How do you know when your board has had it?
I have an ‘04 Burton Custom. I’ve had it since new and would average around a bit over weeks riding per year. Living in Adelaide does not facilitate easy snow trips. The base and edges are still in good nick and the board is still quite stiff, IMO.
What sort of signs (edges, base and pop) are there that a board is passed its used by date?
I’m not the type of person to buy new things just cos there is a new colour or model. Only maybe if it glowed in the dark 
I’m not the type of person to buy new things just cos there is a new colour or model. Only maybe if it glowed in the dark
Makes a bit of a change from some of the peeps around here, then! haha 
From my somewhat limited knowledge, I’m pretty sure that the Custom is a cambered and pretty stiff board from the start. If it is still retaining that stiffness, its probably still perfectly fine. I’ve ridden 2 really old boards that had definitely “had it” in my time. Both had battered up edges and got chattery, really quickly at any kind of speed.
From the sounds of it, your board has probably done around 50-60 days at the most. You can probably fairly easily do double that on a board (especially one that is fairly stiff to begin with) and it still be ok.
Main reason for getting a new board in your case that I might guess, is if it didn’t really suit your style of riding and you wanted something with a bit more flex in it, that might be more playful for dorking around trying to jib and press etc.
“What sort of signs (edges, base and pop) are there that a board is passed its used by date?”
basically if your base/top sheet starts delaminating, the edges start cracking or have been badly damaged beyond repair, the binding inserts have popped out, the board has signs of splitting on tip or tail or anywhere its been hit hard against rock/tree/rail, the board has warped and lost its shape due to being too dry then you probably need a new board 
if you want to ride your board until it can ride no more, wax it, tune it, repair small dents/chips off the topsheet with marine epoxy, and if the base gets really cut up then just give it to a shop for a base grind and the board will last you for ages if you want it too haha
for reference i have a Ride DH that has broken edges, holes through the topsheet and base (used it as a 2 person seat at one stage), hasnt been waxed in over 3 years, top sheet has cracked and i’ve ridden that puppy and also let my beginner mates try out boarding on it and had no problems on the hill lol
haha Croseks!
DylanV’s Gnu Carbon Credit has def seen better days but I had a good time on it the other week when I rode it.
Broken rail and dings and chips and delaminating!!
When it snaps. End of story.
I’m with Sam on this one, if it still rides and is in one piece it’s sweet lol
Well, mine looks like a Magnetraction board, and it’s not.
When its a noodle and its not suppose to be.
I was one of those people that would just get a new board because I wanted to. Gotten wise to that now and realise that it is silly and can’t afford it.
Although I agree with the whole glow in the dark thing. Sold. Union did a binding that glowed in the dark.
Bataleon did a board with glow in the dark skulls this season.
General signs: edge is snapped/cracked, edge is so round it can’t be sharpened properly, board feels like a noodle, no pop, delamination, core is cracked, core shots, badly bent/dented edges etc.
To be honest, it sounds like your board is still fine.
There are other ways to justify a new board though.
There are other ways to justify a new board though.
Theres always a way to justify a new board :D hehe
I’m one of those lame people that will buy a new board for the smallest reason, i used to have a Burton Love with the Brunette vs Blondie and this indian guy (wearing jeans and a leather jacket during a -5 day… as you do) who was learning to shred came straight at me and scratched the brunette all across the face, i couldn’t look at her the same way again and had to buy another board lol
^ everything said above. You may also find that a new board is lighter, as I did when going from my old 2000 Custom to a 2011/12 board.
The tech changes as well between different years. For example my current board is an 08/09 model (Flex rated soft) and I rode drc’s board which is a 10/11 model (flex rated medium) and drc’s board was easily softer than mine
To be fair, the thread isn’t “how to justify a new board”. Honestly, I have mates who ride boards with missing edges and snapped tails and still kill it all over the mountain. Even a board that has become soft is still ride-able, it may not be as stiff as it was originally intended, but it will still ride no worse than half the other boards out there.
The only time a board has truly ‘had it’ is when no repairs will make it ride-able again.
I ride a board until it’s completely trashed. I’ve only retired a few boards in the last 10 years.
In all seriousness, you know when it’s time for a new board and it sounds like your board is still in good condition, Adsman.