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The 2008 winter season has brought some changes with snowboard equipment, but does new always mean improved? After checking some of this stuff out the answer seems to be, yes, it does.

Boots
One question many new riders ask is, "What piece of equipment should I spend the most money on?" Many assume the board, after all, the sport has the word "board" in it right? Whether you are a new rider or not, most certified instructors will tell you to take care of those feet and drop your cash on the boots. This season has caught on to the demand of lightweight boots such as Thirty-two's Ultralights, which truly live up to their name. Salomon is continuing their trusty F line with the new F-20 and FDB for men and the F-20 for women. Salomon has been a leader in quality boots and their lacing system is pretty unbeatable and gets better every year. Although Vans have always been a popular boot, be weary of the "boa" metal wire lacing system as it tends to break easily. A good boot runs in the $250-$300 range so make sure you love them before you buy, but with snowboard boots, you generally get what you pay for.

Bindings
Now let's work our way down. The best new bindings this year are going to be cushy and easy to get in and out of. K2 has come out with a new binding that combines the ankle and toe straps allowing the rider to strap in quickly. They're calling this technology "Auto System" and they run at around $200. Burton has also come out with a quick bind binding called "Speed Zone" which takes a pull from a cord and which will be found on many of the high end Burton bindings that can leave your bank account down $300 or more. Old standbys like Ride and Drake are still a good bet too in 2008 and often more affordable. Going with a quick strapping model is pretty nice, especially if you ride with skiers who like to remind you that they don't have any such inconveniences.

Board
Arguably the most exciting piece of equipment to buy is the board. Snowboarding is cool and aesthetics are important, don't buy a board you hate to look at. In the technical department, the strange "Magna-Traction", (a jagged side cut-like 4 wheel drive for your board) that has had people talking since it arrived on the scene, seems to be becoming more popular this year and if your mountain has quite a few icy days it could be worth checking out. These boards are in the $400 range and up by companies like Gnu. Many top men's boards have this strange feature but if you aren't the quite comfortable

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