should i buy my new snowboard in the UK or Switzerland?

As i work in Japan I will be using yen which is strong against the pound and not too bad against the euro, whih country should I buy my board? And if I buy a board in Switzerland should i get it in Zurich or at one of the resorts?

Textbook, I think that's too tough a call.

To answer your question, somebody would have to know the price of a specific board both in the UK and in Switzerland. Not only that, they would need to know the cheapest place to buy that board in both countries. Then factor in that they would need to know the price difference between the cheapest shop in Zurich and in any of the resorts where there may or not be a shop that has that particular board on offer. I think all that's unlikely, don't you?

What you might get is a post from someone who, last year, bought a board in X and saw it cheaper/dearer in Y. But that's not a lot of help to you.

Maybe someone can suggest a price comparison website for Switzerland, the equivalent of www.comparestoreprices.co.uk or kelkoo.co.uk so you can do some research.

The resorts in switzerland should definitley have board shops, right?

Textbook, that's not my sport and Switzerland isn't my speciality so I'm not much use to you there, I'm afraid. However, I'd be very surprised if there aren't board shops where people go boarding (if that's the right term).

I should have added the extra complicating factor when it comes to making price comparisons, the yen exchange rate. Note that the currency of Switzerland is not the euro: it's the Swiss franc (CHF).

Mindful of your possible flight back to Japan and that it might be expensive to transport a snowboard, I've done a little Googling. You can also hire snowboards in Switzerland: details

Couple of things:

UK is cheap at the moment with weak £ combined with sales. 2 weeks ago I bought some Apple gear from the Apple shop on Regent St and saved nearly 30% against buying them from the online french Apple Store.

There are definite advantages to buying boards and skis (and even boots) in resorts. They usually let you try several models over several days. If you eventually buy one of the boards the trial would be free. I would go for this option rather than buying in the UK (unless you see an amazing deal)

I cannot imagine a ski resort without at least one equipment shop!

There will be definatly shops in all swiss resorts but smaller ones will have not much variety. I am very sure (but I don´t know it exactly) that at this moment, the UK is the cheapest place in Europe to buy a snowboard due to the devaluation of the currency.

The shops in the resorts tend to be small and expensive.
In Zurich the best value places are usually the big chains
www.ochsner-sport.ch
http://www.athleticum.ch/
http://www.sportxx.ch/ are a few examples.
My favourite is http://www.sts-online.ch , its not in Zurich city centre, but about an hour away.
It will take a half day/ day of shopping around to probably find what you want at the right price.
I suggest you decide which board/bindings/boots you want and then start googling and compare the prices.

well will have a look at the UK shops. I am flying with swiss air and they allow one free snowboard bag as well as your normal suitcase weight allowance. So getting it back to Japan wont be a problem as far as cost. getting it at the resort might be good as they might let me try it on the slopes before i pay. mm still thinking. The last board i nbought didnt suit me and threw me and broke my collarbone. I am now on my old first board, but still want to get a better one. Not in Japan as I need a wide board. I am 190cm and 90kg.

Your experience sounds like you should definitely try before you buy!

textbook. If you don´t have much experience snowboarding as it looks from your post, it is very important to go to a store where you will receive profesional advice and the right board , binding and boots for you. It depends on a lot of things and often you buy a board which is cheaper or looks nicer but doesn´t suit you at all. If you need some specific advice, send me a PM.

So what board do you reckon i should go for- i am between beginner and intermediate. my old board which i used last week seemed more rigid than the one which i got and injured me. I am 190cm and 90kg.

Textbook, nahuel said If you need some specific advice, send me a PM.

well i bought a Battalion Jam. It is apparently an allround board. 161cm long and wide. I hope it suits me. I tried the same board but 157cm and narrower and loved it on the local snowdome. I hope my size suits me! I will find out in two days in switzerland I guess.

i bought mine in the UK

the battalion jam was great on the first day. on my second day i was tired and my first run fell backwards and fractured my wrist. the good news is it was very mild and should take four weeks to heal. but i think i will just go back to my old board. i never had any problems with it. both the battalion and a board i bought last yr, were flexible and turned well but both have given me fractures my old board never injured me in three yrs.