Snowboarding Travels

Inside Prior Snowboards

The Prior Snowboard Factory in Whistler, BC is located just minutes from the base of Whistler & Blackcomb Mountains offering up the ability to create and ride in the same day.  Prior has been making snowboards since 1990, offering premium handcrafted snowboards for racers, freeriders to freestyle riders to splitboarders.  Their factory is quaint, but they offer a friendly direct to consumer accessibility.  

In the showroom, customers can come and purchase brand new and demo Prior Snowboards or place an order for a custom made board.

From the top of the stairs, you get the view of the Prior Snowboard Factory working hard below.  It’s not a big snowboard operation, but the work they put into their snowboards makes them valuable.  Their efforts in creating solid splitboards is recognized by the splitboarding community often.
 
Just in case people aren’t familiar with a splitboard, it’s a snowboard that is split into two.  It’s popular for backcountry riders who can ski up the mountain, but snowboard down to enjoy the powder.   You get to use your regular bindings on it with a custom mounting system by Voile.

Prior is very big on demo’ing their boards and as my friend Marc put it, he needs to stop demoing them cause he keeps wanting one every year.   At the Whistler Demo’s, you could try a racing board, a splitboard or their new AMF Rocker coming out.  

Prior is another company open to factory tours and you can call them to find out when they offer them since they are on select days.  Definitely worth the trip to check out how a snowboard is made during your time in Whistler.   

You Might Also Like...

  • Nose Dradamous
    April 29, 2009 at 11:43 am

    Cool shit. Priors got a good niche carved out.

  • Shay
    July 21, 2009 at 7:53 pm

    Definitely good crew up there and it was great to check out the factory, such a rad operation they got.