Asymmetrical Snowboard Shape Guide

Why asymmetry on a snowboard?

You may have noticed that asymmetrical snowboards are seizing the limelight, but it’s not just because they look weird. Why then? Well, snowboard designers have recognized that while humans are (for the most part) symmetrical from left to right, they’re not symmetrical from front to back.

If you’ve snowboarded before, you may have noticed that turning ‘heel side’ is more difficult than turning ‘toe side’ – asymmetrical snowboards help you overcome this natural physiological asymmetry in two ways, often in tandem:

Asymmetrical Sidecuts

A snowboard's sidecut can also be tweaked for asymmetry. Boards with asymmetric sidecuts have both a shorter, and deeper, more pronounced heel side sidecut. Again, this helps with tighter heel side turns and improved maneuverability. Asymmetric sidecuts improve your balance, too, giving you more natural and intuitive control while engaging the board’s heel side edge.

Asymmetrical Cores

Another way the human body’s toe-to-heel differences can be accounted for is with the a snowboard’s core makeup. Since toe side turns are typically more precise and of a tighter radius, manufacturers have created boards with softer cores beneath the heels. This allows the rider to flex the board more on heel side for a tighter, more precise, more natural feeling turn. Simply put, the board’s heel side turns respond more like toe side turns!

Bottom Line: Asymmetrical shapes make snowboarding easier, more fun, and it looks sweet, too! Explore them all below!

A Note on Hi-Back Adjustments: While binding highback adjustments can account for some of the inherent heel side vs. toe side differences on symmetrical boards, increasing the forward lean has drawbacks, especially for freestyle riders, namely an increased risk of catching an edge and easier wash out potential. Increasing a binding’s forward lean also shifts the rider onto their toes and out of natural balance.

Learn More With Our Other Snowboard Guides:
 

This is evo. We are a ski, snowboard, wake, skate, bike, surf, camp, and clothing online retailer with physical stores in Seattle, Portland, Denver, Salt Lake City, Whistler, and Snoqualmie Pass. Our goal is to provide you with great information to make both your purchase and upkeep easy.

evo also likes to travel to remote places across the globe in search of world-class powder turns, epic waves, or legendary mountain biking locations through evoTrip Adventure Travel Trips. Or, if you prefer to travel on your own, check out our ski & snowboard resort travel guides and mountain bike trail guides.

 

Still have questions? Please call our customer care team at 1.866.386.1590 during Customer Care Hours. They can help you find the right setup to fit your needs.