Before Buying A Snowboard

There are so many good snowboards to choose from. The trick is to find the board that is best suited for you. Following are the top 5 things to take into consideration when shopping for a new snowboard.

Type of Snowboard - Freestyle, Freeride or Race
There are 3 main styles in snowboarding: freestyle, freeride and freecarve/race. In terms of numbers, snowboarders are pretty evenly split between freestyle and freeride, while race boards are more rare - you probably already know if you're in this category. Manufacturers design boards for each of these styles of riding, so it is good to have a basic understanding of where you fit before you shop.

Snowboarding Styles

In the few decades that snowboarding has been around, a few distinct styles have emerged within the sport. These styles are characterized by their preferred terrain, their specific equipment and their own competitions.

It is important to know what type of snowboarder you are -- or are interested in becoming -- before you drop your savings on a new board/boots/bindings setup. Manufacturers carefully design boards for specific types of riding, and you don't want to make the mistake of buying a $450 big mountain board if you're going to spend all day in the pipe.

Freestyle
Freestyle riding is the flavor of the day. This style focuses on jumps, tricks, rail slides, halfpipes and switch riding.

Snowboard movies typically showcase freestyle riding; it is fun to watch and where pros can really show off their skills.
Many resorts design and maintain snowboard parks for freestyle riders with jumps, rails and halfpipes.
Freestyle equipment uses a soft boot and a relatively short, maneuverable board. A general freestyle board will be designed to handle well on jumps, spinning in the air and riding switch.

Some freestyle boards are designed specifically for the halfpipe alone or for the perfect rail slide. If you can afford a board for every occasion, these specialty boards will ride extremely well in the condition for which they were designed -- but are not likely to perform well outside of that specific terrain.


The most popular snowboarding events are freestyle competitions. These include halfpipe, quarterpipe, slopestyle and big air competitions.



Freeride
Whether just learning to link turns or pushing the limits of an Alaskan descent, freeriders prefer the all mountain experience: open terrain, backcountry chutes, fresh powder, trees -- as well as an afternoon spent in the park or in a freshly cut pipe. This is the realm where pros can show what they are really made of; it is a conversation between rider and mountain.


Freeriding is the most general style of snowboarding and has correspondingly versatile equipment. Like freestyle, freeride equipment uses a soft boot. Boards in this category are relatively longer and more directional in their shape. If you don't know what kind of terrain you like, or know that you like everything, this is your category.


Freecarve / Race
This often overlooked style of snowboarding focuses on carving and racing. Sometimes called alpine snowboarding, freecarving takes place on hard-pack or groomed runs and focuses on the ultimate carving turn. Little or no jumping takes place in this discipline.


Freecarve equipment is comprised of a hard boot and plate binding system, while the boards are stiff, narrow and relatively long.


Style of snowboarding includes competitions that are modeled after ski racing, such as the parallel giant slalom - an Olympic event in which racers maneuver around gates or poles.



Decisions, Decisions
you are just starting out, avoid highly specific equipment; i.e., boards that are only designed to perform well in one environment. As a new snowboarder, you will want to round out your skills on a variety of terrain without your gear holding you back. Beginners should look for a good all-around design, most likely a freeride or freestyle setup.


Your first season also, you will be able to discern if you want to specialize in one type of riding or another. You may decide that you can afford a couple different boards -- maybe a long freeride board for powder and a shorter freestyle board for days in the park. Just be sure to understand riding styles before you buy, then look for equipment that is well-suited to your needs.

Basic Equipment Used For Snowboarding

If you are heading out on your first snowboarding holiday and need to know a bit about the kind of equipment used for snowboarding, you will need to find a good snowboarding equipment outlet where you can find the type of board to suit your skill level as well as other essential snowboarding equipment. The first and most important equipment used for snowboarding is obviously the snowboard and you may be surprised at first at the size of a regular board.

To find equipment used for snowboarding that suits your personal build is very important. The snowboard should reach up to your chin when standig on its end. There are exceptions such as heavier people need to choose a board that is longer and not so flexible. Also, if you are a light person, the board could be somewhat shorter and also more flexible.

The width of the snowboard should be enough to prevent the feet from hanging over the edge and bigger feet necessarily require wider boards. One should also know that in the equipment used for snowboarding, snowboards can either be freestyle/freeriding or Alpine.

The Basic Kit - snowboard, boots, clothes, glasses and helmets

Next in line in the equipment used for snowboarding is the boots. They need to fit well and should also be comfortable. Comfort is essential. Not having the boots that fit correctly can inhibit control of snowboarding movements and correct fitting boots would boost self confidence and help in more adventurous snowboarding activities.

There are generally two kinds of boots. The soft snowboarding boots and the hard snowboarding boots. Soft boots are light and provide good support and are most often used by beginners

and are made up of an inner liner that is good for support and also an outer layer that provides traction and shock absorption and are flexible for performing tricks. Hard boots go hand in hand with Alpine snowboards and are quite like ski boots having a rigid back from the heel up and provides better edge when turning.

Your bindings are a piece of equipment used for snowboarding that can make or break your snowboarding experience both in terms of safety and the enjoyment you get from your ride.

There are two types of bindings; one is the strap bindings and the other step-in bindings. Strap bindings are for beginner snowboarders and are mostly attached to the board, especially rented boards and have a high back plate to support the ankles and are similar to the support provided by the back of the ski boot. The strap-in bindings cause a lot of inconvenience as it involves a lot of bending to tighten the straps. Other equipment used for snowboarding includes clothing, glasses and helmets.

