Snowboard: Evaluate your options

Your priority at this point in your evaluation is to find the available snowboards in the market that best meet your needs. You can save a lot of time during this activity by quickly eliminating any snowboards that are unsuitable because they don't meet your key requirements. For example, if you have a limited budget for this purchase then you can ignore any snowboards that clearly exceed your price limit.

The vast majority of snowboarders use all-mountain (or all purpose) snowboards for the sport. These are the best snowboards for beginners, and you will probably use this type of board for the first season or so in the mountains. As the name indicates, these boards can be used for any style of boarding you want to try on a groomed mountain. These boards are a hybrid of freestyle and freeride snowboards; they are meant to be used with soft boots that have flexibility, they are average length between 140 and 165cm (55 and 65 inches), which means that they are easier to control but still offer a quick ride. The 24 or 25cm (9.4 to 9.8 inch) width means that you have the balance you will need for some minor stunts without compromising too much with your speed. They also have deep sidecuts to help make wide turns.

Tip: All-mountain snowboards are really the only snowboards that are suitable for beginners. Snowboarding is a sport that takes a while just to get the basics right, so you will not be ready to specialize until you are confident in your mastery of the all purpose board.

All-mountain boards will usually have a longer nose than other types of board, and will be designed so that the rider's weight is balanced more towards the back of the board. This helps to prevent going too fast in deep powder, and also keeps the tip up.

One of the most important features on any snowboard are the bindings. Bindings are usually sold separately from the board, and the keys in determining which bindings are right for you are the style of boarding you enjoy and the type of boot you have. Again, all-mountain snowboards have the greatest range in terms of bindings. The most popular are soft boots with strap bindings. This kind of binding takes some time to do up, but offers the foot the most flexibility. Plate bindings are similar to those found on downhill skis; a hard boot with a rigid sole clips into place when the binding is stepped into. These offer a bit more control than soft boots. Finally, flow-in bindings are a cross between strap and plate. The many straps have been eliminated, so they are not as time consuming to put on. They use soft boots and can be stepped in and out of easily.

Tip: Unlike ski bindings, snowboard bindings do not have quick release options. If you wipe out, you do run the risk of injuring your ankles.

Freestylers are the aerial specialists of snowboarding. The boards used in freestyle are shorter and fatter than other boards, as this provides better balance and more control. They are twin directional, which means that both the tail and the nose of the board have tips; the board can be ridden facing either forward or backwards. These boards are also very flexible, which comes in handy when attempting tricks like rail riding (the flex means the board won't break on you). The metal edge of your board will determine a lot of your success in stunts; duller edges work best for rails, as they will not catch. However, an edge that is too dull will be detrimental in a half pipe, as these edges are used to cut through the hard surface of the walls.

Alpine snowboarding is a very specialized type of snowboarding, and requires skill and strength. These boards are the longest of the styles, which allows the rider to maximize speed. Shallow sidecuts mean quicker turns, which also means that you need a lot of leg power to control the turn. These boards tend to use hard boots and plate bindings for maximum control.

Backcountry snowboards have several features designed to help the boarder, especially in deep powder. Swallow tail boards have a split down the back which elevates the nose in deep powder. Fish shaped boards are also designed for deep powder, and help to reduce the stress put on the legs under these conditions. The split board has been increasing in popularity lately as it offers the best of both skiing and snowboarding in the back country. Although purchased as a solid board, it can split into two skis similar to those used in alpine touring.

Tip: The base type of the board will determine both maximum speed and maintenance. Extruded bases are made from sheets of the material P-tex. These bases don't require a lot of maintenance and they perform about the same with or without wax; adding wax to an extruded base will not gain much speed.

Sintered bases are made from P-tex that has been broken down and reformed. The composition of the board is thus more porous, and wax will integrate better for a faster ride. If these base type boards get damaged they are expensive and difficult to repair. They also require wax for even average performance.

Hybrid bases seek to eliminate the shortcomings of sintered bases. The base is still sintered, but other materials such as graphite are added to increase strength and the hold of the wax. They are still more expensive to maintain than extruded bases.

When you were considering your requirements in a snowboard it's likely that you singled out certain factors such as board type, base, length and width and cost as being of major significance. As with so many other products, the more features offered, the higher the price. Buyz123 has created a checklist containing examples of major features; you can work from this checklist when evaluating how well various snowboards meet your personal needs:

Features Checklist

Classification

Directional - directional, twin, semi-directional
Rigidity - rigid, flexible, torsional, longitudinal
Length - 90 to 215cm (35 to 85 inches)
Boot type - soft, hard
Sidecuts - 5 to 17 meter (5.5 to 18.5 yard) curve radius

Type

Racing/Alpine - machine groomed slopes, hard boots, length 190 to 215 cm (75 to 85 inches) width 15 to 21cm (6 to 8.5 inches)
Freeride - soft boots, long length, semi-directional
Freestyle - rigid, soft boots, twin-directional, deep sidecuts, width 22 to 28cm (8.7 to 11 inches)
Freestyle (rails) - flexible, short, twin-directional, soft boots
All purpose - length 140 to 165cm (55 to 65 inches) width 24 to 25cm (9.4 to 9.8 inches)
Swallow Tail
Split
Fish Shape

