Venture Forward

It's all about the ride.

by Wes Bowens

Klemens Branner does his own product analysis on Silverton Mountain.
Photo: Scott Smith / Imagesmith
Ask Klemens Branner, and he'll agree, "It's all about the ride." As a snowboarder of over seventeen years and founder of Venture Snowboards, Branner established the company with that simple credo as its core philosophy. He then set out to build a snowboard that was better from the wooden core out.

It all began the winter of 1986, when Branner shaped a home-made snowboard from plywood to make his first tracks. His orginal inspiration? "I got very excited by the snowboard scene in the James Bond movie 'A View to a Kill.' I cut a piece of plywood to the right shape with a jigsaw, soaked it in water so I could bend the front end up to make a nose, and put some rubber straps on the top to hold my feet in. As you can imagine, it didn't ride very well, but that was how I got started and I've been riding ever since." After receiving his Master's degree in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University, Branner founded Venture Snowboards in 1999. He built the company with the mission "to improve the quality and performance of our boards while minimizing environmental impact," and they have done just that.

If you aren't familiar with them, a snowboard is constructed from a variety of woods, plastics, fiberglass and metals (in the form of steel edges) that are sandwiched together to create a sturdy riding platform. The basic ingredients include a base made with a blend of special plastics, a wood core (Venture uses both poplar for its lightweight strenth and ash for its durability and impact resistance) and a topsheet usually made with synthetics like plastic. All of these synthetics universally harm the environment, from their creation to their use in snowboard construction. As Branner says, "part of what riding is about for me is being outside, so it only makes sense to try to help preserve the environment." Take a look at how Venture manufactures its boards, and it's easy to see that from the base to the topsheet, Branner practices what he preaches.

Klemens Branner shows off one of his carefully-crafted, FSC-certified Venture snowboards at Treasure Mountain Hut.
Photo: Scott Smith / Imagesmith
All of Venture's snowboards are constructed with a conservationist's ethic. The wood used in every Venture board is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), designating it as a Smartwood company. This means that the wood used in each core comes from a tree that was grown and harvested sustainably. But, as Branner says, "There is a widespread misconception that environmentally friendly products don't hold their own when it comes to performance. But for us, conservation and quality are equally important." One look at Venture's boards and it's easy to see the difference. The core is the most structurally important component of a snowboard, and vertically laminated wood cores are the industry standard because they are lightweight and durable. These conventionally-produced cores fail to account for wood's natural variations in density and stiffness. If not properly adjusted for, these variations result in a core that is asymmetrical and has inconsistent flex patterns, causing the board to respond differently when carving on either edge. Venture's use of a
Erik Mischker discovers that fabric topsheets really do make snowboards lighter at Durango Mountain.
Photo: Ben Eng
woodworking technique called "bookmatching" solves this problem. The result is a core that is symmetrical from end to end; the carefully matched density and stiffness provide a smooth, balanced ride.

The two-fold commitment to quality and conservation doesn't stop at the core. The topsheets on all Venture boards are made of fabric, instead of plastics like most other manufacturers. Since the core provides most of the structural integrity of a snowboard, the topsheet does not need to be made from a synthetic material to provide strength to the setup. The research and development team at Venture has found that by replacing plastic with a fabric topsheet, not only is no structural integrity lost, but it also makes the snowboard lighter and easier to maneuver. Venture's environmental impact is further decreased by including the use of water-based inks in the manufacturing process. Careful waste management and extensive recycling insure that as the company ventures forward, its environmental footprint remains small.

Every snowboard is crafted from scratch, start to finish, which allows Venture to pay a nearly neurotic level of attention to detail. Constructing the boards in small batches allows them to tweak design and construction practices, and as a result, the product evolves more quickly than those produced by many large-scale manufacturers.

Bethany Powell ventures into the lower stratosphere at Treasure Mountain Hut.
Photo: Scott Smith / Imagesmith
Venture has taken its latest step in maintaining its mission statement by offering boards made with either organic cotton or unbleached hemp topsheets, allowing the inner beauty of their boards to shine through. At Venture, the focus falls on research and development rather than marketing. A closely-knit group of friends are out there riding daily, providing feedback for what is needed to create a high-quality, high-performance product.

Venture offers three different lines to cater to all different riding styles: free riding, all-mountain versatility, and freestyle. Every board is offered in three widths so smaller riders are not slowed down by a heavy board or riders with bigger feet don't have to worry about treacherous "toe over-hang." The graphics on all of the boards are stylishly simple, adding to the peace of mind acquired after a day well spent in the mountains.

Venture has also hooked up with two like-minded companies to provide some sustainable threads as well. They offer sweatshop-free t-shirts by American Apparel, and Patagonia contributes organic cotton t-shirts to the Venture line. Both garner well-deserved reputations as companies that give a hoot (and don't pollute), and Venture is proud to incorporate sustainably-produced softgoods spun with fair labor practices.

Take a moment to browse Venture's website and you'll find a gem that has been hiding in what has become an incredibly large industry. Whatever you're into, whether it's making first tracks in the powder fields or hitting kickers in the park, our friends at Venture have done their homework to help make your experience more enjoyable. Maybe the comfort of knowing that you've made a difference in the world will push your riding (and your life) to the next level of enlightenment. More than anything, it's refreshing to find a company who is more interested in the quality of their product than the hype or glamour that may surround it.

Remember, "it's all about the ride", and a Venture snowboard just may be the perfect ride for you; the planet will agree.


Wes Bowens rides in Washington's Cascades and writes from Tacoma, Wash.

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Patagonia started using post-consumer recyling for its fleece in 1993 and converted its entire sportswear line to 100% organically grown cotton in 1996. The company continues to prove that it is "committed to the core" by introducing post-consumer recycled filament yarn for use in shell fabrics and linings, with ongoing environmental campaigns, and through the continuation of environmentally responsible business practices.




MEC remains devoted to researching and developing new, more sustainable ways to produce outdoor clothing and gear, and uses organic cotton for its sportswear.




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