Learn from Snowjam...

[marcolo86]

Disclaimer first: I'm not doing this to favor the company I'm talking about, just expressing an opinion, because I believe there's an underestimated company amongst us.

Now my thoughts: Why is Snowjam literally "snobbed" by most skiboarders? I see everyone talking about Canon's and Mix's whilst Snowjam is rarely taken into consideration.

I just finished reading a very interesting article by Roussel over at SBMag in which he (quite rightly!) complains about the construction unreliability of some brands which's boards seem to delaminate or snap with too much ease. Roussel also mentions the short one year warrantee, which translated to effective skiing time is not more than an few weeks (as the average user won't spend more than 15 days per year on the slopes.) So if you think about it our boards technically have a warrantee of a few weeks contrarily to let's say a bicycle which can potentially be used every single one of the 365 days in a year... Anyways, back to my point, has anyone ever heard complaints by a Snowjam user? I haven't ever read anything regarding problems with Snowjam boards, and I'm starting to think that this could be a result of Snowjam also being a snowboard company, and thus having gained much know-how in terms of board construction thanks to their past.

I personally haven't tried many boards, but I'm pretty sure the Snowjams handle as well as any other 90 cm board out there, as construction is very similar and the widths make them a great park tool aswell as a great cruising/carving machine. So, why do these boards get so little credit? Paradoxically I'm starting to think that this is due to the low price (if compared to other brands) of Snowjam's, which might mistakenly be seen as being of an inferior quality due to the moderat price. Furtherly, I doubt you'll find a better deal around when it comes to those bindings, which truly are a jewel at such a price.

Last point, even when it comes to boards breaking Snowjam have dealt with me in a very honest way showing great customer-care. One of my board's core mysteriously cracked vertically and I've contacted a representative from the company sending two pictures of the damaged board. Snowjam has agreed to send over replacement boards (2 boards because graphics have changed!) without even requesting me to send over the damaged one or even asking for the reciept from where I purchased them. Company policy is I have to pay shipment costs, but how can i object to this when I'm being treated with such care?

Is Snowjam not considered because it's not a skiboard-only producer? Is this another "keep-the-money-in-the-sport"situation? Because I personally think we all need (and most importantly want!) quality boards, and I'm sure that every one of us would rather have boards which don't delaminate even if the money spent on them does not fully support our cause.

So following Roussel's thought this is just a little warning to all you company's out there: a satisfied customer is one that isn't given the chance to complain about the product, no matter where his money ends up. You can't keep on selling thanks to the "keep-the-money-in-the-sport" idea no matter how quickly the boards break, we skiboarders demand a quality board, and if the money goes back to the sport we're all more than happy, but this is of secondary importance...we're all consumers in the end. ;)

Marco.

[tommy]

i totally agree, ive never tried the boards but the people i know who have got them seem to think there amazing. Core companies will never get the respect that a core company does but they are sometimes really good, like salomon in rollerblading, in most sports salomon makes the most bollocks stuff but in rollerblading they make amazing skates and alot of people deny them because there a kind of snow company. but another reason i think snowjam can make such quality boards is because they make them thereselves and dont get another company to do it for them, i think (canon have got there own factory now right) we will see some quality boards from canon next season and im reallllly looking forward to seeing them. roll on season 05/06!

[Roussel]

i should have bougt snowjams myself.

[Branden]

Snowjam skibaords are mad wide and kinda suck for New England snow with the icy shit. and I know the snowboards suck because I get them back from people that splinter them apart like old line twin tips. The wood core is cheap and the sidecut is crumby. They are just a beginer board to get you out there. Personally nothing bad against the skiboards except they hard to handle on icy snow. Besides that they work fine.

**Branden

[phillycore]

maybe snowjam's should make some skiboards longer than 90cm's



I do agree though that they don't get the respect they probably deserve.....

[kirk]

I always considered them the best non-core manufacturer, and I think they are the best deal for their price. They outdo pretty much any board priced comparably. I reccomend them to anyone on a tight budget. If they made a fat 94-99 board, they would be very comparable to anyone out there.

I know what you mean about the skates tommy, I ride rollerblade, but I'd never consider them a core company. They just happen to make the most comfortable skate I ever tried. The only real difference i see is that in rollerblading, there is a big enough market to support a lot of manufacturers. Skiboarding needs a wider market first.

