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Before you buy a snowboard
There are so many good snowboards to choose from. The trick is to find the board that is best suited for you. 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 $500 big mountain board if you're going to spend all day in the pipe. Following are the top things to take into consideration when shopping for a new snowboard.
Type of snowboard
For freeride: Freeriding is the most general style of snowboarding and has correspondingly versatile equipment. 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.
For freestyle: 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.
For freecarve / race: Freecarve equipment is comprised of a hard boot and plate binding system, while the boards are stiff, narrow and relatively long.
Snowboard Length
The correct snowboard length depends on your riding style, height and weight. Most people will need a board that hits them somewhere around the chin or mouth. Deep powder or race boards will be longer; freestyle or trick boards shorter. Riders heavy for their height can go a little longer (as well as stiffer); likewise, riders light for their height can go shorter and with a softer flex. Length is measured in centimeters and is sometimes abbreviated to just the last two digits. Kids' boards run as short as 100cm and long race or powder boards can be upwards of 180cm. To find the correct length for you, start by comparing it to your height. When holding the board on its end, a short board will come up somewhere between your collar bones and chin. Because shorter boards are easier to maneuver, they are great to learn on and are preferred by riders who do a lot of trick, park and pipe riding. A medium length board standing on end will come up between your chin and nose. This length is for the all around intermediate to advanced rider who may ride a variety of terrain, including parks and steeps. Long boards go from eye-level to several inches over the top of the head. Long boards are for high-speed carving, deep powder and big mountain terrain. Riders who are heavy for their height can stay within these guidelines, but should look for boards that have a stiffer flex. Lighter riders will need boards with a softer flex. Also, remember that these are general guidelines to get you started; personal preference can also strongly sway your decision of what length board to buy.
Snowboard Width
Width is a very important factor when choosing a snowboard, especially if you are a woman or a guy with really big or really small feet. Women and small-footed men need narrow snowboards; big footed guys need wide boards. Basically, when standing in riding position across a snowboard, your boots should be flush or slightly over the edges. While board length has some room for personal preference, board width is directly tied to your foot size. Riders with small feet need narrow boards; likewise, riders with big feet need wide boards. Board width is measured in either centimeters or millimeters and can be found in the board's specifications under waist width (usually on the tag or in the manufacturer's catalog or Web site). The best way to find the correct board width is to stand on a board that is flat on the ground. Strap or step into your bindings, or place your feet exactly how you would have them when you ride. (This is important because the more angle you ride with, the less your foot will span across the width of the board.) When standing in riding position, your boots should be flush or slightly over the edges of the snowboard. If your toes and heels don't come close to the edge, you won't be able to apply proper pressure to your edges during a turn. If, on the other hand, your feet hang too far over the edges of the board, your toes may catch in the snow while turning and send you reeling. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as "toe drag", and it is a drag.
Snowboard construction
There are four main snowboard construction techniques: Pre-Cured Sandwich, Wet Wrap Sandwich (Cap Construction), Rim Injection Molding and Prepeg. Let's look at them closer
Pre-cured Sandwich Construction: This is the most commonly utilized process for building a snowboard. This process has been used for years by companies like Burton and Sims. You can tell if a board is sandwich construction by looking at the side if the board to see if there is a gap of white material between the top sheet and the rail. This white material is called ABS and it makes up what is called the sidewall, which is usually cut at 90 degrees. A metal mold is placed on a flat work station. Metal edges are pre-glued to the P-tex which is set into the mold facing down. Next a layer of pre-cured fiberglass cloth and resin are glued to the P-tex with an epoxy. The wood core is then placed on top of the wet fiberglass. After the wood is in place the ABS sidewalls are wedged between the rails and the core, then thereare rubber dampening pieces put in the tip and tails. Once the top sheet is added they then put a thin piece of metal across the top the contours the bottom of the board. The board is then placed in the press where the excess materials are squeezed out and the board is impenetrable.
Advantages: this process is cheaper which is passed onto the customer
Disadvantages: there may be inconsistencies in material in the board due to the squeezing which may cause weak spots.
Wet Wrap Sandwich: Wet wrap uses many of the elements that the sandwich construction uses, but there are no sidewalls to the board. The topsheet folds over the core and meets the edge. Many boards are moving toward the cap construction process due to the main reason that people like the cleaner look. The board is placed in an indented mold that is recessed to where the board meets the top of the mold. The one difference with the cap construction is that when the fiberglass and resin is place on the core it is not stiff like in the pre-cured. The fiberglass is placed over the core and epoxy is applied to bond the board. The board is smoothed over and the edges are then rolled over the angles on the board to create the cap look.
