Max Parrot, Red Gerard and Mark McMorris doing right by their board sponsors. Photo: Sam Mellish
Thanks to the Olympics’ infamously stringent rules and regulations, no competing snowboarder is allowed to big up their sponsors while the Games are running. However, with the prime real estate that is the base graphic, what board each medallist is on is pretty easy to see.
As is the norm these days, the winners can usually be seen carrying their stick up to the podium with them, making their sponsors very happy without having to utter a word. Take that, Rule 40!
” These riders take their gear selection extremely seriously”
Given the talent on display in the slopestyle events, you could probably put these guys and girls on de-lammed rental boards from 2002 and they’d still kill it. However, at this level it’s all about the marginal advantages, and so these riders take their gear selection extremely seriously.
Some are already on a 2018/19 model, which won’t be available until next winter, but in most cases they’re on a slightly updated version of something that’s available now.
Here’s what was under the feet of all six medallists in snowboard slopestyle: