First look: Burton unveils Olympic U.S. Snowboard team anti-uniform

When the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix kicks off this week at Copper Mountain, snowboarders will be competing for a chance to ride with the Team U.S.A. for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in February -- and the chance to wear the rockin' new team uniform, unveiled this week by Burton.The...

By Colin Bane

December 7, 2009

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When the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix kicks off this week at Copper Mountain, snowboarders will be competing for a chance to ride with the Team U.S.A. for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in February -- and the chance to wear the rockin' new team uniform, unveiled this week by Burton.

The flannel and denim outfit will help the team fit right in up there in Vancouver, but the uniforms are actually made of Gore-Tex, which, I'm told, is "the official fabric of the 2010 U.S. Snowboarding Team."

Here's the nail-on-the-head quote from Burton creative director Greg Dacyshyn, via The New York Times:

"Board sports, for the most part, are about expressing individuality -- that's what makes them cool. So the whole uniform thing, you know, it's a sensitive subject."

While you wait for the NBC Sports commentators and late-night comics to get their digs in on the sensitive subject of the snowboarders' Olympic lumberjack look, check out Burton.com for a closer look at the uniforms and don't miss Westword later this week for a profile of one local rider with a very good chance at getting himself one of those grungy getups.

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