Snowboard Sizing and Board Styles

So you’ve decided to buy a snowboard. What next? Well you’ll want to do some research and ask yourself a few questions before going out and buying one.

You should ask yourself:

• What type of riding will I be doing?
  Are you a park rat? Powder fiend? Fancy hitting the half pipe and getting your Shaun White on? Still learning how to snowboard and staying on the groomers? Whatever the answer, you should know your riding style before going into the shop as most boards are designed with a certain type of riding in mind.
• How much are you willing to spend?
  Snowboards can vary in price anywhere from $200 to upwards of $1000 USD so you should put a limit on how much you want to spend before you head into a shop.

A $1200 snowboard, such as the Burton Vapor offers some extremely high tech features such as a carbon fiber topsheet, and an aluminum honeycomb core but these may not be features that necessarily fit your riding style. Many pros ride boards that are in the $500 - $600 range because the boards features fit their riding style so decide what it is that you want to ride before you set a price you are willing to spend.

Snowboard Sizing

There is no concrete answer for what size snowboard you should ride. Your height, weight, personal preferences and riding style all play a roll in what size of snowboard will feel the best for you.

Several pro snowboarders vary what board size they are riding based on the conditions and what terrain they will be riding for that day. However, a good rule of thumb for your first snowboard is to find one that stands on it’s tip to be about level with your chin.

For the most part park rats typically ride a shorter board than powder hounds.

Regular vs. Reverse Camber

Over the last couple of years several snowboard companies have started offering reverse camber snowboards and other variations of the traditional snowboard shape. Neither can be considered "better" but it comes back to your riding style and personal preferences.

If you are a park rider that rides mostly rail features you may prefer the forgiving, soft feeling of a reverse camber board. If you ride fast and like to hit aggressive features a regular camber board will offer you more edge control and you will experience a more "lively ride". Some powder specific boards also offer reverse camber as it can offer better "float" in deep snow.

Burton offers a handy tool called the Board Finder that will help you find a board that suits your needs.