Buy the Right Snowboard

Posted by Mitch Kaplan Oct 11, 2006

My snowboarding career was short and not-so-sweet. Although, I haven’t officially given in and "retired" from riding. Let’s just say I’m on an extended furlough.

Even with that said, however, I can’t say as I look back on my riding efforts with much fondness. It was mostly comprised of a sordid string of frustrations, earmarked by bruises, batterings and even some acute injuries.

I’ll blame myself for some of it. But, mostly, I blame the snowboards.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I did achieve some success on a board. I had one magnificently triumphant day in Colorado, and eventually was able to ride easier blue-rated trails with a minimum of bodily impact.

But, riding was finally sent to furlough the day I came home from the Catskills with the sprained neck.

"You’re not seventeen anymore," my ever-practical and sage spouse informed me. "You can’t bash yourself around like that anymore. And, besides, if you really hurt yourself, you won’t be able to ski. And if you can’t ski, there will be no living with you."

A word to the wise . . .

Some of my snowboarding frustrations must have to do with my native athletic abilities. Another aspect probably came from starting relatively late in life.

But, the real culprit, I think, resulted from the combination of that last factor and starting too early in snowboarding’s life.

My earliest efforts were on boards that were long, stiff and unforgiving. The boots available then were awkward, difficult to lace and not particularly comfortable or responsive.

The frustration was augmented by my native inflexibility. A shortcoming that made strapping into the standard bindings impossible unless a bench (or rock, or compatriot willing to make like a bench) readily available for sitting upon.

Later efforts were carried out on a board/binding/boot combo that I’d purchased. Unfortunately, its shortcomings extended beyond the board’s putrid green color. Not only was the board still rather stiff and unresponsive, but the "step-in" binding system most often clogged with snow and ice, making it no easier to mount up on the hill than trying to strap in to a standard binding. And, the step-in specific boots relied on external backside support, making them about as comfortable as footwear with fireplace pokers inserted in the backs.

No wonder I took a prolonged time out.

However, the good news for today’s rider is this: boards have come a long way baby.

Across the board (pun intended), snowboard makers have developed incredibly diverse and functional lines that serve just about every need—from Burton’s incredible learning board to the stiffest carving and fattest powder boards for big-mountain hot shots.

Now the trick is to figure out what’s the best board for you. How to best buy a board? Answer the basic questions:

1. What kind of rider am I?
2. Where do I like to ride?
3. What are my height, weight and foot size?
4. What’s my budget?
5. And, check out this primer:

Related Article: How to Buy Snowboards