Burton Snowboards Push Boundaries With Playboy Designs

Burton Snowboards -- and Burton in general -- are by far and away one of America's most popular choices for winter snow-related activities. They've found a home in Vermont for over 15 years and are considered a leader in their field.

But Burton's recent decision to push the envelope with a few different board styles has raised some eyebrows, particularly with their new Playboy model, "Line of Love".

"When you really think about it, it's a young man standing on top of a naked woman's body," said Zarrillo, 38, an office manager for a nonprofit based in Burlington, also home to Burton's headquarters. "I probably could have gotten past it, because I try to have an open mind, but seeing it like that, it's offensive."

The outcry hasn't made a dent in sales of the new lines, Burton cofounder Jake Carpenter told the Burlington newspaper Seven Days in November. The Playboy line, called Love, and a second line called Primo, which depicts mutilated hands, have "completely oversold by virtue of this exposure," he said.

Now, you might say this is a stretch to call this "travel related". I would say that you're stretching it to prove that I'm "enjoying myself without actually being on a ski slope this Monday morning."

And I would win ... unlike Burton, who may be facing just too much heat from parents, purchasers and the general public to continue on with the "Line of Love". Plus, won't someone just think of the children???