MiVT: MTN Local Snowboards

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (WCAX) - Max Holzman is a big “boards” guy. He’s been snowboarding since the ‘80s and skateboarding for a long time, too.

So, it should not be a shock that he spent a chunk of his career working for a big snowboarding company in Burlington.

“I was working in warranty and saw a lot of broken stuff, and so I wanted to design a board that didn’t exist at the time,” he explained.

He started making pow-surfers, which are basically snowboards that you don’t strap into. When that went well, he decided to dabble in regular snowboards.

“Made a sketchy prototype snowboard and took it to Bolton and went up the lift, made a couple turns and was like, ‘Whoa, this actually works,’” Holzman laughed.

After self-teaching himself the build process, he opened up MTN Local Snowboards in 2015. Now, he ships boards all over the country. The lead time on a snowboard is generally three to four weeks, with materials sourced from across the U.S.

“The shapes that I produce are unconventional, stuff that you’re not going to see every day,” he said. “And every board is different.”

Splitboards, switchboards or just regular old snowboards, these wooden boards are made to charge through any condition, from hard-pack to powder.

“The nice thing about using wood is that it’s lively. It doesn’t feel dead under your feet like plastic does,” Holzman said.

He makes a conscious effort to keep things eco-friendly. All of his snowboards are made by hand by Holzman himself, using horizontal lamination. It’s the same process used to make skateboards.

So, a few years ago, he started up the appropriately named Off-Season Skateboards, too.

“Just as sort of a plan if winters end up melting away,” he said.

Much like his snowboards, Holzman designs for durability and a lightweight, comfortable ride. When we paid him a visit, he was working on a massive skateboard order for Beta Technologies. His specialties include longboards, cruisers and surfskates, and are generally done faster than snowboards.

Regardless of if you’re cruising pavement or snow, Holzman has a board that will suit just about anyone and is happy to work with customers to find the perfect fit. The best way to get in contact with him to talk about your perfect board is via his website or Instagram.

While he gets to indulge in two hobbies near and dear to his heart through this work, that’s not even his biggest draw.

“It incorporates art, design, testing, physics,” he said. “All of my life I’ve developed these skills and so I’m combining these skills and obviously I’m able to do that every day.”

Plus, he gets to witness the smile on people’s faces as they ride away on their new board.

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