Add stylish to the mix and you’ve got Cappel by Ride Snowboards’ Sutton Vented Pant (from $230, ) or their Cumberland Bib (from $280). The high-end of Ride Snowboards, Cappel marries fashion with serious function. They may not have zip-out liners (which not many companies produce), but they are waterproof, breathable, and water-repellant, with added comfortable features like sueded tricot lining around the zipper. A cool feature with the Cumberland Bib is that it’s actually removable for warm spring days or when you don’t need that extra protection from the snow. New for the winter of 2009/2010 will be Cappel’s jacket-to-pant zip connector, which will keep all unwanted flakes from getting in your pants.
For the Mercedes of snowboard pant engineering, try Burton’s AK 3L Static Pant ($350, ). Designed for the steeps, deeps, and the soakings that come with massive Alaska peaks, the Static has fully taped seams and triple-strength, Gore-Tex, three-layer water proofing. Surprisingly, with all this protection, you still don’t feel like you’re wearing cardboard. The pant has a soft outer fabric, a fleece-like inner liner, and comes in chartreuse stripe. What else can you ask for in a snowboard pant?