Many Snowboard Options To Consider

Snowboarding can be classified as a form of skiing. It started in the '70s but gained alot of popularity in the '90s. Since that time, many people have gained interest in the sport and, thus, snowboarding technology followed suit and improved dramatically. Some of the people that started snowboarding in the early days eventually manufactured their own snowboards and brought their ideas to the public. These companies competed in developing superior snowboarding materials like bindings, metal edges, and even boots. There are also clothing lines specifically designed for snowboarding enthusiasts.

Snowboards are classified as alpine, race, all-around or free-riding, half-pipe or free-style, snow-tail and split-board. These classifications are based on the symmetry and directional of the boards.

Snowboard option #1 is full on race boards. These snowboards are stiff, narrow and long boards suited for downhill and slalom racing. Race boards are designed for use in high-speed applications and they have long edges for quickly carving turns.

Snowboard option #2 is alpine boards. Alpine boards are intended for those crossover skiers and are designed to imitate skis. These boards are commonly used in the European Alps.

Half-pipe or free-style is designed for use in free-style movements like half-pipe, jibbing and bonking. They are more flexible with wider foot stances and they tend to concentrate force to the center of the board. The boards have more nose and tail area than other types. They have less effective edge making not good for all-around movement. They are not suitable for hard snow and steep slope.

Snowboard option #3 is free-riding boards. All-around or free-riding boards are also called all-terrain or all-mountain boards. They are just right for very snowy conditions and they can be used in the half-pipe.

Snowboard option #4 is swallow-tail boards. Swallow-tail has V-shaped cut that allows the tail to sink in the snow and raise the nose to provide float while not tiring the leg muscles.

Last snowboard option is split-boards. Split-boards are fit for back country without lifts. It can be split in lengths down the middle to form two skis, allowing the rider to climb steep mountains with much less effort. The board can then be re-assembled for the fast ride back down.