How Much Snowboarding Have You Done?
Beginner:
Is this your first time EVER to the mountains, or even seeing snow? Have you had any lessons in the domes/ dry slope? Are you a skier going to the dark side. Think honestly about your skill level, if you do fall into the beginner category, a beginner board will be the best for you to get. I know its hard, but try not to run before you can walk and think that buying a more advanced board will make you a better snowboarder. Beginner boards are the easier things for you to learn on as they are very forgiving.
Intermediate:
This category is for riders who have definitely snowboarded before. You are able to turn easily, control speed and navigate most blue/ red runs with varying terrain. You’ve started experimenting with switch riding and maybe even some jibbing (little tricks on the piste).
Advanced:
You can ride pretty much anything the mountain has to offer with ease and you may have even started venturing into specialist areas of snowboarding eg: powder/ backcountry/ freestyle. You’ve done A LOT of riding and feel confident. But this could still mean you may never have bought your own snowboard. You might have been borrowing/ hiring and now you know what genre of snowboarding you like, you have decided to fork out for your first snowboard.
What Kind Of Snowboarder Are You/ Aspire To Be?
All-Mountain Board:
There are many different “genres” of snowboarding, this will affect the type of snowboard you buy. You might not know yet which category you fall into, in which case its best to buy an “all mountain Snowboard“. This is the most popular type of board as it tackles everything the mountain has to offer- just ok at everything and a “good all-rounder”. With its versatility, you can cruise the piste, ride powder, and hit the park. They are also good beginner boards as they are very forgiving. All mountain boards are normally directional (ill come onto this later) with a deep sidecut to make blasting around the mountain easily.
Freestyle Board:
Freestyle snowboarding has many different elements underneath its umbrella (rail riding, jibbing, kickers, pipe, street/ urban). But as a general rule, freestyle snowboards have a softer flex, twin tipped (so you can ride both ways easily) and have a mellower sidecut to be very manoeuvrable whilst doing tricks. Slightly stiffer boards will be better for kickers and pipe, and then softer boards for jibbing. Something in the middle that is good for both.
Pipe Board:
Technically under the Freestyle genre, but requires a slightly different board. As mentioned before, a stiffer freestyle board will give you more control and quicker responses/ pop off the lip of a pipe. They have an aggressive sidecut to carve up the side of the walls and sharp edges to grip.
Powder/ Off- Piste/ Backcountry/ Free ride Board:
These snowboards are directional with a setback stance. They are a loner in length with a bigger nose and shorter tail to float in the powder. Slightly stiffer than Freestyle Snowboards to plough through the backcountry terrain strongly.
Technical/ Instructor Board:
For instructors/ trainee instructors and very technical riders, it’s a good idea to buy a good “All- Mountain” board with a traditional camber and relatively stiff. This ensures that you learn snowboarding and how to teach it in the “correct” way. A directional board will also be helpful for this style of riding.
Racing/ Boarder-cross:
A snowboard with a fast base, sharp edges and deep sidecut for carving will be the ideal board for this category. Speed is the name of the game so also a stiff board that is stable would be best.
Where Will You Be Snowboarding?
The Mountain:
Hopefully if you are off for your first season, you will be riding the real stuff….snow! But have a think about where you will be going. For instance, if you are going to a warm resort in California, the snow is slushy most of the season, so this could determine your board choice. If you are off to Japan (lucky you), you will be riding a lot of powder, so you will need to choose your snowboard accordingly. And if you’re off to Norway, it will be icy, so you will need a board with SHARP edges and a good sidecut.
The Dome:
You might be buying a snowboard to ride in a UK snow dome. In general shorter boards are better for indoor riding as the slopes aren’t very long, so a smaller board will be easier to manoeuvre. You don’t need a “fast” snowboard as slow and steady is better indoors. Believe it or not, the snow between domes vary too, so it’s a good idea to research/ experiment with the type of snow you will be riding and think about which snowboard will be good for it.
The Dry Slope:
Like riding a toothbrush! So a totally different board again is required. Shorter again to make it nice and nippy, something quite soft and forgiving and don’t forget to blunt your edges to avoid catches. A rocker board is good for this (see next section). Also, think about the base of the snowboard as there is a lot more friction, you’ll need one that’s durable.
Different Cambers To Choose From?
