Snowboards
The Best Boards
These are the Snowboarder Magazine's top picks of 2010, based on demo runs by shop staffers across America.
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Ride Machete  This is a go anywhere, top rated, freestyle deck that features graphics from a Brooklyn firm. |
K2 SlayBlade Featuring Flatline Technology for the perfect balance of power and playfulness. |
Rome Pusher The Pusher has a loose, buttery, surfboard feel. |
Lib Tech Skate Banana Revolutionary skateboard feel. It's built-in rocker curve make the board float naturally over powder. |
K2 Eco-Pop This is an eco-friendly manufactured board created for women. |
Popular Boards
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Burton Clash Snowboard For those of us on the learning curve, the Burton Clash is a beginner board with soft, forgiving flex and a low camber. |
Forum Manual Snowboard These are great for urban snowboarding, grinding rails, and hitting big jumps. |
Burton Bullet Snowboard Cruise control technology combines super soft flex with upturned edges. The most popular wide board around. |
K2 Anagram Snowboard This is another great board for the park. Gives you all the pop you need without sacrificing stability. |
Rider Characteristics
Let's start with you, the rider. You have to consider a few basic things, including your age, size and ability before you even start looking at board types.
- Age: It is important to consider the rider's age, especially for growing riders who will need an extra inch or so of board to grow into.
- Weight: Weight is the most important rider characteristic in determining board size. When heavy riders try to use a board that is too short, it tends to perform poorly at high speeds. A lighter person on a longer board will usually have problems controlling it and initiating turns. On the other hand, if your height and weight are disproportionate, you may need to alter the guidelines. An unusually tall, skinny rider may opt for a longer board to gain leverage. The same holds true for a heavier/shorter rider; a shorter board will give a little extra leverage. To counteract being too heavy for a particular board length, you can always look for a stiffer board in the same length.
- Board Width: The board should be wide enough so that your boots fall just a centimeter or less over the board edges. Test it out for yourself before buying.
- Gender: A critical factor since a woman's foot size, center of gravity and distribution of body mass differs from a man's and all of these factors affect the way a snowboarder interacts with her equipment. Women's boards are designed to take these differences into account, plus they are narrower to accommodate smaller feet.
- Athletic Ability: A rider with extensive experience in other skate/board sports will probably want to invest more in his or her equipment since he or she will likely take to the sport more quickly. Someone with less outdoor sports experience might be better off keeping his or her equipment purchase more conservative.
- Graphic Appeal: Pick a board that matches your style and you'll enjoy it that much more even though die-hard riders may scoff at this being a decision factor. Remember that boards are a form of self expression!
- Budget: The most expensive equipment will not make you a better boarder, but better boarders will want more expensive equipment simply because they offer more advanced features and technology. Expect to spend $275 for an entry level board and more than $400 for a really good recreational board.
Board Types
Now that you know the basics of how to fit a board, it's time to learn about the types of boards that are available. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages that play a part in what type of boarding you plan to do.
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Freeride Boards
Freeride is an overused term that has come to encompass riders who enjoy all aspects of the mountain. A free rider isn't confined to the pipes and parks, but can also be found shredding the slopes, tearing through the back country and carving powder. - This board is designed for boarders who want to ride the whole mountain including the park and pipe.
- Freeride boards are made by all manufacturers, in every price range.
- The least expensive board produced today can out-perform the "signature" series boards of just 5 years ago.
- This is the best type of board to learn on and can be used anywhere on the mountain.
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Freecarve Boards
Freecarvers are the soul surfers of the mountain. Often former skiers, these riders like long runs that incorporate the whole slope. They're out there to enjoy the mountain, rather then get radical. - Freecarve boards are typically more expensive.
- Their configuration makes the board more suitable for higher speeds and cleaner carved turns.
- These boards tend to be longer.
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Alpine/Race Boards
Alpine/race riders spend their time tearing down groomed slopes at break-neck speeds, burying their edges in the snow. They use their edges more then other riders, and use highly specialized equipment. - Alpine/race boards are long, narrow, stiff, and flashy.
- These boards are strictly for going one direction--down.
- They're not for tricks or jumps.
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Board Lingo
It is very important to know the lingo of snowboarding so you can understand each board's description.
- Base: This is simply the bottom of the snowboard, or the part that touches the snow. There are two types of base, sintered or extruded .
- Camber: This is closely related to the board's flex. It is how far the center of the board bends up when placed on a flat surface. There are regular, reverse ,kinked , and flat camber styles.
- Nose: The front end of the board, also called the lip.
- Rocker: The opposite of camber. When the board rests on a flat surface, only the center makes contact.
- Side Cut Depth: The difference in the widest point and the narrowest point of the board
- Side Cut Radius: The curve of the inward cut from the nose and tail to the center
- Tail: The back end of the snowboard.
Major Manufacturers
Board Accessories
Aside from some killer bindings, you need a few accessories to really trick out your ride.
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Snowboard Bag These bags help out a lot when your board is in transit or storage. Keep away dust and niks with a heavy duty board bag. |
Snowboard Tuning Kit Features everything you need to get your board in tip-top shape. Includes an adjustable-temperature iron, an edge-tuning tool, a 10-inch file, a wire file cleaning brush, a pocket stone, P-tex and more. |
Snowboard Lock You paid a lot for that board, so why not spring for a snowboard lock to protect your investment. This lock has a 3 foot retractible cable. Modify the 3-digit combination to your own configuration. |
Wax Remover It is very important to remove the old wax with this cleaner before applying a new coat. This will remove the dirt and contaminents that might scratch the base. |
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