New snowboards are like new cars. They look amazing and you can’t stop staring at them. But the first scratch? The first ding? It feels like a punch to the gut.
That’s why I honestly prefer my old boards. They’ve already been through hell. Every scratch and gouge tells a story and I’m not worried about babying them. I can just ride.
Old Boards Let You Relax
When your board is already beat-up, you stop riding like it’s made of glass. You hit the trees. You blast through sketchy snow. You don’t flinch when you hear that awful scraping sound on an icy cat track.
The best days happen when you’re not overthinking your gear. A scratched-up board lets you focus on having fun instead of avoiding rocks like a paranoid lunatic.
They Just Ride Better
A board with some mileage feels broken in, like it knows how you want to ride. The flex is softer, the pop is more predictable, and it doesn’t fight you the way a stiff, out-of-the-plastic deck can.
It’s like riding with an old friend instead of trying to figure out a stranger.
New Boards Make Me Weird
I once spent an entire day avoiding rails and side hits because I didn’t want to mess up the topsheet on a new board. What’s the point of that? Snowboarding is meant to be rough.
The moment that first big scratch happened, the paranoia disappeared and I started riding the thing properly.
I know, I know. I could have just ridden like that from the start. But even the tiniest subconscious bit of new-board fear is enough to throw me off.
The Bataleon Surfer vs. the Orca
Case in point: my 2019 Bataleon Surfer. That thing is far from pristine. The topsheet looks like it’s been in a fight with a belt sander, but I ride it hard without thinking twice. It just feels right, like it wants to be out there getting roughed up.
Earlier this season, I picked up a brand-new Lib Tech Orca, and I’ll be honest – I rode like a total coward. Every time I heard a scrape or saw a patch of exposed snow, I tightened up and avoided hitting things I’d normally charge. After a few days of that nonsense, I ditched the Orca and went back to the Surfer.
Guess which one gave me the better days on the mountain? Not the shiny one.
Final Thoughts
A beat-up snowboard isn’t junk. It’s proof you’ve been out there, doing the thing you love. Every scratch and ding is a little trophy.
Call me old fashioned, but I’ll take a board that’s been through a few wars over one that still looks display ready.
Agreed?
