So, you’re browsing through different snow-covered mountain holiday locations for your winter break to go snowboarding with your friends, and you are pondering on which type of Snowboard best fits you.
Or maybe you are training for the next championships, and you are looking to upgrade your Snowboard to a much more suitable one.
Or, you are just a beginner who just logged in to an e-commerce site and got quite overwhelmed by the seemingly countless offerings of different types of snowboards from various brands, and you are perplexed as to which one to spend your hard-earned bucks on. Don’t worry; we got you.
The fun of sliding down the snow-covered slope can quickly get washed off from using a not so appropriately suited snowboard.
The different types of Snowboard offer different feels and somewhat different capabilities to users. The key to snowboarding has always been balanced and speed.
Did I say balance? Yes, a simple factor such as body weight can influence the type of Snowboard you go for.
Different snowboards are unique in terms of construction, the material used, the pattern of flex, and the size. As mentioned earlier, body weight, height, and even the preferred riding style are bound to affect your choice of Snowboard.
A vital factor in picking a snowboard is the terrain and condition of intended use.
Now, you may be tempted to think of a snowboard as just a piece of wood with two bindings for the feet and slides on snow.
Guess what, you are correct. However, many other factors come into play to get the fun or perhaps the winning ride you need.
Many professional riders are pushing beyond the limits of snowboarding sports, causing sharp iterative changes to the construction and design of the snowboards.
These trends are becoming more and more available for the broader market. One way of categorizing the different types of Snowboard is based on the intended type of riding.
So, do you prefer sliding down a snow-covered mountain, jumping and flexing as you go, or do you like the twists and glamour of taking a ride at a park with your intelligent moves leaving your spectators speechless?
Now, let us look at the different types of snowboards you are likely to find when you go shopping or snowboarding with others.
1. All Mountain Snowboard
If you are looking for the one board to take you through all kinds of riding and probably under any condition, this is the best choice.
Among the different types of snowboards, these boards are designed to provide it all for the rider and perform anywhere on the mountain to eliminate the need for multiple boards.
They have a good float on the powder surface and can handle the lumps and the bumps pretty well. Because of its versatility, it is commonly used among snowboarders.
It is a pretty solid choice for beginners who need a board they can take anywhere and probably do not have the bucks to spend on multiple boards.
All-mountain boards are directional in shape (meaning the tip has a different design from the tail) with either even flexes patterns or mid-flexing stiffness.
They sometimes come with a hybrid or mild profile for the camber, allowing the rider to maintain complete control with uncompromised comfort.
The tail compared to the tip is much narrower and flatter, and its general design enables the Snowboard to be ridden backward in the rear-facing travel direction.
They offer more balance at the tail providing new snowboarders the stability needed to explore as much as they can on the ride.
2. All-mountain Freestyle Snowboards
This Snowboard is comparable to the all-mountain Snowboard as the differences are pretty subtle and sometimes invisible.
The all-mountain freestyle snowboards deviate from the traditional snowboards by having a more aggressive profile for the camber building from a hybrid camber profile to a much more predominant design.
From the vast selection available from the different types of Snowboard, this Snowboard is best suited for freestyling and taking a fun ride at the park as they are short, flexible, and lightweight.
It features a steeper rise between the feet, making the contact points the only parts of the Snowboard that are in contact with the snow when placed on their own without any weight on it.
The contact points refer to the most comprehensive sections of the board just before the tip and just before the tail.
This rise design on the Snowboard allows the rider to load the board with more force which is very handy in maneuvers such as making the board pop into the air or off the ground.
This is a popular maneuver among park riders. The more pronounced or aggressive camber design allows the rider to lock into rails much easier and also aids in initiating turns and providing control.
Park riding involves more ollies and sharp turns. This Snowboard is sure to boost your confidence with its added capabilities.
The all-mountain freestyle snowboard is still designed to be an all-condition, all-terrain board, but it focuses on park riding than powder, making it unique among the different types of snowboards.
3. Freestyle Park Snowboards
Quite popular among fun-loving riders. Riders want to show off their amazing maneuverability with the jumps, the slides, and the quick turns.
If you are a rider who loves launching into the air and sliding on rails, this is the best choice for selecting the different types of snowboards.
Whether you are riding pointing your leading foot forward or with the leading foot pointing backward, this true-twin Snowboard has you covered.
This is because it has an even flex pattern allowing the rider to ride normally and with the switch. They have no flat or rocker profiles at the tip and tail, and these are replaced with a good rise between the feet featuring a classic camber.
The increase between the feet allows for maximum energy transfer, making pops, holding on the rails, quick, precise and sharp turns, and holding the snow when negotiating rotations all happen in bliss. This is quite handy when last-second adjustments are needed before jumps.
Much more than the all-mountain board, this Snowboard allows you to pop into the air like a bird and provides good cushioning when you land.
New designs replacing cambers with rockers have a full rise at the tip and the tail. For riders who love to butter and perform a series of spins, these rocker-designed snowboards are perfect partners for the display.
In addition to that, riding on these types of Snowboard feels more like surfing as the ride is super loose and catch-free.
4. Freeride / Backcountry Snowboards
These snowboards form the largest family of snowboards, and it will be unforgiving if we do not examine and relate in simple terms how these boards overlap with other different types of snowboards.
For riders who feel uncomfortable digging through the snow while riding and prefer the light and loose feeling of surfing on top of the snow powder, then this Snowboard is the best choice.
The longer tip and shorter tail design give more flexibility behind the back foot allowing the rider to have greater ease leaning back and digging the back-end in the snow, creating a lift at the front to go on top of the powder rather than pushing through it.
