The right choice of snowboard depends mainly on the height, weight and foot size of the rider. Then you need to consider if you want a board to ride mainly on ramps or on powder.
It is easier to start with shorter and softer boards, because they are easier to handle and ride slower.
The best shape for inexperienced riders is the rocker, which is bent into the shape of a cradle or banana. It does not have the whole edge in contact with the snow and there is often no biting of the edge so you’re less likely to fall.
The female figure has a different center of gravity, girls often have smaller feet, a different height-to-weight ratio and a different riding style. All this is reflected in the production of women's snowboards, which are narrower than the men's, softer and the threads for attaching the bindings are closer to each other. However as long as it suits her riding characteristics there is no real problem with a woman riding on a man’s board and vice versa.
Riding on a board is definitely not limited by age, but only by the desire to learn new things and enough physical fitness to do so. Snowboarding is especially popular among children and teenagers, but adults and seniors can get a real kick out of it as well. Especially thanks to the shape of the board for beginners, everyone can learn on it.
Although snowboards are easy to maintain, you can prolong their life with the right care. Perform maintenance after each day on the slopes.
It is desirable that the shoe does not protrude too much over the edge of the board (max. 3 cm) and does not grind the slope. Shoe sizes over 290 mondopoint (12 US, 10.5 UK, 45 EU) require a wider snowboard. Wider snowboards are more suitable for deeper snow. With a foot size up to 45 EU, a standard width snowboard will suffice).
Snowboards have a specified weight range that the rider should fit into. A rider who is too light for his snowboard will find it harder to get into a carve. Conversely, if the rider exceeds the specified weight, he will dive in powder and the edge of the board will jam on the piste.
Rider's weight | The length of the snowboard |
32–54 Kg | 144 cm |
35–57 Kg | 148 cm |
45–68 Kg | 151 cm |
52–75 Kg | 154 cm |
60–83 Kg | 158 cm |
64–86 Kg | 162 cm |
80–95 Kg | 166 cm |
Threads for attaching bindings on a snowboard. For women's snowboards, the inserts are closer to the center, for freeride boards they are more at the back to make the front part lighter.
A ride where the rider rides with a different leg in front than he is used to. So if you are riding with your left foot in front, the switch is for you to ride with your right foot in front.
The part of the snowboard that touches the snow.
Glossary
Board length
The length of the board is a crucial parameter for choosing a snowboard, because a poorly chosen length can mean poorer handling. The snowboard should reach between the rider’s chin and nose (-10 cm of the height of the rider), but experienced riders sometimes choose longer boards.