Snowboarding

There are many different types of snowboards. There are racing boards, alpine boards, casual boards, and my personal favorite, freestyle boards. Each of these boards has different characteristics and ratings. Racing boards are great for racing, alpines are good for backwoods boarding, casual boards are excellent for gliding down the mountain, and of course freestyle boards are the way to go for rail grinding and high flying. Before choosing a freestyle board, one needs to know the basics.

First things first, choose a board according to height. When holding the board upright the tip of the board should not be any higher than the chest of the rider. Most adults ride boards ranging from about 120 centimeters to about 170 centimeters. It all depends on the height of the person. The shorter length of a freestyle board allows the rider to be more agile and squeeze in that extra rotation.

Next up is the board width. Determine the length of the boarders’ feet and compare it to the width of the board. A wide board is essential to those with larger feet. (About size twelve and up) Overhanging heels and toes cut down on the rider’s carving ability by digging into the snow as they turn.

The weight of the rider is also very important. The board must be able to support the rider without sinking into the snow. A 144 centimeter board is good for any rider up to about one hundred and thirty pounds. For every ten pounds added on top of that add one centimeter to the length of the board.

The length of a board also affects the stance of the rider. The longer the board the wider stance the rider can choose to have. A wide stance can help with balance and stability while riding rails and landing crazy tricks. It also helps with the ability