Common among freeride and all mountain snowboards, directional boards are designed to be ridden predominately in one direction. They are often stiffer in the tail and softer towards the nose to help maintain stability while carving at high speed. Typically, the binding inserts are set back (set closer to the tail of the snowboard) sometimes up to an inch.
Twin shape (also referred to as a true twin) is completely symmetrical with identical tip and tail measurements and flex pattern. Bindings will be mounted in the center on a twin tip snowboard. Often found in freestyle snowboards the twin shape is ideal for terrain parks because of the ability to ride in either direction.
A combination of a twin and directional snowboards, directional twins feature a similar size tip and tail but the tip is more flexible than the tail. Directional twins are most at home on all-mountain and freestyle terrain.
Camber
Camber is the traditional profile for snowboards, and still popular among high-level park and pipe riders because it offers maximum energy and pop. A cambered board has a smooth arch underfoot and touches near the tip and tail when unweighted; when the rider’s weight is added, it provides a long, evenly pressured running surface and edge.
Rocker
A rocker board side profile is the opposite of a camber board, with a smooth downward curvature to it and less edge contact length when the board is weighted. Rocker boards float well in powder and pivot more easily underfoot. They also tend to be less “hooky” at both tip and tail and better for landing spin maneuvers when you don’t quite have enough rotation.
Flat
A flat profile is just as you’d expect – flat from near the tip of the board to near the tail. This shape splits the difference between camber and rocker, with more forgiving turnability than a fully cambered board and more precise edging capability than a fully rockered one.
These three properties: camber, rocker, and flat are combined in a variety of ways to create an array of rocker profile choices for riders.
Rocker/Camber/Rocker
Rocker/Camber/Rocker shapes seek to give you both hard-carving edgehold on firm snow from camber underfoot with enhanced turnability and float in powder from the rockered tip and tail. This profile is increasingly popular for freeride boards designed primarily for soft snow.
Shop Rocker/Camber/Rocker Snowboards
Rocker/Flat/Rocker
Rocker/Flat/Rocker is another variation on the rocker theme that seeks to provide a little more hard snow edgehold and pop than full rocker while retaining ease of turning and float. Performance is between a fully rockered board and a flat board.
Shop Rocker/Flat/Rocker Snowboards
Camber/Rocker/Camber is a profile that’s specific to snowboards and which works because the rider’s weight flattens the two cambered areas. This design produces a strong, pressured carving zone between the rider’s feet and retains pop and carving precision at the tip and tail.
So what is better? The answer: no one profile beats the other and it really comes down to your personal preferences. Typically, camber offers better edge hold and stability on hard pack and at high speeds while rocker offers more float in the powder and catch-free edges for terrain park riding. The rockered snowboards can be great for beginners because they facilitate easier turn initiation. Advanced riders who like a loose feel may also enjoy riding a rockered board. Check out our
Rocker Guide for more information about rocker and its benefits.
The amount a snowboard flexes varies significantly between boards. Snowboard flex ratings are not necessarily standardized across manufacturers, so the flex may vary from brand to brand. Many manufacturers will give a number rating ranging from 1-10, 1 being softest and 10 being stiffest. Here at evo we have standardized the manufacturers' number ratings to a feel rating ranging from soft to very stiff. Generally you will find flex ratings of 1-2 as soft, 3-5 as medium, 6-8 as stiff, and 9-10 as very stiff. Flex ratings and feel may ultimately vary from snowboard to snowboard.
Softer Flex
Softer flexing snowboards (typically freestyle and some all mountain snowboards) are going to be very forgiving and easier to turn. A soft flex is good for beginners, riders with lower body weights and park riders. Soft snowboards tend to be a bit looser at higher speeds but can also provide a soft buttery feel at slower speeds.
Stiffer Flex
Stiffer flexing snowboards are usually built for freeride or backcountry use. They provide better edge hold and are more stable at high speeds. Stiff boards can be great for riders laying down high speed turns but tough for lightweight riders to flex properly.
Turning Ability
Snowboards make different sized turns based on their sidecut radius, waist width and rocker.
Sidecut Radius
Sidecut radius is the radius your board would create if the edge was extended out into a complete circle. Smaller numbers in the sidecut radius indicate a smaller circle. Imagine a smaller circle vs. a larger circle and laying your snowboard on edge to turn around that circle.
Waist Width
The waist width is the width of the snowboard at its most narrow point. It is typically measured in millimeters. Narrow waist widths can be rolled from edge to edge faster than wider snowboards. Snowboards are designed to be ridden with your toes and heels very close to the edge of the board so that you can apply pressure to roll the snowboard from edge to edge.
Rocker
Rocker in the tip and tail of your snowboard makes it easier to turn. Sometimes it is referred to as catch-free rocker because there is less of the snowboard edge to catch as you turn the board.