Traditional Camber:
The original shape of snowboards. Its only in recent years that snowboards have started to mutate into other weird and wonderful shapes. Camber boards arch upwards in the middle of the board in between your bindings, then have contact with the snow directly underneath your feet. Then up again at the nose and tail. This is good for all-around mountain riders, and certainly good for those who love carving. You have to work hard to get the most out of this type of board, but when you do, the “pop” is amazing. Good for going fast, response and holding an edge.
Rocker/ Reverse Camber:
The opposite of Camber, its shaped like a banana! Curves downwards towards the snow in-between your bindings then flicks up underneath your feet and at the nose and tail of the board. This is a soft board type, easy to work, forgiving and playful. A lot of park riders use these boards as its less likely to catch an edge. Although park riders prefer it for rails than jumps as its so soft. This is also a great board for powder as the raised nose means you will float effortlessly through white stuff!
Flat Base/ Zero Camber:
Some would say that this is the best of both worlds (Camber/ Rocker). It is in contact with the snow from the nose to the tail. This means its excellent for carving as your entire edge is in the snow, but less likely to catch an edge as your weight is distributed over a larger area. This board is a good all-rounder, and a good choice if you can’t decide between Camber/Rocker.
Hybrids/ Combined Cambers:
Now these can come in all sorts of wacky combinations and can often look quite “wiggly”! They incorporate camber and rocker to create the “perfect” board. Each manufacturer/ brand has a different way of doing this in an attempt to come up with the ultimate board that is great for every area of snowboarding.
Different “Directions” To Choose From?
Directional:
This type of board is longer at the front than it is at the back, so its certainly designed for going specifically in one direction with your good foot first. This is brilliant for all mountain riding and for carving/ racing/ powder Its fast and stable. Although this is not so good for learning switch (snowboarding with your unnatural foot first).
True Twin:
Completely even on the nose and tail. Makes your weight equally balanced and very easy to manoeuvre. Great for riding switch so many park riders will use this type of board. Not so good for powder riding.
Directional Twin:
A combination of Directional/Twin, a good transition board for those taking steps towards a True Twin. Good for all mountain riding and beginning in the park. Ok at powder too!
Different Stiffnesses To Choose From?
Soft Flex:
A softer flexing board will be easier to move around and more forgiving, so would be good for beginners. Also, a softer board will be good for freestyle jibbing/ rails as it butters easily and will be agile for tricks. Something else to consider with the flex of a board is your weight (sorry!) if you are small and light I would definitely go for a softer board as you will be able to manipulate it easier than a stiff one.
Medium Flex:
Something the middle will be good for everything if you want a decent all-rounder. It would make a perfect all mountain board and also excellent for freestyle if you’d like to ride jumps AND rails. If you’re still unsure what sort of rider you are and what you enjoy doing best, a medium flex board should have you covered.
Stiff Flex:
A stiff board will cut through just about anything the mountain throws at you and will be great at speed. So if you are a “powerful” rider, a stiffer board will be better. These sorts of boards will be good at big kickers as they are nice and stable and also good in the pipe. They also make good backcountry boards as they are reliable and durable on tricky terrain. Goes without saying that a stiff board will be good at racing.
Different Bases To Choose From?
Extruded Bases:
These bases are easier to make, so it takes the overall cost of the board down which is always a bonus! They are softer and easier/cheaper to maintain/ wax/ repair. However, they don’t hold their wax that well so you will find you need to wax them more often. They are also not as fast as a Sintered bases once waxed and less durable so more susceptible to damage. Extruded bases would be best for beginners and freestylers who don’t require much speed and are more likely to damage the bases.
Sintered Bases:
These bases hold their wax well so you’ll find you don’t have to wax them nearly as much as an extruded base. They are faster and way more durable. However, they are more expensive snowboards to buy and more expensive/ difficult to repair if they become damaged. These boards are good for racers, kicker/ pipe riders and those who regularly venture out into the backcountry/ are advanced in their skill level. Or for riders who just like bombing around the mountain going really fast!
EXTRA TIPS:
Try before you buy. You want to know what something “feels” like before you fork out the money for it. There are plenty of opportunities in the UK to test drive boards: demo days/ different hire boards/ shops offering to test.
I know its hard, but don’t get swayed by the graphics/ colour/ pretty mythical creatures on the top sheet of the board. Even though it may look beautiful, its more important to find a snowboard that is right for you.
You can set up your snowboard in different ways to suit your riding eg: set back stance for riding powder. You can “tweak” your snowboard to make it work for different types of riding/riders.
Buy from a Snowboarder. There will be a million different people trying to sell you snowboarders in the shops. So make sure you buy from an actual snowboarder as they will really know what they are talking about from first-hand experience.