How to Pick the Right Snowboard

Picking the right snowboard is an important first step to enjoying your time on the mountain! Boards are designed with different shapes, flexes, profiles, and lengths to create a board unique to your ability and where you like to ride. With a basic understanding of the different types of snowboards, how they’re constructed, and how to choose the right size, you’ll be able to find the best board for you.

Not all snowboards are created the same. Some are designed to go anywhere on the mountain, while others are made for specific conditions. When choosing what type of board you’ll be getting, consider what terrain you’ll most likely be riding.

All Mountain
All mountain boards are the most versatile type of board. Made to do a little of everything, they can rip off groomers, handle the bumps and trees, cruise through powder, and catch air in the park and off side-hits. All mountain boards make a great choice for new riders as they progress and find their style and for any level rider who wants one board that can do it all.

Freestyle
Freestyle boards are made for catching air, hitting tricks, and spending time in the terrain park. Freestyle boards tend to have a twin tip shape and a softer flex, making it easy to ride in either direction and maneuver for tricks and jumps. Freestyle boards are ideal for any level of rider who knows they’ll spend most of their time in the park.

Freeride
For steeper runs, deeper snow, and off-terrain conditions, freeride boards are the perfect choice for intermediate riders and above who plan on exploring ungroomed trails away from the park. Freeride boards tend to have a directional shape and typically a firmer flex to dampen vibration and offer more stability at higher speeds, making them great boards for exploring bowls, running through the trees, and riding in varied conditions.

Powder
Powder boards are designed to offer the most float in deeper snow conditions. They tend to have more rocker and sized slightly shorter for increased float and stability. Powder boards are for any level rider looking for a dedicated board to ride untouched snow.

Splitboard
For those who like the uphill as much as the down, a splitboard is great for experienced riders who want to explore the backcountry. Splitboards split in half to create “skis” that can be used to hike uphill. Splitboards require specific bindings and skins attached to the base for uphill hiking. When ready for the downhill, splitboards can be reconnected and the bindings can be moved for normal downhill riding, allowing you to explore terrain that chairlifts can’t get you to.

Snowboard shape refers to the design of the board when viewed from above. Some boards have a larger nose (the front portion of the board) to create better float in powder. Some boards are symmetrical throughout, so you can ride in either direction.

Today, snowboards have evolved to create tons of different snowboard shapes, but there are four main snowboard shapes to think about when choosing a board: true twin, directional, directional twin, and asymmetrical twin.

True Twin
True twin boards are symmetrical throughout. The shape and the flex of the nose and tail are the same, and the sidecuts of the board are identical. The shape, along with the centered stance of true twin boards allows the board to feel exactly the same riding forwards and backwards.

True twin boards are common among freestyle and park riders since they’re ideal for switch takeoffs and landings, as well as hitting tricks and features. A true twin design is also popular among beginner boards as they’re starting to learn which is their dominant direction.

Directional
In contrast, directional boards are a great choice for riders who prefer riding in their dominant direction. Directional boards have a longer nose and tend to shift the feet back from center, making it easier to initiate turns, cut through choppy snow, and provide more float in lighter snow.

Directional Twin
The downside to a true twin shape is that it doesn’t perform as well in powder and deep snow. A directional twin board helps fix that by keeping a true twin's symmetrical features while elongating the board's nose to improve performance on hardpack and in deep snow.

Asymmetrical Twin
An asymmetrical twin shape is similar to a true twin shape where the tip and tail of the board have an identical flex and shape. The major difference between asymmetrical twin and other twin shapes is that there’s a deeper sidecut on the heel edge than on the toe edge for improved edge hold on hardpacked snow.

A snowboard’s flex, or how stiff the board is, is also important to consider, as it significantly impacts how the board will ride. Snowboard flex ratings are commonly rated on a scale from 1, the softest, to 10, the stiffest:

Soft Flex (1-3): A softer board with a softer flex is ideal for beginners and any-level freestyle and park riders. Softer flexing boards are more forgiving and easier to maneuver, so they are great for learning and throwing tricks. The downside to a board that is too soft is that it can feel unstable at high speed for more experienced, heavier, or stronger snowboarders.

Medium Flex (4-6): Medium flex boards are common among all-mountain, freeride, and powder boards. Boards with a medium flex feel more stable due to the added stiffness, while still somewhat forgiving. This makes for better edge hold and responsiveness in a variety of conditions.