Waist width, sidecut radius and rocker are listed in the specs for each snowboard we sell. Here is an example:
Snowboard Hole Patterns and Binding Compatibility
There are four different snowboard hole patterns that you will find on conventional snowboards. The patterns include: 4x4, 2x4, Burton 3D and Burton Channel. 3D and Channel technology are specific to Burton Snowboards*. 2x4 is just a variation of 4x4 that gives a rider more mounting options.
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2x4 Insert Pattern |
4x4 Insert Pattern |
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Burton 3D Insert Pattern |
Burton Channel Insert Pattern |
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*Important note: Many 2011 Burton snowboards feature a new Channel design. Most non-Burton bindings will require special hardware to be used on Burton snowboards with the Channel.
Snowboard Hole Patterns & Bindings Compatibility Matrix
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4x4 hole pattern |
2x4 hole pattern |
Burton 3D pattern |
Burton Channel |
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4x4 Binding Disk |
x |
x |
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Burton 3D Binding Disk |
x |
x |
x |
x |
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Burton EST Binding (no disk) |
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x |
DISCLAIMER: THE FOREGOING GUIDE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED AS A "DO IT YOURSELF" GUIDE TO SNOWBOARD BINDING MOUNTING, ADJUSTMENT AND/OR MAINTENANCE, NOR AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND SERVICE. ALWAYS HAVE YOUR SNOWBOARD BINDINGS MOUNTED, ADJUSTED, SERVICED AND INSPECTED BY A CERTIFIED SNOWBOARD BINDING TECHNICIAN.
Shrink it and pink it! For many years snowboard companies simply sized down men’s snowboards and applied pretty pink ooo ahhh dazzle graphics to them. Not anymore! Companies have created women-specific focus groups, beefed up their women’s pro teams and created snowboards specifically for women based on their feedback. Women’s bodies and preferences are different than men. Most notably women’s center of gravity, as a rule, is much lower than men so positioning on a snowboard and how the board responds to their movements is different than men. Women’s snowboards tend to have narrower waist widths to accommodate smaller feet, thinner profiles and flexes better suited for women. That said, there are plenty of hard charging women’s snowboards available.
As much as you want to buy a snowboard your child can grow into, it is important to find a snowboard that will work for him or her now. Do you want your kid to love the sport? We thought so. The correct size snowboard will help your child progress faster and have a lot more fun in the process. Kids’ snowboards are typically softer than adult snowboards making it easier for kids to initiate turns and learn to ride.
Kids’ Snowboard Size Chart
Durability and Price Range
Price is almost always a consideration when shopping. At evo we are very selective of the snowboards we sell. There are lower cost boards out there but they often lack the quality materials, such as wood cores, proprietary design elements and other performance enhancing features that you will find in the snowboards available at evo. These elements enhance the performance and add to the durability and ride-ability of a snowboard. If you plan to ride your snowboard for multiple seasons consider spending a little more money for quality and durability.
Core Material - This is the material that makes up the middle of your snowboard. Typically, core material is wood or a mixture of different types of wood. Foam and certain other materials can also be found in snowboard cores.
Effective Edge - The edge length of the snowboard that actually makes contact with the snow when the snowboard is on edge during a turn is referred to as the effective edge. The effective edge is shorter than the snowboard length. A longer effective edge will add stability and a shorter effective edge makes your snowboard feel looser and easier to turn.
Extruded Base - Extruded snowboard bases are made from polyethylene (often called P-Tex). The term extruded refers to the process of heating and melting the material in the manufacture process. Extruding P-Tex is relatively inexpensive. These bases do not hold wax as well as sintered bases, and so they can be slower than a well-tuned sintered base. However, an extruded base can perform better than an unwaxed sintered base. Extruded bases have great natural glide. Extruded bases are typically less expensive; more easily repaired and require less waxing than sintered bases.
Magne-Traction™- Magne-Traction™ is a proprietary, serrated edge technology developed by Mervin Manufacturing found on Lib Tech, GNU and Roxy snowboards. Serrated edges are designed to cut into the snow like a knife and give you more edge hold and control than non-serrated edges.
Sidecut Radius - Sidecut radius is the radius your board would create if the edge was extended out into a complete circle. Smaller numbers in the sidecut radius indicate a smaller circle. Imagine a smaller circle vs. a larger circle and laying your snowboard on edge to turn around that circle.
Sintered Base - Sintered snowboard bases are designed for super-fast glide. Like extruded bases, sintered bases are made from polyethylene (P-Tex). But unlike extruded bases, sintered bases are produced by super compression as opposed to heating and melting. Sintered bases are very porous and absorb wax very well. As a result, sintered bases are much faster than extruded bases when waxed regularly. Often additional materials such as Gallium, graphite or Indium are added to the bases to provide increased impact resistance, durability and glide. Sintered bases are typically more expensive and can be more difficult to repair than extruded bases.
Tail Width - The tail width is the snowboard measurement at the widest point of the tail.
Tip Width - The tip width is the snowboard measurement at the widest point of the tip.
Waist Width - The waist width is the length of the snowboard at its narrowest point. Snowboard widths - tail, tip and waist - are typically measured in millimeters.
