HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SNOWBOARD
Buying yourself a new snowboard is one of the best investments you can make if you do a lot of snowboarding. It can be difficult to make a decision, though because there are so many options available today. So how to choose the right snowboard? First you need to decide what your abilities are as a snowboarder. Are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced? There are also gender specific snowboards and snowboards for children as well as adults.
Freeride boards have a directional shape with a distinctive tip and tail design. The tip is designed for forward motion. These boards are generally a lot stiffer, but they give you a better edge on faster runs and support on rugged terrain. These boards are geared towards people who love speed and carving.
Freestyle boards are designed with a "twin tip" which simply means that the tip and tail are exactly the same. Riding backwards or "fakie" can be easily done on this type of board, as opposed to a freeride board. The freestyle is almost like a skateboard, in that it is designed for special terrain parks, jumping and trick riding.
Other considerations of how to choose the right snowboard are weight, height and the size of your feet. Snowboard designer companies have taken into consideration the fact that women and children have smaller feet, are lighter and have a narrower stance. Men tend to have a wider stance and larger feet, are heavier and need to choose wider boards. Choosing a board that is not wide enough for you will cause heal and toe drag and basically ruin your ride.
If you are still unsure about purchasing a snowboard or you do not know how to choose the right snowboard, you might consider renting. Renting different snowboards will give you and idea of what works best for you without having to lay out a large amount of money up front.
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Freeride boards have a directional shape with a distinctive tip and tail design. The tip is designed for forward motion. These boards are generally a lot stiffer, but they give you a better edge on faster runs and support on rugged terrain. These boards are geared towards people who love speed and carving.
Freestyle boards are designed with a "twin tip" which simply means that the tip and tail are exactly the same. Riding backwards or "fakie" can be easily done on this type of board, as opposed to a freeride board. The freestyle is almost like a skateboard, in that it is designed for special terrain parks, jumping and trick riding.
Other considerations of how to choose the right snowboard are weight, height and the size of your feet. Snowboard designer companies have taken into consideration the fact that women and children have smaller feet, are lighter and have a narrower stance. Men tend to have a wider stance and larger feet, are heavier and need to choose wider boards. Choosing a board that is not wide enough for you will cause heal and toe drag and basically ruin your ride.
Tips on how to choose the right snowboard
- The snowboard that you choose should be as high as your nose and wide enough to accommodate your stance.
- Beginners will want a board the flexes more easily so that they can have more control.
- Your bindings will need to be centered on the board, so standing on the board will determine the placement of the bindings.
- It is important that no part of your foot hangs over any part of the board.
- When you are in your boarding "stance", there should be a slight angle of between 15 – 35 degrees on your front foot to provide you with better leverage and balance.
If you are still unsure about purchasing a snowboard or you do not know how to choose the right snowboard, you might consider renting. Renting different snowboards will give you and idea of what works best for you without having to lay out a large amount of money up front.
>>> Skiing Articles Index
<<< Previous Snowboarding Gear Article - What To Wear Snowboarding