These boards are commonly directional snowboards with an a-symmetrical pattern of flex. A notable design among these types of Snowboard is the swallow-tail.
This design has less surface area, allowing the back to sink deeper into the snow while the long tip or nose stays fairly on top of the deep powder.
For a rider who doesn’t want to put in much effort but at the same time enjoy every bit of the ride with the freedom to play around, this makes a perfect choice.
However, control is less for these types of Snowboard compared to the all-mountain boards discussed above.
If you are taking most of your rides well beyond the bounds of the resort, investing in a good freeride or backcountry snowboard is a great investment.
New designs are being developed to allow more versatility and fun maneuverability around the snow-covered mountain.
Freeride boards are available for both beginners and advanced riders. The beginner models are suitable for people with around 96Ibs of weight.
It has easy-to-grip footpads, and the board is usually made out of composite materials for maximum durability. The advanced models have extruded bases that give the rider a long-lasting glide down the mountain.
5. High-Speed Snowboards
These snowboards have much more technology and shaping than the other snowboard types. As riding preferences change from freestyling or all-mountain rides to carving, the board shape changes, and their price are relatively higher.
The high-speed snowboards add many features that massively improve stability and bump your way down the snow-covered mountain slope.
Who doesn’t love to carve? Well, many riders love the thrill of turning on their snowboards using only the sidecut or edge shape of the board.
High speed is maintained as you turn, and this maneuver is particularly useful for a spinning jump or riding pipe.
The wider and sharper design of these high-speed snowboards makes riding through a course with fairly thick ice seem so easy and smooth.
The agile feel of this Snowboard makes it a competitive choice for championships and other snowboarding competitions. Being made out of bamboo and poplar, this Snowboard is lightweight and performs relatively well.
If you are excited at the thrill of carving your way down and gaining and maintaining speed, this Snowboard provides the best benefits among the other different types of Snowboard.
6. Shorter style surf Snowboard
Let us say you have some experience surfing the waves at a beach, or perhaps you are a professional surfer, and you are looking to put in that well-gathered experience plowing through the snow; this shorter style surf snowboard makes an excellent tool for achieving that. Thanks to its shorter length and fatter style, the board is very agile with an improved feel.
It is a snowboard designed for much more playful riding. So, if you want a simple and probably boring slide down the mountain course, this is not the board for you.
On the other hand, if you are prepared or looking forward to having a fun-filled and full experience of the course on your way down, trust me, you are going to love this board for that.
The shorter length gives the rider the feeling of being in more control with uncompromised balance, and you can float your way down with so much agility left to spare.
Looking to put those athletics you have been displaying at the beach into snowboarding? Getting one of these shorter-style surf snowboards is a sure pick for your cash.
7. Split board Snowboard
If you are eager to explore the backcountry with a board that has the much-needed versatility, then this Snowboard is highly recommended.
This Snowboard is unique compared to the other different types of Snowboard, and it is constructed with the ease of splitting the board into two pieces, essentially becoming skis, helping you climb untracked slopes.
It is by no means a cheap board, and it is a great choice for those seeking to go on a long hike up a mountain. You will need to go for the lightweight ones to help you hike your way up the hill faster.
Don’t worry; when you are ready to come down, plowing through the snow, these split boards have a range of capabilities to get you down the mountain with high speed.
By construction, the splits are either attached or detached with the help of two discs and screws numbering about eight on the split board.
To get the desired stance you need, it is necessary to check and make some adjustments to the strap bindings.
For those who have used skis like the cross-country types, this split snowboard will feel very much familiar to you.
Their design has ample allowance for moving the heel, which comes in handy when ascending hills or slopes. The split snowboard is not for a beginner.
You will need specific additional skills like knowing which way is best to climb up the mountain, and maintaining a good posture as you ascend.
You also need to manage your body weight balance as losing balance can be quite dangerous, causing you to slip down the slope.
Using this Snowboard requires a learning and upskilling curve, and it is not a board you can pick up and start riding with it.
Because of the bolts and screws embedded in its structure, regular maintenance before and after usage is required to ensure they hold properly and to prevent any accident during your ascent or descent.
This Snowboard is quite handy in pushing the boundaries of the snowboarding experience. Aside from splitting into skis, they ride just like any regular snowboard. Once you fully utilize them, they give a lot of fun in any terrain or condition.
8. Tapered bi-radial side cut Snowboard
This is one board that provides excellent speed in all conditions and terrain. The tapered bi-radial side cut Snowboard is an elite snowboard and is sure to give you a run for your money.
It is highly responsive, smooth to ride, and perfect for snowboard racing. It has so little friction; you will barely feel the snow under you.
The slime walls of this board give a smoother ride and improve durability. It is a board designed for maximum grip.
9. Powder Snowboard
What if the snow is not that thick? Maybe just in powder form. This Snowboard’s well pronounced tapered and directional shape provides the rider with excellent traction and control over the light snow.
The tip and tail shape helps the rider float on the snow better. The most common design of these snowboards is those with a broader tip and longer tail.
Most often than not, they come with a rocker instead of a camber profile for better float over the powder snow. There is a really useful cutout at the tail for tackling deeper snow.
This Snowboard bears close semblance to surfboards. Compared to the other different types of Snowboard, these snowboards are almost unmatchable when floating is in play.
The cutouts at the tail and the rare hybrid camber design are stand-out and cool features for any rider to have. However, they can be pretty limited in functions compared to other snowboards, especially the unidirectional ones.
Snowboarding can be pretty fun. Picking a good snowboard from the almost endless offerings can be pretty overwhelming.
While considering the capabilities and intended ride terrain, it is always best to consider your personality and body build.
