| When engineering and science come into snow play, the result is groundbreaking.
The latest in technological advancements from Burton snowboards will hit the hills this season and "Alumafly" with the greatest of ease. Using technologies formerly exclusive to the aerospace industry, combined with design advice from pro rider Terje Haakonsen, Burton has created the new T6 snowboard and carved a new path on the industry’s mountain.
According to Burton, the T6 features an Alumafly core made from a high grade of T6 aluminum honeycomb.
Phil Rutherford, an aircraft maintenance engineering and technology instructor at SAIT, says aluminum honeycomb is used in the design and construction of lightweight air frames and rotor blades. He adds that the material looks just like a beehive, with the octagons giving it strength. Fighter jets and helicopter blades have benefitted from this composite technology for years.
"It is just as strong as wood, if not stronger," says Gary Breeckner of Helicomb, a composites manufacturing company.
However, he adds that honeycomb is three times lighter than wood, which helps with a snowboard’s speed.
Of course, any boarder know there’s more to performance than technology. Haakonsen, a.k.a. the Sprocking Cat, is one of the greatest snow sluts of all time and he has done more for the snowboarding scene than just ride. With a focus on the progression of the sport, he contributed his expertise to help Burton perfect the T6 design.
The final result has met with approval from Greg Jackson, a former Burton sales representative who currently works at Source, who had the chance to ride a T6 board last season.
"It was amazing. It was very responsive. It was quicker than anything I’ve ever ridden," says Jackson.
He adds that there are even sweeter features on the T6 than the aluminum honeycomb – the sintered indium base (a metal you can find on your periodic table) has refrigeration qualities that will keep the snow beneath the board in ideal conditions.
"If your base heats up from all the friction going on, it will melt the snow…. It creates a water layer between your base and the snow. Water slows you down," says Jackson. "Indium or gallium will refrigerate the base so it doesn’t melt the snow as fast."
As a result, the T6 allows for about 20 per cent more distance than conventional boards.
Another T6 attribute can only be seen with a close-up view – the edging is made of stainless steel, which is just as strong as steel edging but will not rust.
"You can put your board away wet," says Jackson, who proclaims to be too lazy to wipe down his board at the end of the day.
And of course, the Haakonsen-inspired board wouldn’t be complete without a special trademark feature – a cat that’s printed in foil. Jackson explains that the Sprocking Cat always lands on his feet, and his nickname is what inspired the terminator-like tin cat that appears on the board’s face.
The T6 comes in four different sizes, pleasing the pipe-park trickster crowd as well as the backcountry free riders. For more information visit www.burton.com. |
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