10 Big Trends for 2011 Snowboard Gear

We are in the middle of the 2010 snowboard season but we thought you might like a sneak peak at what's going to be hot in 2011. The SIA Trade show took place at the end of January and we got a look at all the goodies for next year. We'll be bringing you a peek at each brand, but we've rounded up some of the big trends.

• Bright Colored Boots

  

  Boots often come in black, white, and some muted color like baby blue. We saw lots of companies doing bright, bold colors for boots next year. Vans has teal and purple.

• Collaborations

  It seems like collaborations are a trend that's here to stay. The ladies are often left out of the really cool collabs, but not next year! One of the ones we are excited for is the K2/Nikita collab that will bring Nikita style to some K2 hardgoods. Burton is also doing a collab with the New York City based streetwear brand Married to the Mob, which includes a board and outerwear. We liked their slogan "Well behaved bitches seldom make history."  Ride is also doing a nifty collaboration with Spacecraft.

• Purple

  Purple really isn't a new color in snowboarding gear, but never has it been quite so EVERYWHERE. Look for all sorts of shades of purple - not just in outerwear but on boots, bindings and even boards. We really loved the lush deep eggplant color we saw in some lines.

• Yoga Style Base Layers

  Base layers have been transitioning from utilitarian to more wearable lifestyle pieces. Many companies are taking cues from yoga clothing and bringing foldover waistbands into their baselayers.

• Multi-Reverse Camber Options

  Reverse camber hasn't faded out of snowboards, it's grown. Next year you'll be hard pressed to find a regular cambered board, but that doesn't mean you won't have options. Most companies have expanded their reverse camber options to include various combos that suit different riding types.

• Longer Jackets

  The trend for longer and longer jackets continues. We heard from several companies that they added 1-2" to all of their jackets. We think this is a great thing since no one likes a wet bum!

• BOA

  We saw BOA lacing on the boots of many companies for next year - including a bunch that never had it before. We are guessing one reason is that BOA is now guaranteeing their laces for life. So if your BOA cable snaps - you can get it replaced for free.

• Signature Collections Across Brands

  Signature gear is nothing new. Pro Snowboarders like Gretchen Bleiler have had signature collections for years. What is new is that riders are creating their own personal brands and building a signature collection across several companies. Take Cheryl Maas for example - her signature paw print and colors make their way across boots from Vans, a Nitro board, and Celtek gloves.

• Women's Colorways in Larger Goggles

  Women's goggles aren't always called women's goggles - sometime they just say they are for small faces. But look at the colorways and you'll see that they were definitely designed for women. However a lot of women want or need larger goggles, so it's nice to see that more women's colorways are making their way into the larger (men's) goggles. Hannah Teter has a signature Anon Figment colorway...and it comes with a friendship bracelet!

• Boot Lacing Options

  Companies will be offering a lot more boot lacing options next season. Within one brand you might see 3 or 4 different types of lacing including standard lacing, BOA, quick lacing systems, and different inner lacing systems.