How to Buy The Perfect Snowboard--Part One
A few months ago I talked about how to buy snowboarding boots according to form and function. This article details the next very important step--how to buy a snowboard. It is usually better to purchase the boots before you even consider getting a snowboard, as it's harder to find the perfect pair of boots. If you purchase the snowboard first, your choices in boots could be limited by the type of bindings and therefore boots you can use. Although snowboard form and function are so closely related as to seem a single aspect, I will discuss each individually in a two-part article, starting with form.
Walk into a snowboard shop and you will see a dizzying array of snowboards in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Everyone seems to be on the snowboard-manufacturing bandwagon these days, although the smaller companies are always in danger of being pushed out of business by the big guys. It's not all that unusual to see a line of boards disappear during a season, only to have a new line take its place.
It is perfectly normal to be attracted to the board with the best graphics. People are very visually-oriented (think red sports cars, fashionable clothing, swimsuit models), and we even tend to choose our mates that way. And just like picking a mate based on looks alone, picking a snowboard based on graphics is usually a bad idea. It's what's underneath that counts. Some of the coolest-looking boards out there tend to be poor performers. I know it's important to look good on the slopes, and its fun to hear positive comments about your board. But, take it from me--your board is usually completely covered in snow that hides those cool graphics, and most people really don't pay that much attention. In the past few years, snowboard graphics have taken a turn toward using more minimalist colors and patterns. However, this is probably just a trend. Please, take your time and ogle the graphics that catch your eye, and get it out of your system. When it comes to making the buying decision, you will then be ready to take the task seriously.
Snowboard form relates to the physical aspects of the board (sometimes called the "deck"), such as length, width, weight, shape, and composition. As I've said before, it's very difficult to separate form from function, as most boards have a specific length, width, and shape based on what type of riding the snowboarder will be doing. this is a classic example of form following function. For ease of discussion, I will use form to describe length, width, and composition. Function will refer to shape, styles, and usage of the snowboard.
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