Advantages: the board becomes torsionally stiffer
Disadvantages: it is more difficult to do a major side impact repair
Rim Injection Molding: This process is the most complicated of the three I have discussed so far. You dont use a press or a wood core, they are foam. The main argument for using foam is that it lightens the board, but it has also been associated with low-end boards. The foam has a problem becoming as strong as wood so they do things like adding more glass to the core or trying to add elements such as wood and synthetic materials to strengthen it. They start with a mold and place in it the P-tex along with the pre-cured glass. The metal edges are placed on the P-tex and then the topsheet along with some pre-cured fiberglass is rested over the top. A foam is injected into the space between the bottom and the topsheet where it expands and becomes hard forming the core. There is no pressing involved, they only need to clean up the excess material. Some companies such as Morrow claim to use hand crafted foam molds which goes beyond the injection trying to reduce inconsistencies.
Advantages: inexpensive
Disadvantages: the core has many inconsistencies and possible air pockets, problems with delamination due to unpredictable bonding of elements
Pre-peg Construction: Pre-preg is by far the most expensive of the processes but the most solid. They start with the wood core and lay fiberglass over it. The core is then put into a refrigerator where it is allowed to get hard, but not cure, to the point that they can work with it to shape it making the core consistent throughout. Once the core is ready to be placed in the board it is taken out of the cooler and placed in the mold with the P-tex, glue and topsheet. It is then pressed together all at once with no squeezing of excess material. There is the same amount of materials throughout the entire board due to the working stage that is allowed by the refrigerator.
Advantages: minimal delamination, no excess materials in the board, lighter, stronger
Disadvantages: expensive
Snowboards for Women
A new trend in the snowboard market is towards women's-specific boards. What does it mean to have a women's specific snowboard? Two things: narrower width and softer flex. Because women's feet are quite a bit smaller than men's, women need narrower snowboards. Otherwise we won't be able to exert any force over the edge. Most women's snowboards also have a softer, more forgiving flex to accommodate a lighter rider.
Snowboards for Kids
Snowboards for kids continue to be softer-flexing for lightweight riders. For winter 2000-01, expect to find more high-quality constructions as well as graphics just like grown-up models. As more adults opt for step-in convenience in snowboarding, they want the same for the kids. Burton, Rossignol and K2 all offer step-in boot-binding systems for children. For next season, Burton has increased its offerings for smaller riders, since "younger riders need the same performance edge as older ones." In addition to the successful Freestyle XS, the binding designers have created the Command SI for kids who want to step in. With a kid-specific highback shape and flex, this binding adds the performance and hassle-free convenience of the Burton SI. Salomon offers a new group of very forgiving boards for children, called the JT series. Burton offers several boards specifically for children that are used by riders like Shaun White to rule the whole mountain-pipe, park, natural terrain and jibs. Don't forget accessories when choosing snowboard gear. Helmets are a must - be sure to have helmets fitted each year for proper protection. Goggles that fit the helmet are also important. Neck gaitors for cold weather and roomy gloves or mittens can make or break your day.
Price Range
Entry level boards (US$150 and up) tend to be a little heavier and are designed for beginning or less aggressive riders. Mid-range boards (US$300 and up) are a little lighter and are designed to satisfy an intermediate or occasional rider. Top-of-the-line models (US$450 and up) will be lightweight and have extra features to help in advanced riding, such as maintaining an edge at high speeds.
Snowboard Care
Since it is only your base and your edges that touch the snow when you are riding, if you ensure that these are kept in peak condition (meaning well waxed and well tuned) then you will be pretty much guaranteed of having a fast board. You can do most of the tuning that your base requires yourself, thereby saving valuable dollars, which can be spent on your next snowboard adventure. However when major work is required, a snowboard shop may be the only port of call.
Top Snowboards
Top 10 Men's snowboards
Airwalk: A-1; Burton: Dragon; Nitro: Supernaturals; Palmer: model here; Option: Signature; Original Sin: model here; Oxigen: model here; Rossignol: model here; Salomon: Definition; Snow Pro: model here;
Top 5 Women's snowboards
Airwalk: model here; Burton: Face and Feelgood; K2: Mix and Luna; Rossignol: Diva; Salomon: Ivy and Seek;
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