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New Burton binding makes stepping on snowboard a snap

Snowboarders now have a new way to click with their ski friends. The typical rider's hassle of bending down — or sitting down in the snow — to buckle boots into the bindings while skiers in their group wait could be a thing of the past.

A new technology that enables the boot to snap onto the board similar to a ski binding has the potential to inject fresh life into a sport that has been dealing with slowing growth for the last decade or so.

After more than four years of research and more than a decade of trying to find the answer to a question that has long perplexed snowboarders and manufacturers alike, Burton Snowboards is releasing its new Step-On binding — touting it as a time-saver that won't negatively impact performance.

The binding goes on sale next fall and will run between $250 and $400.

An improvement in ski technology, combined with unpredictable weather, the Great Recession and increased pricing for lift tickets, helped play into flat numbers for snowboarding over the past decade-plus.

SnowSports Industries America reports microscopic growth (from 7.57 million to 7.602 million) in the number of snowboard participants between 2011-12 and last winter.

With $6M in earnings, LifeVantage expects to keep Nasdaq listing

LifeVantage, a Salt Lake City company struggling to stay on the Nasdaq exchange, belatedly reported earnings of $6 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

That net income, worth 41 cents per share, was down from $7 million, or 49 cents a share, from the previous year. Net revenues for the recently completed year were $206.5 million, up 8.5 percent from $190.3 million the year before.

LifeVantage President and CEO Darren Jensen said revenues from operations in the Americas rose 4.6 percent while revenue declined 7.6 percent in Europe and Asia.

He said Monday's filings, which included a quarterly report through the end of September, leaves LifeVantage "current with our [Securities and Exchange Commission] filings, which puts us back into compliance with our loan covenants and is expected to put us back into compliance with Nasdaq listing rules."

Average price of gas down to $2.18, but still higher than last year

The average price of gasoline in Utah fell 17 cents over the past month to $2.18, putting it into the middle of the pack nationally (27th highest). Tuesday's price was 13 cents higher than a year ago, said AAA Utah spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough.

All seven Utah cities surveyed by AAA had decreases over the past month. Provo led the way, with a 25-cent drop leaving it with gas at $2.08 a gallon, the state's lowest. Vernal was highest at $2.35. Salt Lake City was at $2.14 a gallon, while Moab came in at $2.29 and St. George at $2.34.

Utah's N-Hance Wood Renewal working to expand Down Under

Logan-based N-Hance Wood Renewal said it is working with a master franchisee Mark Greenwood to expand the brand's presence in Australia and New Zealand.

He expects N-Hance, which is sold at 400 locations in the United States and Canada, to be introduced in 42 markets in Australia and six in New Zealand over the next decade.

The first franchise is expected to be sold in March, said Greenwood, who knows the waterproofing and sealing market from his job as CEO of a company called Wet-seal. "The flooring market is growing at a phenomenal rate [Down Under]," he noted, "creating a strong demand for wood care services."

N-Hance was founded in 2001, using a curing technology to shorten refinishing processes and produce less dust, mess and odor.