The Snowboarding Blog :: Toronto Snowboard Stores and Mole Snowboards

Hogtown Extreme Sports: Great store, lousy website. Offer possibly the widest selection of ski and snowboard bags I have ever seen. Knowledgeable staff, and only seem to carry high-quality stuff. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the King/Spadina area. Slightly pricey, but hey -- quality costs!

Mountain Equipment Co-Op: Everyone loves MEC. Especially hippies. Good for base layers, camping gear, that sort of stuff. Not much available in the way of gear specifically for snowboarding, but great winter clothes. There is a location in downtown Toronto near Hogtown.

Europe Bound: You know, I had never been in there before, and I was disappointed when I finally did. More stuff than MEC, but way less organized and very messy. Difficult to walk around in. I guess this will appeal to a certain type of shopper.

Sport Chek: I'm sure someone will call me a 'poser' for saying this, but: I end up buying lots of stuff here. Everything is very affordable, and they have a little of everything - boards, coats, gloves, tools, boots, bindings, etc. Both brand names and odd names you've never heard of (likely their own private label brands), like Mole snowboards (I own one). At least my bindings are from a company I've heard of before...

Boardsports: A great place to find a wide selection of high-quality boards and accessories.

Boardzone: While I have not visited, I know many who swear by it.

So Hip it Hurts: A popular Toronto destination for skate and snow clothing; I think accessories and gea is also available, but I have not visited. Check the site. Located on Queen Street.

Mole Snowboards

I seem to be getting a lot of traffic from Google searches for Mole Snowboards. I, like you, couldn't find much information about them. So I'll list below what I know about them:

I believe they are a private label brand of Sport Chek, a Canadian retailer. Sport Check has a few private lable brands they use for outdoor clothing and equipment.
I got the board at an end-of-season sale at Sport Chek when I was learning how to snowboard. It's 154cm and has a picture of Mount Hood on it.
For all intents and purposes, it has been very good. Actually, I still use it. And I've taken it to Whistler three times, Vermont once, and southern Ontario a whole ton. It has done the job quite nicely, and I highly recommend it as a learner board. It has taken rocks, jumps and general wear and tear quite well.
I'm using Flow bindings with the board.
The board is thinner than most snowboards I have seen.

I am planning to replace the board soon simply because I think my abilities now go beyond the board - I want something a little wider, maybe a little more stiff, and a little thicker/able to absorb some more shock. But all things considered it was a great board to start/learn with.

If you have any more information on this board I'd love to hear from you so we can get a bit of a repository going.

Keywords: toronto, mole, snowboard

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Re: Toronto Snowboard Stores and Mole Snowboards

by Vanessa on Thu 22 Feb 2007 08:59 AM PST | Permanent Link

thanks so much, this information was helpful..I live in downtown Toronto, and have been trying to find decent places to get snowboarding gear..although, i have just decided to wait till the ski and snowboard show next year haha...

Theres also another place in TO which is pretty decent,

So Hip It Hurts
323 Queen Street West
Toronto , ON
(416) 971-6901

Re: Re: Toronto Snowboard Stores and Mole Snowboards

by Adam on Thu 22 Feb 2007 11:31 AM PST | Profile | Permanent Link

No kidding. I've heard of the store but never been there. I'll check it out and add it to the list, thanks for the tip.

--adam

Re: Toronto Snowboard Stores and Mole Snowboards

by Anonymous on Sun 25 Feb 2007 04:10 PM PST | Permanent Link

I would not recommend going to Hogtown. I understand it's known as a "local favourite" but they are not deserving of this title. I believe if you are in need for boarding equipment, you should go to Board Sport instead. The following are my points for Board Sport vs. Hogtown:

1)All Hogtown cares about is making the sale.
The sales person kept trying to push a more expensive board at me, luckily a experienced boarder friend of mine was with me and suggested a less expensive board but with the same quality. In addition, I felt rushed to make a decision to purchase. At Board Sport, the sales person spent hours assisting me without making me feel that I had to purchase something at that very moment. He ensured I saw all the options and in the end I was very satisfied with my purchase.

2)Poor return policy at Hogtown.
At Hogtown, if you put the bindings onto the snowboard, the purchase is considered Final Sale. Otherwise, they only have a 2 week return policy. BoardSport allows you to test out your equipment on various runs and if you are not satisfied, they are more than happy to return your equipment and help you find something else until you are completely satisfied.

3)Lowest Price Guarantee at Board Sport
If you find your item at another store for a cheaper price, Boardsport will price match.

4)Hogtown has No customer service whatsoever.
When I was making a return, the sales person was extremely rude and literally threw the return receipt towards me. As a previous retail sales person, I believe customers are entitled to make a return when not 100% satisfied. The customer should not feel like they've done something wrong when returning a purchase.

The last point was the final straw that ensured that I would never return to Hogtown and will make it a point of telling others to not shop there. There are other stores (e.g. Board Sport, The sign of the skier, Sporting Life, Silent Sport, etc) in the city that have just as large (if not larger) selection of merchandise but with the great customer service that you are entitled to.

Re: Toronto Snowboard Stores and Mole Snowboards

by Anonymous on Fri 29 Jun 2007 12:01 AM PDT | Permanent Link

I should point out one of my favourite shops in the GTA. Actually a little north: in Newmarket. The shop is called "Senecal Ski Shop". I believe they are family owned and operated. Its pretty small and has a limited but decent collection (most of the major brands: Burton, Ride, Salo, Rossignol, Flow etc.). The prices are comparable to some of the other shops - maybe a bit pricier, even (though I'd rather spend a few more bucks on good service and advice). I love them because of the service and their honesty. When I was just about to start snowboarding, I was talking to one of the salespeople and he advised me not to go too crazy on spending for the top-of-the line setup. He told me that if anything, to really invest my time and funds on finding the right boots (i.e. ones that actually fit well) because, being attached to your feet, are naturally the part of the setup that is most important. From there, decent bindings and even a relatively cheap board can be bought used and upgraded gradually in following years (as my skills improve - a beginner won't be able to tell the difference between a $100 and a $600 board anyway), so you don't need to blow all your cash at once. These guys are seriously just stoked to hear about people joining and falling in love with the sport. The true spirit of riding...
I sincerely suggest you check them out.

And a comment on the other comments on the various shops in the GTA. I've been (quite often) to all the shops mentioned above and I'd say customer service is hit and miss at almost all of them. It just seems to depend on who serves you that day - not necessarily reflective of which shop.

At Hogtown, the service is pretty lax but I've talked to some who were pretty darn helpful as well some who were complete idiots. I have almost identically variable experiences from Boardsports, Boardzone and Sporting Life.

And I definitely have a beef with SportChek just because I've never met a salesperson at any branch who actually knew anything about snowboarding or (at least) the products they were supposed to be selling.

I guess its a matter of preference - find a shop you trust and ask lots of questions. Besides, everyone knows that (if you have buying in mind and know what you are looking for), the Ski/Board show is the best place to shop!

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Snowboard Information

Personal snowboarding information from yours truly.

Toronto Snowboarding Stores: A few places to buy snowboarding gear in Toronto.

Mole Snowboards: What the heck is a Mole snowboard?

Guide to Whistler: The unofficial Whistler guide. Or get more Whistler information.

Mont Tremblant, Quebec: My first trip. Where I stayed and what it was like.

Blue Mountain, Ontario: A closer look.

Mount St. Louis Moonstone, Ontario

Jay Peak, Vermont