Burton’s new Love series decks, which were designed by team riders Mikkel Bang and Keegan Valaika and feature classic Playboy centerfold models on the top sheets, are creating quite a stir. According to the Burlington Free Press, Burton has received a number of phone calls and letters from community members angered by the graphic graphics on these Coalition boards, which are available only in select, core retailers. The story was also covered by CNN.com. Check out the video report right HERE.

The Burtlington Free Press article, written by Lauren Ober, states:

In the past week, Burton has received a number of letters and phone calls about the “Love” model. The snowboards feature four different Playboy bunnies, depending on the board size. They don’t show any body parts that are traditionally kept covered, but the women are naked.

This has parents like Jeff Sprenger of Essex angry enough to pen the company a scathing letter and send it around to all of his friends.

“I think of Burton as a good Vermont company, as a good citizen,” Sprenger said. “I was pretty shocked that they would do something like that. I feel ashamed for Vermont and for Burton.” Sprenger has two children- one who snowboards- and he rides himself. He said his main problem with the Playboy board is the message it was sending to people, especially Burton’s target market of 14 to 24-year-old males. “I’m working hard to make sure my daughter gets a fair chance. This board is not going to make girls feel good,” Sprenger said.

Burton’s response to the Sprenger’s letters and to the other objections they’ve received regarding the two snowboard models is a five-sentence explanation of the genesis of the line and Burton’s founding principle of “individual freedom.”

The boards promote a “commodification of women’s bodies,” says Stephanie Kaza, the past president of the University of Vermont President’s Commission on the Status of Women. She expressed disappointment that the well-respected Vermont company would put images of naked women on its products.

“It reduces a woman to her body and that body is there for sex and sex is there for men,” Kaza said.

A number of individuals and organizations have called on Burton to pull the offensive lines from stores and offer some sort of public apology. Burton doesn’t release sales figures, but based on the brisk sales of the Coalition boards at Vermont retailers, it seems unlikely that the company will discontinue the line. Andrew, Burton’s spokeswoman, wouldn’t comment on Burton’s future plans for the line.

While Burton is getting a good deal of flack about its Coalition line, Waterbury’s Rome Snowboards has not received any negative feedback from its risque “Artifact” line. The “Artifact” boards are meant to be reminiscent of 1970s New York City strip joints, says Ryan Runke, Rome’s marketing manager. The boards feature a neon base with the words “Bend Over Babes” or “Live Nude Girls,” depending on the model. The top sheets have outlines of naked women on them.

Since there are so many companies making snowboards, the graphics are almost equally as important as the board’s technical specs, Runke says. Some area retailers like SkiRack balked at the “Artifact,” saying the graphics were pushing the limit, but the Rome is sold out of the board.

“People want something that makes a statement,” Runke said

To read the entire article, go HERE.

Tags: BURTON, love, rome snowboards

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 at 1:00 pm and is filed under FEATURES, NEWS. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.