ABOUT WESTON SNOWBOARDS
Weston is all about building community and helping everyday riders progress. You won’t find a big name pro on their team, instead, they opt to support a large community of mountain town locals across North America — the lift mechanic, the cook, the aspiring guide, the unsung heroes of mountain towns everywhere. Grassroots vibes.
They’re big on education or backcountry shreducation if you will. They offer splitboarding causes, avalanche courses, and have a large digital community for beta. They even have a scholarship for those pursuing avalanche education.
They’re a 1% for the Planet member which means 1% of all revenue must go-to approved environmental causes. They focus on Carbon offsets, as well as supporting Public Lands with the National Forest Foundation
WESTON SNOWBOARDS: WOMEN INITIATIVES
Weston realized that girls they want their own slice of snowboard culture. Here’s what they’re doing for the ladies.
- More Choice for Women Riders: Our design philosophy is all about making sure that women have plenty of choice in their size range (we build boards all the way down to 143, and make sure that our women’s boards have the appropriate size waist width). We offer everything from a stiff big mountain charger in the Riva to a softer flex entry-level splitboard in the Seeker. This allows women to pick the flex and style board they want to ride, not be Mansplained what flex/shape/size they should ride. As a result next year we will have more women’s splitboard models than any other company on the market.
- Support Women Artists and Designers – All of our women’s boards graphics are done by women artists or designers.
- Support Women Aspiring Guides – On our team, we have two badass aspiring AMGA guides, Izzy Lazarus and Sarah MacGregor
- Scholarship Program – This year we raised over $7000 to provide women scholarships to get their Avalanche Certifications.
- Expanding Program for 2020-21 – Next year we are expanding our efforts in Partnership with AIARE to help more women who are aspiring guides become certified AIARE instructors.
WOMEN OF WESTON SNOWBOARDS
IZZY LAZARUS
Izzy is an aspiring AMGA guide, Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, Jackson Hole, WY. Here’s Izzy in Izzy’s words.
“I am a snowboarder, a mountain guide, and an outdoor educator; just like playing in the mountains. It doesn’t have to be extreme, it just has to be fun. I love the challenge of trying to ride the right line on the right day and I love spending time with people in the mountains. If I can make that happen and ride something sweet, I am a happy lady.”
“I ride for Weston because our values are in line; community, education/safety, and a love for splitboarding.”
“I feel like my riding season has two faces. Deep pow and then bigger, steeper lines. The Rise and the Eclipse filled in and completed my quiver. The Eclipse absolutely crushes deep snow, with a half-moon tail and a big, wide nose, those waist deeps are just so much fun and take way less effort. I rode the Eclipse from December to the middle of March. Not all of those days were deep days, but I was always happy to have that board under me, it’s agile and responsive. It handles the sun crust and coral reef just as well as the biggest storms. I just switched my set up back to the Rise for the rest of the season. Last year I rode the Rise all year and was stoked but its definitely nice to feel like I am using the right tool for the right day. The Rise gives me a lot of confidence when I want to ride bigger lines in the Tetons. Its a beast, it’s easy to ride switch, it stomps the landing for the occasional pillow stack and it’s reliable when the conditions aren’t what you expected. Between, the Rise and the Eclipse I feel like I have my full range of riding style covered.”
CARLY FINKE
Carly is a Westron Team rider based in Colorado. Here’s why she’s down with the Weston way of life.
“I ride Weston because they believed in me before I did. I was hesitant to ride backcountry until they helped guide me to my happy place through education, patience, and open arms. I am so proud and excited to see Weston’s women’s line expand. Females riders often get overlooked and it’s assumed that we will ride anything ‘pretty’ – wrong! Pretty helps, but I need something that’ll hold an edge and charge through the terrain I need it to charge through.”
“I have had the privilege of riding Weston’s 20/21 Rise Split and Eclipse Spilt – both incredible! The Rise handles anything you put her on – from steep chundery terrain to jumping off scary rocks to open powder fields, she will keep you smiling. If I am powder hunting or navigating through the trees, there is no board I’d rather have under my feet than the Eclipse, she is quick to be maneuvered, her large nose floats you above the surface with ease, and she is strong. Both are wonderful boards and perfect for whichever style of riding you prefer – steep, challenging, ‘sh-it’ runner, Rise, powder, tree navigating, whimsical day in the woods, Eclipse.”
Snowboard Canada Editor on the Mic
Not a Women of Weston, but this past winter our Editor in Cheif Abby Cooper got her mitts on a solid Eclipse. She took it to Skeena Cat Skiing and the notoriously deep Shames Mountain Co-op in Northern BC. Here’s what she has to say about it.
All the float without feeling like I’m riding a boat. The Eclipse has an under the radar powder profile that serves up a smooth ride in the deep and steep. Seriously boggled my mind to have a smaller than normal board performing so well in the deep, absolutely effortless.
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