Hungry said:
saw a commercial during the Michigan game yesterday, some store near me has snowboards for $150...
"I'd have to spend $800 just to try it"
what a goof! Dude works for the University of Michigan and is a tightwad.
I get that you like to insult me, but you might want to do a little research:
http://www.rei.com/category/4500304
Just for the board you're looking, for a new one, around $250 for the cheapest basic boards out there.
Cheapest Boots around $100
Cheapest Bindings around $100
So the cheapest thing you can probably get new is around $450. Sure that's not $800, but that's literally the worst equipment you can buy. The average snowboard with decent stuff on it is around $800 - so I stand by what I said.
You wouldn't buy the cheapest thing out there because you'd end up having to replace it fairly quickly. The cheap stuff breaks, doesn't insulate your feet and, most of the time, has terrible ankle support and can increase your chance of injury. So if you were going to buy a board to try it, you wouldn't buy the worst thing out there. If you were going to try it you'd just spend $30 and rent a set at the resort. I've never done that because I own my own skis.