Snowboards are expensive things, and like anything expensive, you want to know what you’re buying before you go spending all your hard-earned cash. We will take you through the process of what questions to ask yourself and what you need to know to make sure you get a board you love.
First off, it is good to know about all the main types of snowboards to help you make an informed decision on what you are going to be riding for hopefully many snowboarding trips. No longer are the days when every snowboard looks the same, and new shapes, designs, and technology have made it much harder to get the right board.
What size snowboard do I need?
A lot of people say that the most important thing when buying a new snowboard is its length. There is a lot of content on the web for how to choose the length of your snowboard, the trouble is that most of it is outdated and doesn’t tell you the full story about choosing the length. It is not all about the length of the snowboard and how high it comes on your face; it’s also about your weight and the length of the effective edge.
So, what is the effective edge? The effective edge on a snowboard is the length of the metal edge that is in contact with the snow when riding. You will notice that in recent years, snowboards have been changing a lot. Some boards have long noses and tails, some boards have shorter stubby noses and tails.
The difference between these two boards is that while one board is a lot longer, the effective edge is pretty much the same. This means that on everything apart from powder, you will get the same amount of edge to grip the snow with, making the extra length less noticeable. So take note and compare the effective edges of the snowboards you are looking at.
The other thing you need to think about is your weight. All snowboards come with a recommended weight bracket for each size of board. Imagine a large bloke and a skinny bloke, both the same height but totally different in weight, if they were to choose the same size snowboard, that board would ride completely differently for both of them. Modern boards are designed to bend and twist in a way that helps your riding, but if you are too heavy for the board, you could overstress the board and it will break. Similarly, if you are too light for the board, you might not be able to make the most of the board because there will be less force going through the board. This makes it a lot easier to determine what size board you need because the manufacturers tell you what their boards are made for.
These are the two main things regarding the size of the board that you should know about: the edge and the weight specification. Take a look at the end of the series, where we talk about what sort of terrain you want to ride and how it affects the length of the board.
Do I need a Wide Snowboard?
You may notice that some snowboards have a ‘W’ beside the size of the snowboard, or in the description, this means it is a wide board. Wide boards are made for people with big feet. Generally, if you have a foot size of more than 10.5 UK, then you will need a wide board; however, it does vary with the size of your boots and bindings. If you are on the edge and not sure what to do then try the board with your bindings and boots strapped in. Once you are standing on the snowboard, you will be able to tell whether you are likely to experience any heel or toe drag when riding on snow.
Camber vs Rocker vs Flat vs Everything Else?
You will probably have noticed that there are many different shapes of bases, and they all have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Camber Snowboards
Camber is the traditional profile of a base, and it is the most common. Until 2007, almost all boards were this shape. It is only when LibTech brought out the skate banana that this all became confusing.
Camber has two contact points, one at the tip and one at the tail. Because the shape of the board opposes the natural bend you get in the board when turning, this means the whole edge is being pushed into the snow when turning, making the edge hold(grip) much better, especially in icy conditions. This also gives it more pop, allowing you to jump higher and easier.
The combined stability and pop make a camber board great for riding fast, big kickers and the half pipe; however, this also makes it a less forgiving board, so it is easier to catch edges and such if you’re not on your game.
Rocker Snowboards
Rocker boards exploded onto the scene in 2007 when Libtech brought out its skate banana with a full rocker profile. They have one contact point in the middle of the board, meaning that the nose and tail of the board are lifted off the ground when the board is flat. This makes them really forgiving boards as the chances of catching an edge are much lower.
The fact that they are so forgiving makes them really good for learning to snowboard, but the playful nature means they are also great for jibbing/buttering around the mountain.
Rocker boards are also good for one more thing: powder. Because of the banana-shaped profile, they are super floaty and fun in powder. The shape of the base makes you stay on top of the snow, meaning you can make the most of the snow.
The disadvantages of a rocker board come from the same thing that makes them great. The shape of the board makes it less stable at speed and sometimes even feels like the board is flapping about underneath. They also have a lot less edge hold than a camber board, meaning that it can be impossible to ride properly in icy conditions. This has led to most manufacturers introducing some sort of edge technology like magnetraction TYPO! We will talk about a few of these later in the series.
The other thing that rocker snowboards suffer from is a lack of pop, because of the shape, there is less spring in the board, making it harder work to jump than a camber board, because the board does less of the work.
