Snowboard Connection

These guys don’t know their head from their a**. Never ever buy anything from this store, especially if it’s an online order. I placed an order for snowboard boots and 10 days later it was still not shipped. So I emailed them for 3 days with no response. Then I called them and they told me the item was pulled but not shipped and it’d be shipped by the end of the day. At the end of the day I get a canned email message saying they had an «inventory» problem and no longer had the item I purchased in stock. They didn’t even have the decency to respond to my emails personally. Those idiots never pulled the boots off their shelf after I purchased it online and sold it in the store it stead. F you Snowboard Connection! Way to ruin my brother’s birthday.

I was in desperate need of new snowboard boots (realizing that your foot shouldn’t feel like it has a fire poker driven through it after 6 – 8 runs) so that was my mission for yesterday. We did our obligatory drive thru at REI (well, mostly to say hello to a friend who works there) and decided to try on a couple of pairs of boots… the trying on process there started with the sales guy putting the left boot on my right foot. Yea, something didn’t feel right. Did not buy anything there (and hadn’t planned to) and headed across to Snowboard Connection.
I had heard the night before that the new location was cramped and boy were they right! I found myself shimmying through rack upon rack of ill placed clothes smack upon entering the front door in order to make my way to the WAY back where the boots are. Once in and in the boot section the staff was stellar! One sales guy was already helping a client but immediately called for someone to come over and help me (unlike REI where we stood around and I had to ask for help). The guy who assisted me was kick-​ass. Really knew his stuff. Talked about what I had tried on already, what I liked in my fit and how I rode and then brought out about 4 – 5 pairs for me to start with. Things I learned… my foot is too narrow for Burton (and Thirty Two for that matter, he didn’t even have me slip those on after 2 pairs of Burtons), the new speed lacing systems aren’t really speedy until you’ve got it dialed in, Snowboard Connection’s selection trumps REI’s any day and as everyone knows you get what you pay for (that’s to make myself feel better after plopping down some serious coin). The Salomon Fusions (F22W) felt really great on my feet so the sales guy had me walk around the store (a challenge in and of itself due to little to no walk space, see earlier comment) and they still felt good after some time in them, so up to the counter it was to complete the transaction. Their 30 day return policy was the icing on the cake, especially after he said I could bring them back if I developed any odd pressure points after wearing them a couple of times. The staff at Snowboard Connection is 5 stars in my book! A extremely knowledgeable group. The store itself gets 3 stars just because it is so awkwardly laid out and cramped, but at least I don’t feel like I am going to get mugged like at the old location. BTW… they do a great job waxing and tuning your board too.

I would LOVE this store if only the staff didn’t act like they were too cool to talk to you.
Oh, you’re friends with Peter Line? Oh, you’ve been skating for 10 years? Oh, you have that badass Subaru outside with stickers all over it? Oh, you can do a backslide boardslide? Oh, you ride at Whistler every winter?
Ok, fine, this might make you cool. But, not too cool to even say hello or acknowledge me when I walk up to the counter.
Total bummer, dude.

Videos of extreme winter sports play on the TV in the store. Huge selection of pricey equipment. I bought some rather expensive mid-​weight long underwear, which has served me well over numerous boarding trips this winter.
The staff is very helpful and hip.

One of the best places in Seattle for snowboarding gear for women. The clothes they have here might be a bit pricey, but who can really put a price on looking cute after a day of X-​TREME sporting?
The sales staff know their gear and are certainly not afraid to tell it like it is. Actually, if you are easily offended you may just want to head over to Big 5 and play it safe. However, if you are not afraid to embrace the semi-​subculture of snowboarding, you’ve found your shop.