Burton's Risque Boards Causing Backlash, Banned At Resorts

Love Boards' Risque Photos Root Of Public Backlash

Burton Snowboards is facing "growing public backlash" over its Love and Primo lines, according to Sarah Mausolf of the VAIL DAILY. The Love boards feature vintage Playboy photos, and though the womens' "nipples and genitals have been covered or cropped out of view, their posteriors remain on prominent display." Meanwhile, the Primo boards, feature "cartoonish pictures of self-mutilation," including one image of a person "cutting off his or her own finger with scissors." More than 100 people last week "participated in a protest march" outside Burton's Vermont HQs (VAIL DAILY, 10/26). Burton Snowboards CEO Laurent Potdevin said in a statement, "Burton supports freedom of artistic expression. Board graphics are artwork, and art can be offensive to some and inspiring to others. ... We will keep these boards in the market and have no intention of recalling them" (Burton).

SLIPPERY SLOPE: In Vermont, Lauren Ober reported ski resort Smugglers' Notch at its employee orientation Saturday announced its workers "would not be allowed to use" the two styles of Burton snowboards when on duty. Smugglers' Notch PR Dir Barbara Thomke: "This is something that's not in sync with who we are and what we value at Smuggs. We certainly think Burton has an excellent product, but we take exception to these lines." Vail Resorts Senior Corporate Communications Manager Amy Kemp said that Vail-owned resorts also "prohibit employees from using the Love boards, or any other inappropriate, offensive or suggestive equipment while on duty." Ober noted only 1,000 Love boards and fewer than 1,000 Primo boards were produced for the '09 line (BURLINGTON FREE PRESS, 10/28). An Aspen Skiing Co. official said that the company "had just been notified of the boards and is examining if they belong in their workplace." Colorado-based ski shop Polar Revolution Owner Sammy Shea said that the boards "have been 'selling like crazy' and he hasn't heard any negative feedback" (ASPEN DAILY NEWS, 10/29). Attorneys said that resorts "can ban the boards from their mountains entirely without viable legal repercussions," but in Vermont, Cristina Kumka reports many resorts "don't intend to limit what the public chooses to [snowboard] with" (RUTLAND HERALD, 10/29).