Plan B Skateboarding Company Should They Make Snowboards ?
I have been skateboarding for years. When I was younger, I learned how to skate long before I ever learned how to ride a bike. My older brothers were ardent skaters and spent most of their time down the skatepark.
Their passion soon became my passion and I spent countless hours honing my skating ability. But growing up we did not have a lot of money, so I was forced to use a hand-me-down skateboard and equipment. Which I look back at with extreme fondness to this day.
As I grew and eventually started earning my own money, I could invest more into my skating passion. I would spend so much time retrofitting my board with new decks, wheels, stickers, and all sorts of crazy accessories.
And as I got older I fell in love with a new sport as well. Snowboarding. The rush of sliding down the Icey slopes, creating waves of white snow with the board. But I was faced with an issue that a lot of skateboarders face. And that is the massive price wall that comes with snowboarding. Which is why I am declaring that Plan B should make Snowboards.
But let us unpack that statement bit by bit.
About Plan B
I am a fiend for art-deco skateboards. The flashier it looks, the better. I want to really show off my style while I’m barrelling down the ramps. And Plan B has always allowed me to do that.
They are producers of some of the finest art-deco boards I have ever seen. Being a small independent shop run by a team of dedicated skaters, everything is done with skating in mind. Plan B often worked with local artists as well to offer a wide range of creative and vibrant decks.
And, of course, they offered all the needed skating advice and accessories for those starting out. They functioned more as a community than a simple shop. Which is why I fell in love with them.
Should Plan B Make Snowboards
So why is Plan B so relevant to snowboarding? Well, at the moment they are not. In fact, it is very difficult to find a website or shop that will create and supply their own skating and snowboarding equipment. Of course, you have the stores that offer both from various brands. But this is where the biggest issue occurs.
Snowboarding is locked behind a serious paywall compared to skateboarding. To skate all you need is a basic board and you’re off. But snowboarding requires so much more.
You need the board, which currently costs a lot more than they should. Then you need warm clothes. Goggles. Fitted snow boots and gloves. And a helmet. Not to mention the key ingredient, Snow.
As it stands right now companies can charge a premium for snowboarding equipment because you need very specific climates to be able to use them. This means a lot of the snowboarding community is made up of people who are well off and can afford to travel.
But what about all the people who can’t afford to go to the alps for a skiing holiday or travel to Canada to catch some snow? Why should they be priced out of the game?
Production Vs Cost
Now I am fully aware of how much more it costs to make snowboards and snowboarding equipment vs skateboards. They are functionally two different pieces of kit and both need to work in different ways.
Snowboards are made from entirely different materials to a skateboard. While skateboards are often made of layered woods coated in strengthening varnish, snowboards are made of hardwood that is held between fiberglass. In summary, more expensive to produce than a skateboard.
This is why I think Plan B is perfect for this. The boards they produce are already above average quality. Their price range is reflective of this, without being too high as to price out any persistent skaters. So they would be able to produce snowboards that are of a good enough quality for basic use.
This paired with their use of local artists to create some fantastic artwork on the boards means they would not only produce snowboards that were cheap and good quality but also be able to add some artistic flair to them and support more local artists in the process.
A win-win situation all around. But you might be thinking; Cheaper Boards doesn’t mean people will be able to travel to the ski resorts. But there is a reason I have chosen Plan B as the company that should do this.
Snow Days
The United States is not free from snow by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, there are so many states that frequently experience quite heavy snowfall. Heavy enough that a lot of hills, slopes, skate parts, and other areas become perfect for snowboarding.
I can’t count the number of times I have checked a snow day predictor or snow calculator and found we are due for a solid week of snow. And I’m lucky that I already own a snowboard because it meant I could shred the newly formed snow slopes to my heart’s content.
But many of my friends within the skateboarding community were left without. Unable to skate or snowboard.
This is why we need a middle ground priced snowboard. Snowboarding on a Snow day requires a lot less gear than hitting the mountains. There is less risk and the boards don’t have to be as durable or resilient. A lot of the fancier and pricier snowboards often make use of Kevlar or aluminum to increase durability while also keeping the weight down. These additions aren’t needed for small scale snowboarding.
The Biggest Reasons Plan B Doesn’t Make Snowboards
Despite it all, there is one key reason Plan B should branch out into the world of snowboarding. To bring more people into the world of skating.
The effect of selling affordable snowboards is two-fold for plan B. As snowboarding enthusiasts flock to buy the boards they will find themselves slowly sucked into the fantastic skating community Plan B has built. Skateboarding is a fantastic hobby. It is a great exercise and is one of the most social sports out there. And the more people that get converted into skaters, the better!