Im looking for a Snowboarding jacket for a Xmas gift for a young guy (20s) - any brand in particular that is good, in style right now?

There r many different ways u could go with this, because there r so many different styles that r ''in' at the moment. Here r a few notable ones.

Burton, the most well known brand in the sport. Unfortunately, everyone on the hill has their swag, so in my opinion, stay away from that. (Unless u do not care, of course)

Analog is a sub brand of Burton, they create more progressive styles & kind of set the bar for the following year is Burton fashions. I've owned a few & l can say that they r extremely well made, warm & of course, stylish.

Holden outerwear was created by Mikey Leblanc & is not quite as flashy as some of the other brands out there. What is particularly special about this brand is that they create styles that r made of high quality, & unique materials (such as organics) & have cuts that r not typical of today is market. Ie. Their pants & jackets r slimmer fitting, where as most other brands have baggier, looser styles to allow more fluid movements while shredding.

If l have any influence over ur purchase, def. look at this brand! I've owned a bunch of their stuff & it is rad!

Other notable brands:

Special Blend - Cool patterns & designs

Grenade - Specialize in gloves, but make dope outerwear as well (see Danny Kass)

686 - Make some different stuff, but pretty much fallow the other large brands

DC

Billabong + Quiksilver - Two separate, & equally shitty brands, in my opinion. Quality is an issue for these two, so I've been told.

Nomis - Started not long ago, famous for their plaid patterns & interesting colour-ways. Def. cool stuff.

Airblaster - Bright, attention grabbing

Volcom - Always has interesting stuff, not my style, but certainly worth a look

l could go on all day, but these r good places to start looking. Go check out some of their websites, & u can find out prices, distribution, etc. Find what u like, & create ur own style. And most importantly remember, shred should not have to be a fashion show, just get out there & get stoked from learning new tricks & shredding with ur friends. That is what the lifestyle is all about, bro!

l ride with either Volcom or Vans outerwear

http://volcom.com/ecom/category.asp?LineID=38
http://vanssnow.com/product/outerwear/mens/splash.html

It seems like everyone is riding Burton or DC, so be different.