Snowboard Gear

The Snowboard Buyer’s Guide

Big ups to our riding buddy Josh for putting together an excellent guide to buying a snowboard. Josh has a strange obsession with buying various snowboards, riding them, then moving them on Craigslist to buy more snowboards. So if there’s anyone who knows a thing or two about buying snowboards, it’s Josh. So, without further delay: Josh, tell us what to look for when buying a snowboard!

Buying a snowboard can be very complicated, so I’ll do my best to keep it simple. There are basically six things to consider when buying a snowboard: Your height, weight, boot size, gender, riding style, and ability. Some of these are crucial and some irrelevant, but it’s worth discussing all of them.

Your height

This is most over-rated and over-emphasized element of selecting a snowboard. Your board doesn’t know how tall you are, and it doesn’t care. What does matter, however, is how far apart your feet are when you stand. The answer is shoulder-width apart (and I suppose this is somewhat related to height).

You might have also heard a snowboard should be roughly to your chin in height, but this cardinal rule may be broken to suit your personal preferences. Your height just doesn’t matter all that much.

Your weight

How much pressure your body puts on the board is indeed important and this does relate to your weight. Heavier riders need stiffer boards to support them, while lighter ones need more flex to give them control. Longer boards tend to be stiffer and more suitable for heavier riders.

Your boot size

There are plenty of wider boards for those with big “Sideshow Bob” feet. It is important your heel and toes do not hang more than half an inch or so over the board in a way that could cause drag. Try to find a board that is as narrow as your feet allow, to make turning easier for you.

Your gender

This aspect is somewhat confusing. Boards don’t know if you’re a dude or a lady; but they do care how much you weigh and how large your feet are, and these two things tend to coincide with gender. Men’s boards tend to come in longer lengths, be stiffer, and wider. Women’s boards tend to come in shorter lengths, have more flex, and not come in wider versions. So a gal that is six feet tall, weighs 180 pounds, and has size 12 feet, might be better off with a men’s board. The problem is sometimes graphics – a guy that weighs 135 pounds and has size 7 feet can likely ride a women’s board… the problem is, it might be pink and have flowers printed all over it.

Riding style

This is what it’s all about. The most important factor of all asks the question, “What do you plan to do with the board, anyway?” If you’re going to hit the park, you will need a flexible freestyle board. They tend to be shorter, twin-shaped (identical if sawed in half width-wise), and light. If you’re going to only hit deep powder and go for speed, a freeride board is what you need. Freeride boards are designed so that there is a nose and a tail and the two are not identical like a freestyle board, are stiffer, and are heavier. Riders who like to do a little bit of everything should find themselves an all-mountain board. These boards basically combine the technical aspects of freeride and freestyle boards and can do a bit of everything.

Riding Ability

If you’re a beginner, you will want a board with good flexibility to help you master turning. If you’re an advanced rider, you simply need to think about how you will use the board, then do some homework on the technical aspects of boards (a good musician know his instrument and a good athlete knows his equipment), and then go shopping.

© 2008 HighlyObsessed.com | The Snowboarding and Cycling Blog