Flat Base
Snowboards with a flat base are a great compromise between camber and rocker boards. They are literally just flat, this means that the whole edge is always in contact with the snow and spreads your weight evenly over the whole edge.
Counter-intuitively, this means that flat profile snowboards reduce the chances of catching your edge compared to a camber board.A flat base also makes it almost as stable as a camber board so going fast and carving hard is still an option with this type of board.
The disadvantage of a flat board is that they are known to have less pop than other types of boards and that they can lose their flatness and turn into a soft rocker board over time. This, however, is not something I have found to be true in many cases. If you have a look around at some flat boards, you will find that most companies have combated these issues in some way or another with technologies built into increase springiness and pop.
Hybrid Boards
Hybrid boards are an attempt by snowboard companies to make the perfect all-around board. They offer a combination of flat, rocker and camber technology to try and make a board that is playful, stable, poppy, grippy and everything else we demand modern boards to do.
There are way too many different types of hybrid boards for this post, but if you would like to know my opinion on any particular post, just click ask a question at the bottom of the post, and I’ll do my best to get back to you.
Triple Base Technology – 3BT
3BT is a board design made exclusively by Bataleon and Lobster. They are similar to a traditional board except the edges are lifted at the nose and tail, but the centre remains on the snow all the way along. This creates a curved base at the nose and tail, making it much harder to catch an edge on the snow. The traditional profile of the board also makes it really stable at high speeds and nice to carve, it also makes it nice and poppy
Seems like a perfect board, right? The truth is that 3BT is a bit of a Marmite technology. It takes a lot of getting used to and is quite a different feel when riding; you have to adapt your riding to work with the board. Once you get through that learning curve, it just may be the best board you have ever ridden. There is also a chance that you just won’t get along with it, as is the case for many riders.
Bataleon have a really good write-up on their technology on their website, check it out here.
Snowboard Shapes
There are a lot of shapes of snowboards that are designed for different things, but it all really comes down to whether you ride switch. Basically, if you ride switch a lot, then you are going to want a True Twin board with a centred stance, which means your bindings won’t be set backwards at all on the board.
Below, we will take you through a summary of the types of boards you have to choose from.
True Twin
True Twin snowboards are completely symmetrical, meaning that they ride exactly the same in either direction, provided your stance is centred. They are what you need if you want to ride any park or freestyle, and if you want to ride switch at all.
Directional Twin
Directional Twin snowboards look very similar to true twin boards; they often have subtle differences that make them ride better in one direction. This could be because the binding mounts are set back, or it may be stiffer on the tail, or the camber profile may be geared towards riding forwards. Whatever it may be, riding switch won’t be impossible, but it will feel like a different board.
Directional
Directional boards are normally fairly obvious when you see them. They are obviously only designed to go one way and are usually more geared to all-mountain and powder riding. They may have a different sidecut or a fishtail at the back, and they normally have a set back stance.
What is this Asymmetrical sidecut stuff?
A few brands have started introducing asymmetrical sidecuts on their boards, like Ride, GNU and YES snowboards. The concept behind asymmetrical snowboards is all about the way our body is built. If you have been snowboarding for a bit, you will notice that it is much harder to do tight heel-edge turns in comparison to toe-side turns. This is because when turning to the side, all your joints move away, which makes it really easy to get the snowboard high on its edge. When turning heel side, however, there is much less control, and it is much harder to get that high angle to generate tight heel side turns.
Asymmetric boards basically have a tighter turn radius on the heel edge to counteract the disadvantage the out body gives us; this change in the edge makes it much easier to get a really nice heel edge carve.
The other things you should know about
How stiff do I want my board?
The flex of your board is a difficult choice to make. It is usually measured on a scale of 1 – 10, with 10 being the stiffest and one being the most flexible. Choosing the flex of your snowboard is really dependent on what you want to ride and how you want to ride.
If you are riding powder or just carving up the piste, you probably want a flex rating of 7 or above. If you want a bit more playful and an easier feel to your snowboard, then you will probably want a more flexible board, something in the 5-6 range. If you are looking to jib/butter around, then you will want a nice soft buttery board. For this, you will want a flex rating of 4 or under.
Please note flex ratings vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so try to find some reviews on the board, see what people are saying, you might see things like ‘This board has a flex rating of 6, but it feels a lot softer’. If you are in a shop, pick up the board, hold the nose and push in the centre of the board, compare this to other boards and you will get an idea of how different snowboards vary in flex. Also, take a look at the next page of this guide, and I will be talking about how your riding style affects your choice of board.
