Flow Merc Snowboard 2018

Freestyle

Freestyle or park snowboards tend to be a bit shorter in length and love terrain parks, rails, jibs, trash cans, tree trunks, riding switch (non-dominant foot forward), wall rides and more. Freestyle boards often feature a true twin shape, and are typically selected by those looking to ride the terrain park. A more versatile variant of a freestyle board is the all-mountain freestyle, which combines the versatility of an all mountain snowboard with the playfulness of a freestyle snowboard.

All-Mountain

All-mountain snowboards are designed for exploring the whole mountain. They are your go-to for a snowboard that will do anything. They feel at home on groomers, powder, park runs and almost anything in between. The vast majority of snowboarders choose all-mountain boards for their great versatility. If you’re just getting started or unsure of exactly what you need, an all-mountain snowboard is a great choice.

Freeride

Freeride snowboards are designed for the rider that spends most of the day off groomed runs and in backcountry terrain. They typically have a stiffer flex and are ridden in longer sizes than freestyle snowboards. Freeride snowboards often feature a directional shape that is designed to perform optimally in one direction.

Whether you’re new to the sport or working on linking smooth turns, you fall into this ability level. Typical beginner skis and snowboards are usually built with softer materials, narrower widths, and feature cap construction for an easy to turn, forgiving ride. Beginner-intermediate boots and bindings are also built for ease of use and progression, featuring softer flexes and in the case of ski bindings, quick and safe release from the ski in case of a fall.

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.

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.