Snowboard Styles

When deciding on your winter setup there are quite a few things to consider. In this blog I will go over the different types and profiles of solid snowboards that will be paired with bindings. Oftentimes, most people will choose a snowboard based on length alone, setting them up for failure, as that may have the smallest impact of anything on this list to how the board is actually going to ride for you. Stick with me to understand in-depth, how a board's tech and specs can impact the ride for you, helping you to truly narrow down your decision making process. In this first blog I will give you an easy to break down system for picking the right STYLE of snowboard you will be choosing from.

Generally speaking you will be told that there are four styles of snowboards to choose from, those types being:Park, Powder, Freeriding or All-Mountain. I’d like to try and dissolve this idea that you need something super specific to your goals of riding on the mountain, as most snowboards, as long as the specs actually fit your size and weight, you can usually do all of the above with any snowboard. Beyond that though, there are snowboards that will absolutely excel in certain areas over others. Lets jump into the four different styles real quick, as you have probably heard this information before, I won't go too far into depth. This will allow you to get into a better headspace of the style of board you want.

Freestyle Boards are designed to be even when ridden in both directions, meaning that the feeling under your feet will always be the same even if you landed your trick switch. Another defining feature would be the softer flex that park boards generally have. Softer flex allows the rider to execute tail/nose presses and initiate a turn quicker. If you are planning to ride massive jumps on a freestyle board, you generally wouldn't want the flexier specs because it wont allow you to absorb as much impact in the instances you don’t land the jump perfectly. Most Freestyle oriented boards will still be fun and playful in the powder, although if you plan to ride steeper and more aggressive terrain, it is highly advisable to get a stiffer board that can help reduce the chop you are going to experience in these types of terrain. Also having a tail the same width and length as your nose will typically set you forward when landing in powder, reducing your ability to land evenly over both your feet when trying to land a trick.

Powder Boards are pretty diverse in the variety that they can inhabit. Most likely you will find a powder board to be directional, longer/wider nose, shorter tail and a stiffer flex. The longer/thicker nose allows the rider to have maximum surface area where it is most needed. This profile also helps you sit back on the board easier without having to expend extra energy, allowing you to ride powder for longer due to having less drag on the snow. This can be a major gain when riding mountains that aren’t very steep, helping the rider keep speed in the low angle powder. For people that are more experienced, doing big jumps on a powder board that has a directional tail such as a swallowtail or something of that sort is pretty amazing, as it allows the board not to push you forward when you are landing in the deeper snow. This is super clutch, because most of the time your goal when landing a trick is to land even based over both of your feet, as backseat landings can be quite strenuous on the back leg and being too far forward will send you over the nose of the board. Pow boards can feel like magic in the deep snow, but oftentimes are overlooked to be only useful in powder, but the same specifications are useful in powder as they are in carving aggressively on groomed terrain, they feel super surfy and powerful, allowing for deep and low carves!

Freeride boards will be found on the stiffer, more aggressive side of the comparison chart. These boards are designed to absorb the most amount of abuse and still remain consistent, as most of the riding these boards will be doing is life and death, that's exactly what you want. Most likely you will find these boards to have a longer side-cut allowing for higher speed turns. (If that went over your head, read my next blog and I will break that down further for you.) These boards are generally full camber to allow for more aggressive edge hold when it is needed. You will almost never find a rockered out profile on a freeride specific snowboard.

All Mountain boards will generally try to be a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Except for maybe side hits.. these boards LOVE side hits! All mountain boards love to try and give you the all around same feel on all aspects of the mountain, however oftentimes they will try and make the boards either more playful, leaning towards a more freestyle feeling, or stiffer and more responsive, giving a more freeride/powder board feeling. These boards can truly do it all, and are usually best for people that are trying to not run a quiver of snowboards but want one board that they can grab any day and head to the hill to have a good time.

Every board, despite what they say they are supposed to be used for, can come in different base styles, these styles are called camber, rocker, hybrid, or flat based, all of these profiles affect the edge of the board, giving you different sorts of advantages. (the list is actually longer as all sorts of new designs are coming out to change the ride.) If you like rails you should rock the flat base, as it is more catch-free than camber. If you like jumps, camber is your move as it will be like a spring loaded, ready to release that compressed energy. Butter tricks and a generally catch free edge will come from rockered boards and hybrids. (highly recommend these to beginners!) If you are looking to carve harder than you have ever carved, then definitely look into companies that run triple camber profiles, as it can reward even the ugliest turns with pristine carves.

Generally speaking all of these specific profiles of a snowboard will give you a basic understanding of how a board is going to respond when riding. From a consumer standpoint, these generalizations of snowboards allow a salesman to put the customer into a box, which in turn overgeneralizes the rider, allowing for a quicker sale but will most likely not land the rider on the right equipment. If you want to know how a board will ACTUALLY respond to you and your riding style, it is suggested that you take a deep dive into what will directly influence how a board will handle as expressed in the next blog.

Thanks for reading, please drop a comment with any feedback or suggestions. :)