Monday Drops Part One ... Burton Archive Clothing Release

Back in the late 80's when i shifted away from the world of skiing and started snowboarding you only had a few options. You either rode a Burton or a Sims. K2 was still a ski company and Barfoots were impossible to get. The North East was my geographic location so that certainly didn't help. What i saying is that first board ended up being a Burton. A Burton Free 6 to be exact.

I remember getting it on consignment from Bergers Ski and snowboard shop as a Junior in high school. Stoked would be putting it mildly. Looking back on those first few seasons of riding and that era it's pretty funny. Loud bright neon colors wasn't an option. Nor was it done out of a sense of irony. Simply put...that was just how everything came. The snowboard industry still had a couple of years before they really broke away from the euro look and feel of the ski industry at that point in time.

Eventually the Kemper gauntlet gloves and hot pink color ways went away. But, everything is cyclical. OH, How it is all connected in the grand scheme. As SIA is looming on the horizon I've been getting lots of great e-mails. My favorite to date was Burton's mid-season release gear. While, I've read some press about Burton Green Mountain project I got a real good chuckle out of their "archive collection." You have to understand this gear that was"the thing" to have 20+ years ago. I like to to think it still holds a fair amount of style. Plus, you have to admit, it takes balls to put something like this out for people to buy. Check out some pics and colorways from Burton Snowboard "Archive" release and let your inner 80's shredder come out to play.


I think this is the freestyle "shell". Nothing gives off the 80's vibe more than a neon jacket more likely to be worn by a colorblind Michael Jackson impersonator.


I'm pretty sure this is a one piece. Still not cool. I don't care who wears 'em. Still not cool.

The Burton freestyle jacket. OK, this was pretty cool back then.


Annnnnnd the freestyle pant. yeah, the knee pad looking things. I could never figure those out.I'm speechless. If you need proof of this era in snowboarding history check out this Craig Kelly clip. Yes, we really rocked this gear back then and yes, all photographic evidence was burned during a beer fueled rampage in 1996.