What You Need to Know About Buying a Snow Board
We offer a large selection of boards, it can be a very daunting task to choose which is the right board for you. Here are a few questions and answers that will help you to make the right selection:
1. How do I choose my first board?
2. How do I know which board would suite my ability?
3. What's the difference between freestyle and freeride boards?
4. Do I need a wide board?
5. What length of board do I need?
6. I am female and looking to buy a board, but I don't like the girls graphics can I ride a guy's board?
7. The board I want is shown in different colors, what color will the one I get be?
8. Regular or Goofy? Which one am I?
9. Here are some techie terms defined for you
1. How do I choose my first board?
First consider how often you are going use the board, and where? What style of riding you want to progress into, freestyle or freeride? If you are unsure at this point (which most riders are) Go for All-Mountain so this won't limit you. Next to consider is what graphics do you like? And how much do you want to spend? You need to think about your ability and buy a board to suit. It's worth buying a board that's a bit above your ability as you progress quickly when you are at the Beginner/Intermediate level, so it will last you longer. However if you are a beginner, you would not be suited to buying an advanced board as this would be far too intimidating and difficult to ride.
2. How do I know which board would suite my ability?
There are many different boards all suited to different styles and ability of riding. Boards come with different flex for beginners to advanced. A beginner board has more flex which makes the board softer to ride and more forgiving of mistakes. The more advanced boards come with less flex making the board more responsive, harder to ride and less forgiving of mistakes.
3. What's the difference between freestyle and freeride boards?
Freestyle boards are usually shorter in overall length, twin shaped (tip and tail the same length) reduced swing weight, to make them easier to rotate and ride/land switch (backwards). Suited to park/pipe and rail riding. They also come with different flex for beginner to advanced freestyle riding.
4. Do I need a wide board?
Riders with bigger feet, usually UK 10+ Could have problems with toe and heel drag on a regular width boards. If you have size 10 or large feet it is recommended to go for a wide board. However there are now products available that do allow riders with wider feed to ride regular boards. For example the Salomon F22 boots have a fixed lining. This reduces the footprint by almost a size allowing for riders to ride regular boards. The K2 Zeplin is a mid wide board and would be suited to riders with larger feet.
5. What length of board do I need?
How heavy are you? For freestyle, lengths are ridden a bit shorter. For freeride (float in powder), a bit longer.
Freestyle
40 - 50kg: 130-140cm
50 - 60kg: 140-150cm
60 - 75kg: 150-160cm
75kg+: 160cm+
Freeride
40 - 50kg: 135-145cm
50 - 60kg: 145-155cm
60 - 75kg: 155-165cm
75kg+: 165cm+
A quick test to see whether a board is of a suitable length is to stand next to the board. If it comes between your chin and your forehead this is a good indication that the board will be suitable for you.
6. I am female and looking to buy a board, but I don't like the girls graphics can I ride a guy's board?
Of course you can, women's riding has really progressed in the last 10 years and there are some really cool boards on the market now for women of all standards. But the graphics are not to everyone's taste. Most of the guys boards are available in smaller lengths, just be aware of the width of the board, if you have size 3-5.5 UK boots the board might be a bit wide (making the board harder to maneuver). Use the length/weight guidelines to find the right size.
7. The board I want is shown in different colors, what color will the one I get be?
We can not guarantee we will deliver the colour on the main picture. If you have a preference of colour, then please can you make this clear at the time of purchase, and we will try our up most to deliver your preferred colour. Usually different length boards all come in there own different colours and this is the reason that you cannot always be guaranteed the colour you want.
8. Regular or Goofy? Which one am I?
It is important to know what your stance will be on the board in order to be able to set your board up correctly.
Regular: riders that ride with there left foot leading on the board
Goofy: riders that ride with there right foot leading on the board
There are two tests that you can try to determine whether you are goofy or regular
Test one:
Get somebody to stand behind you stand with your feet slightly apart and get them to lightly push you. whichever you foot you put forward to correct yourself will be the foot you lead with on your board
Test Two:
Slide across a shiny floor in your socks. Whichever foot you lead with will be the leading foot on your board.
9. Here are some techie terms defined for you:
Flex - The flex of a snowboard affects its handling/ride characteristics and typically varies with the rider's weight. Snowboards flex in two directions Longitude (tip to tail) and torsional (side to side), you will often see people 'flexing' a board by holding the nose and pushing the centre, this gives a good indicator to flex but it may be soft in longitude and stiffer torsionaly. Usually a softer flex makes turning easier while a harder flex makes the board more stable at high speed. There is no standard way to quantify snowboard stiffness, but beginners and riders who mostly do rails and jibbing tend to prefer a softer flex, free-riders (powder, bombing groomers etc) stiffer flex.
Twin tip -Identical shape (symmetrical) whether riding forwards or switch (backwards/fakie)Typically have a shorter nose and tail.
Directional -longer nose than tail with a tapered side cut to initiate turns easy and power you through turn to exit.
Centred - Your stance is centered when your bindings are mounted on the snowboard so the distance between the tip and the front binding is the same as that between the tail and the rear binding. With your bindings set this way, you would have similar control riding forwards or backwards.
Camber - The amount of space beneath the center of a snowboard when it lays on a flat surface and its weight rests on the tip and tail.
Chatter - Vibration of the snowboard as a result of high speed, tight turns, and/or icy conditions.
Effective Edge - The length of your snowboards metal edge that makes contact with the snow. When you turn, you shift your weight to your effective edge.
Forward Lean - The degree to which the highbacks of traditional bindings keep your ankles and calves bent over your toes.
Side Cut - Measured as a radius of a circle from a few radii to multiple radii. A deeper sidecut (small radius) will mean the board will make tight, short radius turns, a shallow sidecut (large radius) will mean its not so good at turning quickly but ideal for long sweeping turns ideal for beginners and freestyle because it is more forgiving.
Sintered Base - A porous wax absorbing material, made by melting granules of a polyurethane based compound to form a soild block which is then cut to shape, absorbs more wax and is faster, less easily repaired and adds more cost to the board.
Extruded Base - This method produces a softer, easily repaired tough base material but is less absorbent. Bit slower but keeps costs down
