Feminizing snowboards.

• Position: What's New? - From Burton Snowboards

* It used to be that all snowboard gear was "unisex"--in other words, designed by men, primarily for men. As more and more women started getting into the sport, the manufacturers saw the potential market and started to produce boards with colors and graphics to appeal to the female set. The problem, though, was these were the same old unisex products with more-feminine colors and designs. To make truly gender-specific boards, boots, and bindings, you have to account for the differences in women's calf and foot structures, weight ranges, and foot sizes, as well as riding styles and stances. Burton Snowboards, Burlington, Vt., has done that with a vengeance in their new line for 2003.

Take the Burton Witchcraft snowboard, for example. Most female-specific snowboards are softer and more flexible than their male-intended counterparts, assuming that women want or need a more-forgiving ride. The Witchcraft throws that philosophy out the window, providing a stiffer, more-aggressive board for a new generation of female athletes. Top women boarders collaborated with the Burton designers to create this fast, lightweight, yet rugged board that performs well anywhere on the mountain. Whether you prefer storming backcountry terrain or showboating in the park and pipe, this board will give you the speed and power you crave.

We tested the Witchcraft 55 board in a variety of less-than-ideal conditions ranging from slush to ice, and it performed admirably. Its versatile base gave us plenty of speed, while sharp stainless steel edges kept us from losing our grip on the frozen stuff.

The best board in the world, however, can't perform as it should without great bindings. In the simplest terms, snowboard bindings keep your boots attached to your board. Getting past the basics, top-of-the-line ones efficiently translate your movements to the board, giving you better control and improving its responsiveness. To accomplish all this, bindings have to fit well and conform to your boot. Enter the Burton Lexa, the first truly female-specific binding in the industry. The Lexa is slightly narrower in width than standard bindings, with a lower hi-back to prevent biting into the calf. It comes in a female-size scale, so those with size four and size nine feet no longer have to settle for the...