Revolution Thrives as One of the Only Snowboard Manufacturers in the U.S.

Few people are aware that pretty much every snowboard in stock at the local shop is manufactured overseas. You just might be astonished to find that the largest and one of the few snowboard manufacturers that exists in North America is located in Orem, Utah.

Revolution Snowboards evolved from local companies such as Caution, Evoluton and Miller Ski Company. However, it is run by a completely different group of people that what it branched out of—mostly local native Utahns that are avid snowboarders and skiers that are dedicated to the cause.

From the ground up, snowboards are manufactured from high-quality materials, starting with the wood core that is cut and drilled in a small section of the factory. That’s followed by multiple layers of fiberglass and P-tex being added and fine-tuning the edges. All graphics are printed in house, then pressed at the plant. The many layers are then molded by one of the many presses that heat to thousands of degrees, then cooled.

The one thing that separates revolution from other companies is their custom board team, which consists of everyone in the factory. For cheaper than your run-of-the-mill name-brand snowboard at the shop, you can design your own. You can select your own shape and size, then your own pictures or drawing as personalized graphics. Your very own, one-of-a-kind board. For an example, see the SLUG Summer of Death board in the hand of Jason Gaiencheta on page 40 of October’s issue of SLUG!

Revolution can help you to put together the board of your dreams.

The goal behind Revolution Snowboards is to get their name out there on the market, building the best America has to offer. Bringing American snowboards back to America—especially in Utah. From what SLUG officials saw on a tour of the factory, they have the means and determination to do so. These boards are hand-crafted with pride and quality in mind.

The Revolution team has also installed a TF (training facility) at the factory that can be used in spring, summer, winter or fall. It is a tower standing at 20 feet tall, dropping to a bump with ledges on both sides and a rail in the center. Believe me, it is intimidating at first. Warm up. Competitions were held there earlier this year—watch for more on this beast.

Revolution Snowboards will also be a major sponsor of this year’s SLUG Meltdown and Winter Games. Watch for events and dates in Josh Scheuerman’s Katchup column in SLUG or the local shop or bar. There used to be a far greater amount of snowboarding manufacturers on American soil just five years ago, but now there are only about 10 facilities like Revolution left in the U.S. Most of the other snowboarding companies moved their manufacturing headquarters to China and countries overseas where labor is cheaper and profit margins are higher. Sweatshops are one of the unfortunate results of globalization, which takes jobs away from the U.S., affecting the economy adversely.

Special thanks to Jared Norby and Brady Fox at Revolution!!! The factory is open to the public on certain days and hours. Just give them a call at 801-223-9500 for info. Revolution Snowboards Manufacturing is located in Orem at 1185 N. 1200 West.

Only buy snowboards built in America!!!