[zenderfall]

Snowjam 90's are great boards. And I'll bet the 75's are just as great, just a tad slower. They have tip protectors to protect the fronts from getting damaged. The boards are very thick in the middle, making them stiff and sturdy. They're also wider than most boards (except the Mix Core) which makes it one of the better boards on the market.

They did make a 99, but it was too skinny. Didn't work out.

Snowjam 90's have a few weaknesses though:

They are not symmetrical. The 4 hole position is set towards the back a little bit, and the tip/tail width is not exactly the same. They carve well, but not the best. You can do fakies with them, but you most likely can do fakies better on higher-end boards.

Their bindings are easy to bend. Pull a few tricks and the plate starts bending upwards. It seems that they should use a little more *sturdy* in their bindings to stop it from bending. either that or ridges or some sort of strengthener.

And the killer? Last year's designs were a bit nicer than this year's.

[shantz24]

according the the specs on sbol the snowjams are symmetrical. and the bindings look pretty well centered, which i heard they were? ive also heard pretty much nothing but good things about their bindings too.

[DanielB]

I can't judge Snowjams (never had them) but I can judge Canons.

IMHO, Canons are over-rated and poorly made.

Bindings come apart.

Boards break under your own weight.

Not just me, I have heard horror stories from others.

I'm sure Mix is picking up were Line left off.

I can't persuade you enough to buy a Line board from 2001 (still on ebay using 'Buy it Now") before they are all gone. I don't work for the guy. It's just top-of-the-line gear at 1/2 off original retail. Those Boards aren't breaking :-). Heck, the Bullet has carbon fiber from tip to tail.

It looks like Mix is the future. Maybe Line will get back into it hard in a few years. Mix is great for the sport and is worth talking about.

If you put a gun to my head I would take the Snowjams over Canons, because they sure as hell couldn't be any worse.

[Greco]

what numbers do you have to support your claims? i can attest to the fact we have had just a handful of canon warranty claims over the past few years when tibor took over and changed the manufacturing process. canon boards are very well made and we're very happy with their performance and durability, plus of the few claims tibor has addressed every one to the customer's satisfaction. the only reason why snowjam's are less likely to break is because they are very stiff. which isn't necessarily a bad thing but the canon's sure has heck carve better because of their flex pattern.

i've broken just about every board made including line so it's not something that's just isolated to one manufacturer. if you don't ride aggresively you probably will never have a problem but if you ride hard, jump, slide rails and power through heavy deep snow breakage and delaminating can happen to any boards.

g

[tommy]

canon may have not suited some people in the past but they are making there boards themselves now (im sure im right) so were see a much higher more quality board.

i love canon boards i think there really good and canon td1 binding that wasnt week!!!!!!

[allz]

yup! and so they will had their own manufactory, then CS will be the strongest comapny!!!

because OWN factory is the POWER

[shantz24]

i love my canons. got them last year and only rode a few times and my first time out i broke a board this year. i cracked the top sheet and didnt even notice it until the next day when i went to adjust my bindings. i rode all night on blacks and blues and rode the them hard. most people would be irate to break a board after only using it a handful of times but like g said, you ride hard you are going to break boards. and like g said too, tibor has been incredible with the warranty and ill have my new ones soon. ive never rode canon bindings but this is the first time i have ever heard anything bad about them.

[DanielB]

Maybe things are different now with Canon. I can't judge their boards of the last couple years.

I don't have any exact numbers to prove my claim. But just look at some old threads and current threads on this board itself. Looks like a lot of broken Canons to me.

I agree that riding aggressive means you can break any brand of board, but you cannot tell me with a straight face Canons of 1999-2002 are on par with Lines of those years. I've ridden both too and the difference to me was very noticeable.

Also, it seems, for a lot of unlucky Canon riders, the boards are broken into their second season, after still only a handful of trips to the mountain. These people have no warranty then and the boards are completely useless (my situation also).

And not just the boards, the TD1 binding couldn't shine the FF Composites butt, let alone the FFPro.

Again, maybe things have improved there, but if you want numbers, do a poll. I think plenty of people riding since the late 90's would agree, Canon brought excitement and good looks, but other companies brought more quality (Line, Journey for example).

I'm for the future anyway, I'm not living in the past. I know Mix is the future, Line is basically walking away for now. But Canon would have to blow me away with Customer Satisfaction the next couple years for me to ever consider riding them or suggesting them to anyone again.

flame me if you want. just my 2 cents.