News & Resources - Customer Focus
Photo by Scott Smith.
Venture Snowboards
All About the Ride
If you're looking for a flashy board, tip to tail with wild graphics and endorsements, our suggestion is to look elsewhere. Venture snowboards is not a brand in some corporate matrix or the latest ski company spin-off. They don't outsource production because quality is what counts. They don't use prefab components because quality is what counts. And they don't waste resources on over-the-top advertising and team riders because -- well, you get the point, quality is what counts. When your entire focus is on the ride - the pure unadulterated beauty of the ride, it's fair to say Venture Snowboards "rides like nothing else."
The Why of Building a Great Board
Start with the materials. Venture has adopted several unique approaches to snowboard design. For example, the Company uses a woodworking technique called bookmatching to create symmetrical wood cores. While the process is labor intensive, Klemens Branner, Venture's founder, says it "corrects for wood's natural variations in density and stiffness, so your board responds the same on both its right and left edges." This results in a smoother, more balanced ride. To enhance tight carving performance, Venture has opted for quadratic sidecuts rather than the circular sidecuts most companies use.
Erik Mischker at
Durango Mountain.
Photo by Ben Eng
One at a Time
Mass produced boards aren't made at Venture. At their San Juan Mountain location in Durango, Colorado, they create boards one at a time, from scratch, which allows complete freedom of design without compromising function. Some boards are all about appearance, the "look at me" boards. As Branner sees it, "We simplify our production process by doing everything in-house. Our boards are streamlined, using only the most essential components combined in the most efficient way. The same goes for graphics, which are minimal and clean." At Venture, their boards are about function and when function is achieved in the simplest way, then beauty follows as a natural consequence.
Natural Consequences
Riding is all about feeling - feeling your body, the slope, the angle, the air, the lift, and the flying-free. But you need a partner to achieve the feeling and it's more than the board on your feet. It's the earth underneath. Respect it. Care for it. And it will be there tomorrow. Otherwise, be content to skateboard on cement. Venture has made a commitment to build the best performing board on the planet and it's also made a commitment to help save that planet. "It seems only natural that we should protect the wild places that inspire us," remarks Branner. They have walked their talk. From day one, their boards were made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood. And today that wood is FSC Certified CollinsWood.
"As riders, we spend a lot of time outdoors, so of course we want to help protect our surroundings. Trying to incorporate low-impact techniques and materials wherever we can is our way of helping things for the next generation of riders." -Klemens Branner
Fabric topsheets are used instead of the heavy plastics topsheets from other manufacturers. The topsheets are silk screened with water-based inks. This not only reduces the Company's use of plastic and solvents, but enhances performance by making the boards light. Last season, Venture started offering organic cotton and hemp topsheet options to support sustainable agriculture. Add to that a comprehensive recycling program and converting their entire operation to 100% wind power, and you begin to see a deeply held ethic to protect the earth they ride on.
"Today, more than ever, people want to show that they can make a difference in the world they live in, and what better way than to show it while enjoying the very environment that they play in. Venture Snowboard's use of FSC-certified in their products is about the closest way a consumer's purchasing power can show their commitment towards environmentally responsible products."
-Robert Beer (Director of Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood)
Your Footprint
Venture doesn't make women's boards because from an engineering standpoint, sex is not a factor to consider when choosing a board. The key factors are weight, height, shoe size, and riding style. Venture's narrow boards are ideal for women and smaller riders. In addition, all three of their models are offered in three widths for optimal performance, whatever your footprint.
- The Zephyr - designed for all mountain riding, it powers through crud, corduroy, or fluff.
- The Helix - is a freestyle specific board designed for the park and pipe.
- The Euphoria - the backcountry board that excels where it's steep and deep.
Homegrown and Proud of It
Klemens Branner at
Treasure Mountain Hut.
Photo by Scott Smith.
Venture snowboards was founded in 1999 by Klemens Branner, who holds a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University. His background enabled him to understand the mechanics of design and the potential for innovation. A passionate rider himself, Branner built his first board as a kid, out of a piece of plywood.
"I couldn't afford to buy a snowboard, so 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. As you can imagine, it didn't ride very well, but that's how I got started and I've been riding ever since." -Klemens Branner
Branner combined working on his masters degree with working for a snowboard company doing production work and product testing - and, of course, riding when the snows started falling.
"I decided to start my own company when I began to realize that I could build a better board and help to preserve the environment. After all, part of what riding is about is being outside. After doing some research, I realized it would be possible to do this without sacrificing performance. And the most important thing to all of us at Venture is the way our snowboards perform." -Klemens Branner
Looking for a Venture Board?
Venture partners with specialty retail shops because they provide a higher level of customer service than general sporting good chains.
Contact Information
Venture Snowboards
P.O. Box 1563
Durango, Colorado 81302
888.865.3410