regardles, make sure you check the strap and make sure they are a good quality and they arent going to snap or stop working on you any time soon.

good luck!