Anna Gasser has been on a tear since she announced herself to snowboarding a couple of years back. Sure, the Cab double underflip was hype, but you can’t have failed to notice the steeze on her switch back 1s and back 5s either. Smoother than a White Russian. The girl is legit and at the forefront of pushing women’s snowboarding up to another level – check her out in the new Burton Presents: Girls edit – and as such is well-positioned to talk about what the best kit is for progressive female snowboarding right now.
Here’s her pick of high-performance freestyle shred swag, and what she thinks about it…
BOARD
Burton Talent Scout 149
€450
“It’s actually – no kidding – the best board I’ve ever ridden because I can use it for both the jumps and the rails. It feels like a normal camber, it gives you good pop I think, and I’m still really confident on the jumps. But it’s also soft enough for rails, and that almost never happens. I used to have a jump board and a rail board but with the Talent Scout I can really do both good – I don’t change my board at all.”
If you want to hit the freestyle high notes you need something that is both responsive and packs tonnes of pop, and the Talent Scout most certainly ticks those boxes. Using what Burton call PurePop Camber dials ollies up to eleven thanks to the regular camber zone, but there’s early rise just outside the bindings to give a looser, less hooky feel. Its Off-Axis is tuned perfectly for the park rider’s stance and works with Squeezebox technology and Frostbite edges to tap into the board’s natural flex and give the precision edge hold you need for tackling long transitions and holding onto landings.
If you’re looking to ride park like a badass, this is your weapon.
BINDINGS
Burton Lexa EST Snowboard Binding
€240
“They’re really good. They’re really narrow so the boot fits in perfectly and also the straps go really tight around your ankle – they have this special strap that I’ve never used before and they make everything really stable and responsive. There’s no pressure points; they’re awesome. I like the bindings a lot.”
The Lexa has been a mainstay in Burton’s women’s freestyle range for years, and just keeps getting better. Its new Asym Hammockstrap and Super Grip Capstrap work with the highback’s Heel Hammock to cradle your boot super securely, meaning you can ride with the straps a bit looser for more comfort yet still expect all the control you demand. You can pick the amount of playfulness or response you want with the easy to adjust highback and you can be sure energy transfer and comfort will be on point thanks the anatomical AutoCANT cushioning. For the ultimate in flex, feel and adjustability get the EST version and pair them with a Burton board with the Channel system.
BOOTS
Burton Supreme Boot
€350
“They’re pretty stiff at the beginning but when you ride them in a bit they stay good for really long. I never have to change my boots – I’m riding every day and I don’t have to change them for like the whole season. They stay good for so long. They’re also really narrow, which is really good for girls. My ankle is held really tight in them. I have ankle problems, but I’ve never strained my ankle since I’ve had the Supreme boots.”
This pro-level boot blends all of Burton’s high-end footwear technology into a package that combines the performance required for cutting edge freestyle with the kind of comfort riders of any level will lap up. Burton’s Infinite Ride liner is good to go straight out the box and won’t pack down, plus it’s now loaded with DRYRIDE Heat Cycle – a heat-activated carbon thread that wicks aways cold moisture while capturing heat and radiating it back inwards. Comfort and heat retention continue with Burton’s underfoot ReBounce and Sleeping Bag tech, which add heaps of responsive cushioning while reflecting even more heat back to your tootsies.
JACKET
Burton Barge Jacket
€200
“Even though it’s like a street-style jacket it’s really warm. Like really warm. Warmer than most snowboard jackets that I’ve worn. I also love the fit, it’s really long and pretty slim but it’s still very comfortable. For riding the park it’s perfect.”
This classy cloak packs an ostensibly street style jacket full with enough mountain tech to get it done when sessioning the park. Burton’s DRYRIDE Ultrashell fabric is water repellent and super breathable, and beneath this you’re kept toasty thanks to full-length DRYRIDE Thermex insulation with a breathable quilted taffeta lining. With its long, lean silhouette, fur trim hood and snowboard-specific cut you can be sure that be it kickers, rails, lift, lodge, bar… this will keep you warm and stylish, but with the knowledge you can also tweak out a switch back 5.
PANTS
Burton Paradox GORE-TEX® Snowboard Pant
€300
“They’re really warm and waterproof – thanks to the GORE-TEX – and I also like the fit, because they’re pretty tight but at the same time they’re not restrictive at all. They give me room to move but at the same time they have a good fit for girls. Plus they’re camo, which is pretty sick!“
For riding park the most important piece of clothing to ensure is waterproof is your pants. And they don’t come more waterproof than when they’re constructed using the renowned GORE-TEX fabric, as is the case with these epic Paradox pants. “Guaranteed to keep you dry”, as they say, these have an exclusive camo print, a couple of pockets and a boot cut style to keep your pins in fine fettle. They also benefit from a quick-drying, breathable taffeta lining that’s silky smooth too. Fashion, meet function.
Check out Anna Gasser and her homie Clemens Millauer bossing Dachstein last summer using this swag…