Opinion: It’s Core To Pay Riders To Snowboard

I must admit, there’s one thing that comes to my mind whenever I hear about a brand entering the world of designing, manufacturing, and selling snowboards.

“Wow, these people really think they can bring something different to the table?”

I mean, how can a new kid on the block possibly keep up with the tried-and-true brands? How on earth can a Line snowboard even dare to carry water for its siblings over at Ride and K2? Sometimes, that’s addressed pretty immediately. Information Garage, for example, offered Cooper Whittier 100% of the proceeds from his pro model, and sold that board for just $360. No one else has done that.

There’s a fair amount of skepticism around most newcomers to our space. After the way brands like Adidas and Nike bailed hard out of snowboarding, it’s fair to be skeptical. Skepticism is actually the right approach to take with most newcomers on the scene.

I get it. All of us should get it. No matter how well I might get along with the stranger I just met on the chairlift, I’m probably not going to hand him or her my car keys after a few laps up and down the mountain.

A lot of the core is upset that a ski company has swooped in to take market share away from rider-owned, rider-founded brands. Look, I get it. I’m someone whose daily driver is a board from Dinosaurs Will Die. My quiver consists of Burton, Nitro, Jones, and #YES. I even bought a board from North Carolina-based Brackish Co., last year, because they did a collaboration with one of our local shops. Riders should support brands that support riders, and the best way to do so is by “voting with your dollar,” as Nitro’s Knut Eliason always says. It keeps this thing cyclical.

Here's the thing though: we’re constantly hearing about how there’s just not a big enough piece of the pie for everyone. We’re living in a moment in snowboarding when the talent level has never been higher or more widespread, and some of our favorite riders are without key sponsors. The idea that Mike Liddle rode without a board sponsor last season is insane to anyone who’s watched that man ride.

Now, enter Armada. Are they looking to capitalize on some gaps in the market by filling that space? For sure. Are they looking to make some money off of it all? I’m not sure I would trust them if the answer was no.

But will they pay their riders enough money to focus on riding? Film killer video parts? Travel to contests? So long as the answer is yes, I’m here for this movement. And before you ask, no, Armada has not sent me any product in exchange for writing this.

I’m not here to say that we need to make snowboarding more like Formula 1 racing, or soccer, or any other sport out there. I am here to say that the top 5% of riders in the game deserve to be paid appropriately for their riding. Remember, when riders get paid, we all win. More community events, better-designed gear, and, of course, better video parts all should follow.

There’s been a massive amount of board-related news that’s come out in the last three-or-so months. A non-exhaustive list includes ThirtyTwo making boards, Nidecker selling #YES back to its original owners, Devun Walsh teaming up with Canadian-based Wired Snowboards to revive Shorty’s, and Union now making boots. We’ve followed a bunch of rules for the last decade or so, and all of those rules are getting turned upside down.

The team at Armada has enlisted snowboard lifers, including the founder of Rome, to get this thing moving. It’s formed a team full of your favorite riders’ favorite riders, and involved them heavily in the design process. Long story short, Armada is doing this the right way.

If this thing goes belly-up in a few years, I’m sure I’ll look like an idiot. If they, for some reason, fail to keep their promise and quietly, slowly, cut riders from their team, or do so when they are deserving of an appropriate pay day, I’ll hate myself a little bit for writing all of this.

But so long as Armada pays team riders, involves them in the innovation process, supports local shops, sponsors community events (that one’s for you, @jibbingisnotdead), and floats gear to up-and-coming groms, let’s see what they’ve got in store.