Board's specifications

Overall Length

Overall length is the full length of the snowboard from tip to tail. It is usually measured in centimeters. When you hear that a board is a 155, for example, it simply means that the total length of the board is 155 cm.

Running Length

Running length is the length of board that is actually in contact with the snow. This is measured as a straight line from the nose contact point (where the flat base ends and the nose begins) to the tail contact point. A freestyle board may have a longer running length than a freeride board of the same overall length. This is because the freeride board has a longer nose length.

Effective Edge

The effective edge measures the length of edge between the nose and tail of the board that is in contact with the snow. It is similar to running length, but measured along the curved edge rather than in a straight line, making it a slightly higher number.

Sidecut Radius
Imagine a giant circle overlapping the edge of the snowboard. Depending on the radius of the circle, the sidecut will be tighter or more mellow. A higher number is typically less aggressive and more stable, while a smaller radius is more performance driven. Some companies have 'progressive' sidecuts which is a combination of more than one radius. This allows the board to have the characteristics of one radius to initiate the turn and another radius to complete the turn.

Sidecut Depth
The sidecut depth measures how far into the edge of the snowboard the sidecut radius (giant circle) cuts away. Draw a straight line from the widest part of the tail to the widest part of the nose. The distance between that line and the waist of the board is the sidecut depth.

Waist Width

The waist width is the width of the snowboard at its most narrow point. It is basically the width at the middle of the board.

Nose Width

The nose width is the widest part of the snowboard's nose.

Tail Width

The tail width is the widest part of the snowboard's tail.

Nose Length

The nose length is measured from the forward contact point of the board to the tip of the nose. If you put the board on the ground and measure from where the nose starts to kick up to the end, this will be the nose length. Freeride boards have a longer nose length to help the snowboard float through the snow.

Tail Length

The tail length is measured from the rear contact point of the board to the tip of the tail. If you put the board on the ground and measure from where the tail starts to kick up to the end, this will be the tail length.

Nose Height

This is the highest point of the nose from the ground. Place the board on a flat surface and measure from the tip of the nose to the ground.

Tail Height

This is the highest point of the tail from the ground. Place the board on a flat surface and measure from the tip of the tail to the ground.

Stance WidthThe stance width refers to the range of stances available on a particular snowboard. Here are some tips for determining your stance.

Stance Location

The stance location refers to where the inserts are placed in relation to the center of the snowboard. With a centered stance (0 offset), the inserts are centered on the board over the sidecut. Most freestyle boards have a centered stance, which makes doing tricks and riding switch easier. Boards can be offset as much as 2.5" back of center – meaning if you find the middle of the board, the inserts are slid back towards the tail 2.5 inches. Most freeride boards have some offset. The more your stance goes back towards the tail, the easier it is for the board to float through the snow.

Snowboard Insert Patterns

Insert patterns can be (1) a slider system, (2) a proprietary system such as the Burton 3-hole pattern, (3) a 4x2 pattern or (4) a 4x4 pattern.

The slider system provides nearly unlimited stance options. The bindings are mounted to a track system and can be slid forward or backward to dial in the perfect stance width.

Burton uses its own 3-hole pattern. In the past, you had to use Burton bindings, but today many binding companies provide a disc that is compatible with the Burton insert pattern.

4x4 was the standard for several years with 4x2 becoming more common. They both use a 4-hole disc, but the 4x2 pattern offers more stance options because the inserts are closer together.

what is snowboard?

A snowboard is a piece of equipment an athlete rides on while snowboarding. In order to snowboard, this board is attached to the athlete’s feet with special bindings. He or she then rides down ski slopes or other snow-covered slopes using nothing but the snowboard. Unlike skiing, the sport of snowboarding does not involve the use of poles. The snowboard is similar to a surfboard or a skateboard in that it serves a similar purpose for the athlete.

When purchasing a snowboard, the athlete must consider his or her weight, height, and shoe size. In general, a snowboard should be about one foot shorter than the rider. When stood on its tip, the other end of the snowboard should reach to between the athlete’s chin and collarbone. An athlete that is on the heavier side should purchase a wider snowboard, as should an athlete with bigger feet.

The type of snowboarding the athlete performs also has an impact on the size the snowboard should be. Those wishing to freestyle should purchase a snowboard that is wider, smaller, and more flexible. They should also wear soft boots when riding.

A slalom snowboard, on the other hand, is longer and stiffer. When it comes to racing, the snowboard should also be very stiff and long. In this case, the athlete should wear hard boots. No matter the use of the snowboard, all designs have metal edges and an upturned lip on at least one end.

The snowboard was first invented in the 1970s and was inspired by the design of surfboards. When first invented, the sport of snowboarding was not very respected by skiers. Instead, it was viewed as a fad. Many resorts refused entry to snowboarders, and ski companies scoffed at snowboard companies. Today, many ski companies are coming out with their own snowboard designs and are also borrowing the technology used on the boards to create new ski designs.

Injuries related to snowboarding are as common as injuries to alpine skiers. Usually, injuries occur when the athlete attempts to perform maneuvers beyond his or her ability level. The majority of injuries are to the wrist. To prevent injuries while riding on a snowboard, it is best to start slowly and to wear wrist guards and a helmet.

Pictures

Halfpipe in the Air

Slope Style

QuaterPipe