Racy Snowboards Spur Protests, Boycotts

Oct. 30, 2008 — -- One image shows a blond woman, wearing sunglasses, a pouty look and nothing else. Another graphic features a woman smiling, wearing a baseball hat and her birthday suit. These eye-catching images aren't from the pages of Playboy; instead they can be found on some of the season's hottest snowboards from the Burton company.

But the sexy images have spurred protests; some ski shops have refused to sell the boards and several ski resorts, including Vail, have refused to allow employees to ride them on their mountains.

"I couldn't believe it," said Lezlee Sprenger, 47, of Essex, Vt. "I came across these boards and there were depictions of violence and naked women."

Sprenger lives in the heart of ski country and her 14-year-old daughter, 6-year-old son and husband snowboard. Every year Sprenger visits the Web site for the Burlington, Vt.-based Burton Snowboard Co. to check out the latest equipment and gear. What she found this year shocked her. "It was just disgusting," she said.

The designs are part of the new limited-edition Coalition collection, sold only by premiere snowboard retailers around the country. The Love line features images of naked Playboy models and the Primo line consists of a series of drawings depicting a man cutting off his bloody fingers.

Graphics that adorn snowboards are a vital part of snowboarding culture and marketing. Bold colors and outrageous designs are part of the look that attracts millions of young kids to the sport every year.

Culture or no culture, Sprenger believes the boards are offensive. She fired off a letter and organized a protest march outside the company's headquarters, drawing a crowd of about 150 people Oct. 23.