5 minutes with Donek Snowboards
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have someone build you a brand-new, fully customized snowboard? Want your face printed on your snowboard? Donek builds snowboards in just about any size, shape, or design customization that you can imagine and they’ll do it all while collaborating with you.
In 1995 Sean started Donek Snowboards as an official company and started building boards in his garage and selling online. Tough times and slow sales lead to the production of a few monoskis and various projects to fill in the gap but today they operate out of a new building in Colorado after a fire destroyed the shop some years ago. Luckily the Donek brand continues to thrive and is still with us.
Here at the SnowBum, we’re all about boutique ski and snowboard manufacturers. That’s why we’ve taken the time to dive into the world of Donek snowboards and bring you the inside scoop. What sets a Donek snowboard apart? Where can you get a snowboard with your own face printed on it? How did they get their start? Let’s find out.
Donek snowboards started in a high school social studies class when Sean Martin wrote a business plan for a small project. He then went on to build the first snowboards in his parent’s basement and eventually progressed into mechanical engineering at a collegiate level. Of course, some college level engineering education never hurts when designing custom snowboards and Donek boards have evolved from these humble beginnings.
When we asked Sean about how he got started building custom snowboards he told us that early snowboards were simple – mostly based on skateboard designs. His junior high science teacher, “guided me on my first project, helping me build a screw press to laminate many layers of maple veneer into a snowboard.” Today, Donek continues to produce handmade snowboards for all of us, though their methods have inarguably improved.
For those of us who aren’t able or willing to dabble in custom snowboard making in our own garage, Donek will custom print your artwork on a top sheet for just $65. You can use a photograph or an illustration and they’ll translate the image into a gloss or carbonium image. Want an “I heart mom” custom snowboard graphic printed on the bottom of your board? They’ll do it. As it turns out, Donek makes designing your own snowboard quite affordable and it requires none of the trial and error that working from your own garage would entail.
Donek custom snowboards carry a two-year warranty for both stock and customized snowboard models. Of course, if you break your board in half with a Jerry move, you’re out of luck. Donek only warranties defects in workmanship – not broken boards because you wrecked it in the terrain park.
Pioneering new methods and materials is one of the fastest ways to evolve so we looked in to what innovations Sean and the team are working on. Donek is currently advancing and refining metal laminate technology in their snowboards and hopes to help “bring the US athletes back to US manufactured race board”. Of course, the Colorado based custom snowboard maker is always willing to discuss options for custom ski and monoski creation though they’re not primarily a ski maker.
Snow Bums are passionate, innovative, and creative. We demand the best products from the best materials, made for us! So, here’s to you, Sean and Donek, for commitment to making badass boards we can shred every day. Their return policies, customer care, and personalized touch make it clear that they’re made by boarders, for boarders.
If you’re stoked about Donek boards, we’ve got a little love to share. Get yourself on a Donek board for less with our discount code, exclusively available to Snow Bum members – you really won’t find it anywhere else.