Snowboarding

Gear and Technology

It is essential that when you are snowboarding you are comfortable gear that both performs well, keeps you warm, and you look styling in. You don't want to be that 80 year old in the bright colors that are from the prehistoric times. You definitely don't want to be freezing your ass off and your bindings better not be coming off in the middle of a run. The rest of this page describes what you will need, from boards to stomp pads. What this page leaves out are gloves, and other such clothing that I hope you should be able to cope with by yourself.

If you are renting your equipment than this page is not for you; the experts at your rental company should be able to help you. This guide was designed to help first time buyers make their decisions. Another thing this guide is not for is to come see if a certain board is good. It is more designed to outline the different kinds of equipment and educate you so that you can make good decisions when investing in new purchases.

The first big one is boards. There are three main types of boards: freeride, freestyle, and all mountain. The freeride board is designed for people who will not be in the park, but just want to cruise around and bomb down black diamonds and double blacks. The freestyle board is a board that is not as good for carving and performs amazing in the park. An all mountain board, as I like to call them, are a mix of both. They are a great board for an all around rider that wants to ride around a lot, but still likes to enter the park every now and then.

If you want to try to be cost efficient when buying your equipment, the best place to sacrifice quality is boards. My advice is, buy a cheaper board and buy more expensive bindings and boots.

The main point of a freestyle board is its shape. These boards will have an aggressive side cut that allows you to turn on a dime and react quickly, this is the kind of control you want in the park. The downside to this is that it slows you down. Also a freestyle board is twin tipped and designed to ride switch, also very helpful in the park. This again however slows your board down.

A freeride board is streamlined and therefore is meant for speed. It is shaped directionally, increasing the speed, but cutting back on the handling. The front of the board will be larger, with more point and angle while the back of the board is smaller and rounded more. These boards handle differently when riding in switch, making it extremely hard for them to perform in the park. However anyone who just wants to ride will sacrifice on the dot control for speed any day.

All mountain boards are just a little of both. They are still shaped like a freeride board, shaped with a larger front and a smaller back. However, these designs are toned down a bit to make riding switch and in the park that much easier. A person who doesn't know what they like better between park and just riding will want to choose this board.

Choosing bindings is much easier than choosing boards. You want to look for good quality though. Bindings have many moving parts and therefore have the highest probability of them breaking. Make sure that the bindings you purchase are not plastic as they will freeze and break way too easy. If you are trying to save some money at least try to make sure the moving parts are metal because the non-moving ones are much harder to break. If you want to go all out get bindings that are all metal.

Finally choose boots that keep you warm, fit you well and provide good support. Have a store representative help you pick a pair that fit you properly. Also ensure that they fit into your bindings snuggly, so that they are not moving. Something you don't want happening is you purchasing too small of a board and your toes hanging off the edge, if they do, this will cause you much grief when you are learning. It is something we snowboarders refer to as "toe drag".

Another cheaper piece of equipment that may be wise for you to buy is a stomp pad. This goes on the inside of your back binding and provides traction for your foot when you are pushing along flat ground. They range in price from about $5 to $15.

Investing in a helmet is also a good idea. Nothing too expensive is necessary. Just make sure to pick one that fits you well and keeps your head warm.

An important point to remember is that having the proper equipment will help you have a good time on the slopes. Remember to dress with warm clothes that let sweat and some heat out, but keep you warm. Back to top.