Construction

Core - wood; beech and poplar
Laminate - fibreglass
Base - plastic, sintered, steel edges attached, P-tex material
Edge - metal
Stomp pad - rubber

Terms

Nose - tip (front)
Tail - back
Base - edge that makes contact with the snow (bottom)
Waist - midpoint between tip and tail

Base

Sintered - P-tex is ground into a powder and then reformed, and cut to shape
Extruded - P-tex base cut from a large original piece
Hybrid - sintered base with materials added

Measurements

Length - based on the weight of the rider, tip to tail
Width - measured at the waist of the board
Sidecut - Concave cut from tip to tail, narrowest at the waist
Flex
Tail and nose width

Bindings (separate from the board deck)

Strap-in - buckle straps, toe and ankle
Rear entry - foot held in place with webbing, slid into binding from the back
Highback - stiff moulded support behind, up the calf
Plate - hard boots, alpine snowboarding
Flow-in - large tongue, back plate lever

Skill levels

Beginner - never tried, a few days of lessons
Intermediate - comfortable with riding and stances, landing some basic tricks
Advanced - advance tricks, riding in powder and off track no problem

Warranty

Board - 1 year or 2 years limited
Bindings - 5 years, Lifetime

There are a lot of features listed here, and some of them may not be relevant to your particular requirements. So, work your way through the list and assess how each of these features impact on your snowboard needs. You can then create a personalized checklist of the features you really require in a snowboard.

Once you have finished evaluating the snowboards available for sale in the light of your personal needs and arrived at a short-list of 'possibles' you are ready to progress to the next stage. This involves comparing the snowboards one-on-one in order to find those that really stand out.

Evaluate how well a Snowboard compares with competing Snowboards

Comparing the items on your interim short-list, one to another, is an important part of the purchasing process - we all want to buy the best product we possibly can. So once you have established a short-list of snowboards that meet your needs it is time to evaluate how well they compare in fine detail. This way you can assemble a select list of snowboards that stand out from the crowd.

Questions to ask yourself:

Which snowboard on my short-list offers the best value for money?
Which of these snowboards best meet my needs?
Which of my short-listed snowboards has the best warranty?
Which snowboard is the easiest to use?
Which of the snowboards seems of the highest quality?
Which snowboard do I like best?

By answering these simple questions, you are actually eliminating snowboards that aren't absolutely right for you. This is an excellent time - if you haven't done so already - to evaluate how well your short-listed products measure up in the following areas: Physical Quality, Warranty Conditions and Accessories & Extras.

Physical Quality

Regardless of the method you use when purchasing the snowboard, you need to find an opportunity to examine the product to evaluate how well it is made, and to check that it is truly suitable for you and your purpose. This is the time to examine the quality of the materials, and how well the snowboard is put together. Check the assembly - is the snowboard solidly constructed? It's also important to examine the snowboard from the perspective of ease of use. How easily is the snowboard prepared for cleaning and maintenance? Make sure the snowboard fits you physically, and that it is user-friendly - some snowboards look great in the store, but unexpected problems will show up when you finally get your hands on them.

Physical Inspection Checklist:

Materials - quality, appearance
Assembly - all parts held together securely, good quality fittings
Solidly constructed - stable, no loose components
Proper fit of removable parts - easy to remove and replace, fit snugly
Size - appropriate for surroundings and purpose - fits user correctly
Appearance - well finished, appropriate color, neat fittings etc
Easy and comfortable to use

Warranty Conditions

Similar products may be available with significantly different terms and conditions, and you want to get the best deal you can. Parts and labor are often covered under separate warranties, for different time periods; sometimes there can be a significant difference in the warranty offered with one model compared to that offered with the next model up. It is particularly important to investigate any conditions that might void a warranty, such as accidental damage.

Warranty Checklist:

Duration - check the specifics
Parts, Labor
Exactly what is covered
Exactly what is excluded
Conditions or actions that may void the warranty

Accessories, Extras and Consumables

When evaluating similar products, it is a good idea to include accessories in your assessment. You need to be clear about exactly what accessories are necessary to run the product to its full capacity, and whether these are included with the purchase. What other facilities are required - do you need snowboard boots, for instance? It's also important to consider consumables, such as wax - some products have higher associated costs than others.

Accessories Checklist:

Accessories - included or extra cost?
Compatibility issues - will it work with your existing products?
Consumables - how often and how much?
What else will you need to fully utilize the snowboard?

Once you've worked through the Evaluation step you will have a final short-list of snowboards that meet your needs and stand out from competing products on the market. It's time then to move on to the third and final step: Purchase.

Video Links

Choosing a Snowboard - Info
A video for beginners and intermediates on how to select the snowboard that is right for you. Lots of useful information to help your purchase. (8m 0s)

Buyz123.com Research Links:

Bindings

Buying bindings made easy

In a bind over snowboard bindings?

Snowboard bindings and what you should know

Reviews

Snowboard reviews by snowboarders