Edges
Another thing that has changed recently is the edge systems designed to help you grip the snow/ice so you can ride faster and easier. In my opinion, a fair few of these systems are gimmicks, but there are a few that are great for certain things. I might write an article on the different edge systems one day but for now just know that whatever it is, it won’t make it worse and you will inevitably get used to whatever is on your board so have a read at what the manufacturer is saying about what it does but don’t make it a deciding factor.
If you would like to know more about a particular edge system or anything else, just click ‘Ask a Question’ at the bottom of the post.
Graphics
Everyone loves a good-looking snowboard, and there are many designs to choose from. It is always tempting to just get the one that looks best, but this isn’t always a great idea. At the end of the day, the only time a snowboard really needs to be great is on the snow when you are rarely looking at the board and when it will probably have snow all over it. Try not to take much notice of what it looks like because it’s more important to get a board that suits your riding style rather than whether it clashes with that sick new jacket you got.
Bases
There are two main types of snowboard bases, Sintered and Extruded. Both bases have advantages and disadvantages to which
A sintered base is more expensive to make, so it’s normally found on slightly more costly snowboards. The main advantage of a sintered base is the fact that it holds more wax in the base, basically meaning it is faster on the snow. They are also more durable because the P-tex is more dense in a sintered base. Sintered bases are more porous than extruded bases; they release more wax, meaning that you have to wax a sintered base more often to keep it fast. Another disadvantage is that they are harder to repair.
An extruded base is cheaper to manufacture and is therefore more commonly found on less expensive boards. Extruded bases hold less wax, meaning they are ultimately slower on the snow. There are a few advantages, however. Extruded bases release less wax, meaning they don’t have to be waxed as much, and they are also easier to repair and cheaper to buy.
Unless you are racing or really into going fast on all kinds of snow, then you will probably want the sintered base. If you are not that, then it doesn’t really matter what you have, as long as it is maintained properly, you will still have a great time! If you are riding park/rails a lot, then an extruded base might be better, only because the boards are usually cheaper and the base is easier to repair if it gets damaged.
So, what snowboard should I get?
I have told you everything you need to know about the different types of snowboards. Now you have to make the personal decision of what your style of riding is, and what sort of terrain you want to ride. It is really the most important decision you have to make when buying a snowboard, so we are going to talk about the main styles of snowboarding and tell you about what types of boards are good for that.
I want to ride the whole mountain
If you want to ride everywhere, and I’m talking piste, powder, and maybe the odd bit of park every now and again, then you are probably going to want a slightly longer and stiffer board. The extra length and stiffness will make the board more stable and nicer to ride on most terrain. Combine that with a camber profile, and you will have a powerhouse of a snowboard; you will be able to charge around the mountain with a nice, grippy, stable snowboard.
Stiff boards like this are harder work to ride, however, and you have to put more effort into initiating turns and general riding, so if you are looking to relax a little more in your riding, then think about getting a slightly softer board. You will also want a true twin or twin directional board so you can ride switch if you want.
I want to Jib/hit Street
If you are looking to hit Rails Jib/street, then you are probably a decent rider already and probably know what kind of boards you like to ride, but for this, you are generally looking for a pretty short board. This makes it easier to spin fast and easier to butter. However, this also means that it is less stable at high speed and for Jumps or the half pipe.
You will also want a pretty soft flex on the board so that it is easy to press and butter, the disadvantages of this are that you lose some edge hold and stability at speed. You would also normally lose some pop with these boards, but in recent years, board technology has gone insane, and most decent jib boards have some sort of feature that helps increase pop.
I want to ride power
The ideal powder board is very different from most other snowboards; they are very specialised boards and aren’t all great to ride on piste, but they make powder way more fun than it already is! Modern pow boards are directional and usually have a fish-tail of some sort. They are also normally a hybrid rocker camber profile with a raised nose to help keep that nose from dipping.
The Summary
There is a lot of overlap between these types of snowboards, so you really have to make a decision based on your experience on a snowboard and what you know about them. One of the best things you can do to choose a board is to try it! Most ski resorts will have a shop or two where you can demo a board for a day for not too much money, plus if you choose to buy it, then you get the money back.
I hope I have given you a good head start on finding your perfect snowboard. If you think I missed anything or have any questions, add a comment below, and I will do my best to help out.
Cheers!
