Burton goes denim & plaid to outfit the US Olympic snowboard team

Earlier this month, Burton unveiled the US Snowboard Team Uniforms for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.  And in sharp contrast to other nations, the Vermont based company has  given the team a distinct ‘un-uniform’ edge – utilizing well worn denim plus a special red, white and blue plaid.  When the US Snowboard Team steps onto the World’s stage this February in Vancouver, they will look and feel unmatched with designs that speak to both individuality and heritage, key hallmarks of the Burton brand and the snowboard culture.

The Olympic uniforms feature a fresh and progressive style while also managing to pay tribute to more classic Americana fashion staples. The pants seamlessly integrate the look of real, worn, vintage denim (very cool), and the jackets feature plaids adorned with leather patches and chenille crests with both pieces incorporating the performance benefits of Gore-Tex fabric.

All product development at Burton is rider driven and this Olympic outerwear is no exception. Burton held a roundtable discussion with top pro-snowboarders and Olympic hopefuls Elena Hight, Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce, Jack Mitrani, Luke Mitrani, Steve Fisher, Scotty Lago, and Louie Vito to review design concepts for the outerwear before arriving at the final creation.

“Since its inception, Burton has been a rider driven company,” said Jake Burton, Founder and Chairman of Burton Snowboards. “For the creation of the US Snowboard Team uniform, we listened carefully to the riders’ needs and used their input to ensure that the final fit, fabrics and overall design would maximize their performances and take these riders to the podium. It was also absolutely critical to ensure these Olympic uniforms were worthy of bearing the Burton name.”

“Although we are creating a uniform, our first objective is to express the individuality of snowboarding. As such, we are taking vintage American looks and interpreting them in a very unique and unexpected fashion.” says Greg Dacyshyn, Senior Vice President of Creative at Burton.

Looks like they’ve successfully managed to straddle both patriotic and street-influenced factors for the Games. What do you think?

10 essential things to take to a competition

October 18, 2008 – For athletes, there’s always another competition right around the corner. Whether it’s a swim meet, a gymnastics meet, a soccer tourney, or a downhill comp, it’s best to be organized!  From our friend Char at Sports Girls Play, here’s a list of 10 essential things to take to any youth sporting event, from swim meets, gymnastics meets, track competitions, volleyball games, you name it!

1. UNIFORM – Every sport has a competition uniform of some sort. For a swimmer, it may be just a team suit. For a gymnast, it is her team leotard, warm ups, white socks, white tennis shoes and her gym bag. Whatever your sport, be sure you have the team uniform clean and ready to go a few days in advance.

2. INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT - These are the little extras you may need at a meet like gymnastics grips, or goggles and a cap for swimmers, tennis racquet for a tennis player, or spikes for a sprinter. Whatever it may be, make sure it is packed in advance and if you have spares, be sure to bring them. If you don’t, I highly recommend picking up an extra in case something is broken, misplaced or just doesn’t feel right on competition day.

3. EXTRA T-SHIRT or CHANGE OF CLOTHES – After each gymnastics meet, my daughter’s team likes to go out to eat. We always pack a spare set of clothes so I don’t have to stress at meal time about her getting ketchup on her $100 team jacket or leotard. Many competitions sell meet shirts or have a pro shop on hand in the event you forget, but unless you have specifically budgeted for that extra expense, it is better to pack a change ahead of time.

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