Stiff Flex (7-10): A board with a stiff flex is for more experienced, aggressive riders. A stiffer board has better edge hold, responsiveness, and stability, especially when riding at speed and on steeper terrain. Boards with a stiffer flex are common among those looking to carve on groomed trails and all-mountain, freeride, and powder snowboarders.

When choosing what stiffness board will work best for you, it’s important to consider your weight and strength. Softer flexing boards tend to be a good choice for beginners since they’re more forgiving, but for someone heavier or stronger, it may feel too soft and lack control. This is why it’s important to choose a board specific to you.

A snowboard’s profile refers to the board's shape while looking at it from the side. You’ll notice that snowboards are not completely flat to the ground. These curves in the board are known as rocker and camber. Different boards have different amounts of rocker, camber, or a mix of both to influence how the board will perform.

Rocker
Rocker is the downward curve that lifts the board’s tip and tail off the snow. Rocker helps with turn initiation and floating on top of lighter snow. A softer board with more rocker is a great choice for beginners as they begin to learn and gain confidence on the mountain. Boards with more rocker are also popular among more advanced powder riders due to their float and maneuverability in lighter and deeper snow.

Camber
Camber is the upward curve that lifts the board off the snow. In most camber boards, the camber lifts the center of the board, between your feet. As you roll the board on edge to turn, the camber flattens under the combination of the rider’s weight and strength. As you move out of the turn, the board wants to return to its camber shape. This is noticeable on groomed trails, creating pop, liveliness, and responsiveness.

The more camber a board has, the longer the effective edge, or the amount of the board’s edge in contact with the ground. A longer effective edge gives the board good edge hold and more stability at speed and hard packed runs.

Flat
A flat board has no rocker or camber. There is a slight lift in the tip and tail to keep the ends of the board from catching on snow, but other than that, the board is flat to the snow. Flat snowboards make a great choice for beginners since they’re more forgiving of mistakes, easier to maneuver, and the board’s edges are less likely to catch.

Flat Rocker
Flat Rocker has a flat profile with more rocker in the tip and tail, lifting the ends off the board more than a traditional flat board. This added rocker in the tip and tail helps with turn initiation.

Rocker Camber / Hybrid
As you progress, you may be interested in looking for boards that combine different amounts of rocker and camber to fine-tune how the board will ride. Commonly referred to as hybrid, snowboards are designed with different amounts of rocker and camber to reap the benefits of each and create a uniquely performing board for different types of terrain. Hybrid boards are a great choice for those looking for an all-mountain and freeride boards.

When determining the right snowboard length and width, you’ll want to determine a size range that’ll work best for you based on your snowboarding ability, height, weight, and boot size.

An important factor in choosing the right snowboard size is determining your snowboarding ability. A shorter board is easier to maneuver and learn on, but to more experienced boarders a shorter board can feel unstable. A longer board will provide more stability at speed but will be harder to control and maneuver for inexperienced riders.

Beginner: Whether this is your first time snowboarding or you’ve been snowboarding a few times, beginner snowboarders focus on learning the basics of turning, controlling speed, and riding the chair lift. They tend to stick to the learning area and green runs.

A beginner board tends to be softer in flex, flat or rocker profile, and a bit shorter, so it’s easier to maneuver, more forgiving of mistakes, and easier to gain confidence and control on the mountain.

Intermediate: Intermediate snowboarders have snowboarded multiple times and are confident and comfortable on green and blue runs. Some intermediates may begin to explore off-trail into bowls and trees and stay in control at a moderate speed, keeping up with most on the mountain.
Intermediate snowboards may choose a slightly stiffer and longer board than beginners for more stability at speed and on steeper runs.

Expert: Expert snowboarders are comfortable on most or all-terrain on the mountain. Expert riders tend to prefer a stiffer and longer board to match the terrain they tend to encounter, but some may choose softer or shorter boards depending on the terrain they’re in or they’re riding style. A stiffer and longer board increases stability and speed while allowing for more float in powder and varied conditions.

Once you determine the board size that works best for you, it’s also important to determine your board width.

Ideally, the boot’s toe and heel should hang 1 to 2 centimeters off the edge of the board. Anything more than this can lead to toe and heel drag along the snow. This can be dangerous since it interferes with your riding, especially at speed and on steeper terrain.

A board that is too wide where the boots don’t reach the edge can also be problematic since it will be harder to apply pressure on the edges. This makes it tougher to initiate turns and causes the board to feel less responsive. It’s important to have a properly fitted snowboard boot and choose a board that matches your boot size.