BURTON Presents DIGGIN' SNOWBOARD! Several columns about snowboarding.
Vol.02 Top Riders Gathered! Sneaking into the "BURTON FALL/WINTER 2017 LAUNCH PARTY.
While snowboarding is a popular winter sport, it is also a cultural sport that mixes fashion and music. We welcome Burton, a company that has shaped and continues to lead the snowboarding scene, as our partner to introduce the appeal of snowboarding in its current form in a series of columns. We will continue this Series until just before the start of the snowboarding season.
Following last week's interview with Hiroshi Fujiwara, who spoke about the appeal of snowboarding, we will now report on the recent Burton Autumn/Winter Launch Party, as well as get a closer look at some of the top riders who visited the event.
A stylish party to stir up the desire to travel to the snowy mountains ahead of the season.
The party, celebrating the launch of the latest fall/winter collection, was attended by many guests, from snowboarders to fashion people, as well as ordinary Burton fans. At the entrance, guests were able to have their favorite graphics printed on T-shirts as novelty items on the spot.
In addition to the latest lineup of Burton's fall/winter lineup, many portraits and riding photos of riders were on display, and the latest road movies were also shown. One of Burton's unique approaches is to continue expressing the deep appeal of snowboard culture with moody visuals.
As the time went on, the excitement was at its peak. The venue was filled with a comfortable atmosphere from start to finish, with many guests who love "Burton" and snowboard culture and are looking forward to the start of the snow season.
Portraits of BURTON riders who love snowboarding.
Kuremu Katayama, (21 years old, )
Katayama, who placed second to Shaun White in the qualifying round at last season's Burton US Open, is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world halfpipe scene. Katayama is now a hot commodity on the international halfpipe scene. "The great thing about Burton is that they combine functionality and design in both their snowwear and street wear. Especially these days, I often wear military-style shirts in chic colors such as khaki and black.
Takahiro Ishida, (32 years old, )
Ishida, who has been shifting his focus from competition to freeriding in recent years, wore a Burton Thirteen graphic T-shirt in a simple yet cool outfit. I liked this T-shirt on a hunch," he said. Recently, I've been attracted to chic snowwear like this.
Yuya Nakayama, (33 years old, )
Nakayama is one of Japan's best all-around skaters who can handle park, pipe, and freeride in a wide range of styles. He is one of Japan's best all-around skaters, and his one-tone gray skater style, centered around a photo T, is very cool.
From left to right: Yuka Fujimori, (, age 30, ); Hikaru Oe, (, age 21, ); Yuki Furuhata, (, age 31, )
Fujimori, who competed in three Winter Olympics in snowboardcross in 2006, 2010, and 2014 and switched to slopestyle in 2015, and Oe, who led the Japanese women's halfpipe scene at a young age, finishing 2nd at the 2015 World Cup in New Zealand and 3rd at the 2016 LAAX OPEN Oe is leading the Japanese women's halfpipe scene at a young age. And Furuhata, who is based in Sendai and influences the girls' scene with her unique approach that includes not only snowboarding but also surfing and skateboarding, and Burton's top-class female riders have also gathered! The best thing about Burton is its street-style design that even girls can wear in a cute way! ( Oe )
Shota Suzuki, (29 years old, )
Suzuki, who has been active in various competitions since his mid-teens, has recently been working in the freeriding field, using his outstanding style to express his dynamic riding in photos and videos. Katayama also impresses us with his khaki shirt, which he wears buttoned up to the top button, but in a rougher, more masculine way.
Left: Yutaro Miyazawa, (, age 17, ), Right: Ken Otsuka, (, age 16, )
We caught up with Miyazawa and Otsuka, a duo of teenagers with a promising future. Both of them are wearing rough shorts with a youthful yet chic look. Miyazawa says, "I love shirts, so I wear them when I snowboard!" ( Otsuka ). "I wear patterned clothing on the snowy mountains, but my everyday clothes are always this simple," ( Miyazawa ).
Mikkel Bang, (26 years old, )
World-class foreign contract riders also came to Japan for the event. Mikkel, who once won the Burton US Open slopestyle championship, is now active in freeriding in the wilderness. As stylish as he rides with his long arms and legs, he also looks extremely cool in his casual clothes, wearing a navy work shirt from Burton like a man.
Terje Haakonsen, (41, ).
Terrier, a well-known legend and originator in the snowboarding world, also made an appearance! Even though he has retired from competition, he continues to have a tremendous impact on the scene as a whole, and when he appeared, the atmosphere at the event changed dramatically. Many fans surrounded him for commemorative photos and autographs. His overwhelming presence is still alive and well.
Masanori Takeuchi, (51 years old, )
Lastly, Mr. Takeuchi is the director of the technical department of "AK457," which Hiroshi Fujiwara is also involved with. The simple yet stylish graphic on this T-shirt by AK457 is eye-catching, and while the top and bottom are black, the one-point logo on his son, Haruki, is a nice touch.
The launch party brought together riders of all ages, from their teens to their fifties. The town styles of the top riders, which are rarely seen, gave us a glimpse of Burton's sophisticated clothing that crosses over between the city and the snowy mountains. We can't wait to see what they will look like on the mountain in the latest snowboarding apparel from Burton's various lines.
