Snowboard season is around the corner, so we scoured the market and put together our top picks in 3 parts (hardware, outerwear, apres ski) for the 2010 riding season.

PART 1

The Boots: Thirtytwo Lashed

One of the most important aspects of snowboarding, revolve around your feet–your boots! A good pair of boots will keep you stable, secure and warm. This Thirtytwo Lashed model is everything you need. Without compromising comfort for stability, or stability for warmth, the Lashed is tried, tested and snowboarder approved.

The Binding: Burton Lexa

The Lexa was one of the first women’s specific bindings. Before then most women would ride with men’s bindings that were extremely ill fitting. Now there are tons of women’s models, but our pick is still the Burton Lexa. They got it right.

The Board: Nitro Cheryl Mass Pro Model

Dutch pro-rider Cheryl Mass has been dominating the competitive snowboarding scene for about 10 years. This season she is riding her new Nitro pro model and we want to do the same. Being as versatile and capable in the park as it is in back country, this board has the perfect amount of pop and aggressiveness (because of its wood core) to keep you happy all season long.

The Goggle: Oakley Splice

Oakley’s lens technology and unbeatable ventilation has triumphed over any other goggle brand we have tried. The Spice model, which is new this year, is similiar to their men’s Crowbar model but has been made smaller to fit a woman’s face. We are excited to try these out.

Note: The products chosen are all top of the line items and along with them come a high price. By purchasing higher end products you will get higher technology, longer lasting quality, and a better resale value. If your pockets are tighter this year, we suggest sticking with these brands but going with a lower end model or buying one new piece per season instead of everything at once.

Keep posted for Part 2, hearty’s outerwear picks.