Location: Loveland, Colorado
Snow Conditions: Snowing with hardpacked groomers to icy groomers to fresh snow on the runs.
Setup: I rode the Burton Love with Burton Cartels and my Vans Omni Focus size 8.
First Impression: This is the only board that has ever made me smirk just thinking about dirty looks on the mountain and destroying young eyes with board graphics.
Size: 158cm
Weight: average.
Flex: Despite it being a park board, I found the flex good for everything on the mountain. Medium flex overall that held up when riding groomers and could still flex the nose and tail for playing with. It would have been fun to take it in the halfpipe and maybe next weekend if I can demo it for the halfpipe. Felt stiffer under the bindings with decent torsional give and take on it.
Turning: It was quick and easy to turn with the deeper sidecut, I had no problems with quick response from toe edge to heel edge and could really just play with it on turns. It was fine on the icy spots holding an edge.
Stable: It was the last run with some icy conditions in spots and barely anyone on the mountain so I had some fun just riding fast with it which it could handle. I was a little surprised that the flex absorbed so well in some choppy, cruddy conditions and it did.
Pop: I didn’t think it had much pop to it, I wouldn’t use the board for playing around either.
Switch: The love is true twin with a true twin flex, it had no problems with riding switch.
Overall Impression: It was the last board of the day which meant it had high standards of other boards to live up to and it was an enjoyable ride. I wasn’t blown away by it but it was rideable outside of the park and pipe.
Shay’s Honesty Box: I probably wouldn’t have rode the Love if it wasn’t for the controversial graphics and seeing what it actually rode like. Quite frankly because of the graphics it helped sell a board that I didn’t find extraordinary or a disappointment…middle of the road average board that now just sold out thanks to the graphics.
Burton Love Description
Marc
January 20, 2009 at 8:22 amI’d hate to have to teach someone riding one of these boards. I have a hard enough time convincing beginner snowboarders to not look down at their feet when they ride. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be when they have a hot, semi-nude lady to look at.
Dan
January 20, 2009 at 12:23 pmLeave it to Burton to put the most controversial graphics on a board for everyone to see. I did get a good laugh when I first saw them in person, but I would never purchase one of them. However, it would make for some sweet footage with the right tricks.
It was cool to hear your take on actually riding one.
Shayboarder.com - The World of Snowboarding Through Fembot Eyes » Blog Archive » 2008-2009 Snowboard Review
June 13, 2009 at 5:30 pm[…] 08-09 Burton Love -Men’s -Camber: Regular -Retails: $429.95 […]