More local boards for locavores: Silverton's Venture Snowboards

This week, Silverton Mountain announced new early season mid-week dates, effective for today's December 2 opening date, to help meet demand on the Western Slope now that Purgatory has gone to a weekend-only (Friday-Sunday) schedule. If you're heading to the San Juan Mountains for some of the sickest powder Colorado...

By Colin Bane

December 2, 2009

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This week, Silverton Mountain announced new early season mid-week dates, effective for today's December 2 opening date, to help meet demand on the Western Slope now that Purgatory has gone to a weekend-only (Friday-Sunday) schedule.

If you're heading to the San Juan Mountains for some of the sickest powder Colorado has to offer, you'll need an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe (all available for rental at the mountain). While you're at it, pick up a proper board for the mission from Silverton's Venture Snowboards.

Klemens and Lisa Branner are celebrating Venture's 10th anniversary this season, and now make four different decks at their Silverton factory -- Helix, Zephyr, Storm, and Euphoria -- each available as either a solid or split board and in different widths to accommodate male and female riders of all sizes. Once you get up to your neck in powder hiking to the steeps at Silverton, you'll appreciate having one of the split decks, which is why Backcountry Magazine picked the Storm Split as its 2010 Editor's Choice in its 15th Anniversary Gear Guide and Snowboarder Magazine gave it Best of Test honors.

To get the boards here in Denver, check out the Emage shop at 1620 Platte Street. For boards made even closer to home, check out our previous local boards for locavores post on Never Summer.

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