It’s important to choose the right snowboard for your style, ability and your physical characteristics.
But there’s one more thing that you should take into consideration. And that’s the snow conditions that you ride in.
This post will discuss choosing the right snowboard based on different types of snow.
How Much Should I Base my Snowboard Choice on Conditions?
In my opinion choosing for your physical characteristics, style and ability level are still more important but there are some situations where conditions play an important role in that choice too.
Choosing for your conditions is more or less important depending on the snow conditions you ride in.
And you should definitely still choose for your style and ability – and the right board for your weight and height, when also choosing for snow conditions.
Some mountains will have a real mixture of different snow conditions depending on the season and the time of year and if you are only going to have one snowboard, then conditions don’t play as big a part because you might get a bit of everything. But you’ll still want a board that can handle a bit of everything that the mountain throws at you.
But if your most frequented mountain is known for certain conditions at one end of the scale – like being icy, or having lots of powder, or being like concrete – then your snowboard choice should reflect this to get the best of your season.
Time of Year You Ride
The other thing to think about here is the time of year you ride.
Again if you ride fall, winter and spring then you’ll want a board that can ride all seasons.
But if you only ride in the spring for example, then getting something that’s good in slush might be worth considering.
Multi-Board Quiver
When you have more than one board – it’s often the case that each board is more suited for different conditions and terrain – and a lot of the time that’s the whole reason for going with multiple boards (as well as for wanting to ride different styles depending on the board).
The Different Types of Snow
O.K. let’s look at some different types of snow and see what specs you may want to have if you ride those snow conditions regularly.
ICY SNOW
The dreaded ice!
Not my favorite snow type (and not many would say it is) but if you get it a lot on your local mountain, you’ll want a snowboard that can perform well in icy snow.
Often people use the term “ice” but you’ll never actually ride on ice (thankfully!) but “ice” refers to snow that has melted and then frozen to form a layer of icy snow on top.
This ice is slippery, hard and unforgiving when you land on it.
Best Board Specs for “Ice”
If you’re riding icy snow a lot, you’ll likely want :
- A board with some kind of edge tech
- A board with at least some camber in the profile
- Adopting a wider stance
- Make sure you keep your edges sharp
Tech
If you find yourself in icy snow conditions regularly this is when you definitely want good gripping edge-hold.
Try to look for a snowboard that has magne-traction or some variation – traction bumps, mid-bite – there are various marketing terms for them nowadays. These “bumps” essentially give you extra contact points in key places along the sidecut of the snowboard – giving you more grip in hard conditions and icy snow.
Camber Profile
Other things such as flex and camber profile can also affect edge-hold. A continuous rocker, for example, profile probably isn’t going to be the most effective on ice.
Wider Stance
Going with a wider stance can give you more control in icy conditions.
Edge Sharpness
But don’t fret if you have a board without edge-tech or without a good camber profile for ice. Just make sure your board has sharp edges. If you’ve been having trouble in icy snow go and get your edges sharpened and see if that helps.
Detuned edges will perform poorly in ice.
Check out the video below that’s all about an experiment that the house.com has done with different boards riding on ice.
Though, since this test was done on ice and not “icy snow” you can only draw so much from it. After all, we seldom actually ever ride on ice.
Also check out the link below to see the article all about the testing they did called “Ice Breakers”
POWDER
Now, the opposite of icy snow is powder.
In contrast to “ice” most riders love powder.
But you still want to have the right board specs to ride powder. Even powder can be hard work without the right board or if you aren’t experienced at riding in powder.
You can easily sink your nose into powder and wipe out – and if it’s deep, it can be really exhausting to pull yourself out of. But if you can float over top of it, it can be one of the best snow types (and one of the best experiences in general) your likely to encounter.
Best Board Specs for Powder
There are a number of different things that can make riding powder more or less enjoyable. The following board specs will help to keep that nose above deep snow and keep you from having to dig your board out and re-strap in in the most difficult place you can do it – in soft fluffy pow!
- Setback stance
- Tapered shape (wider nose than tail)
- Directional shape (longer nose than tail and/or directional camber profile)
- Good amount of surface area (either by going for a longer length or a wider width)
- Rocker in the profile somewhere
You definitely want to have a board with a setback stance if you are going to ride in powder a lot.
Yes you can still ride powder with a centered stance but it takes more conscious effort to keep the nose out of the snow than with a setback stance.
Ideally a wider and longer nose and a shorter and narrower tail – this helps the tail to sink and the nose to float. A directional camber profile (e.g. camber to the tail through to the front insert and then rocker towards the nose) can also promote nose float and tail sink.
Some rocker somewhere in your camber profile also helps. Preferably some of this rocker would be towards the nose of the snowboard too, but even if it’s between the bindings it will still help with float.
Surface area helps you to float too – so whether you choose to go a little longer or go for a wider/shorter board will depend on where you want to ride and your personal preferences. Short/wides can be great for riding powder in the trees – whereas longer freeride boards are better for deep, wide open powder – and better on steeper terrain and when you’re really bombing it – big mountain kind of stuff.
CASCADE CONCRETE
Cascade concrete is named after the cascade ranges in the North Western United States and Southern BC, Canada.
It’s named “concrete” because the snow conditions in the cascades is often heavy, wet, sticky snow. So think of “unset concrete” not hardened concrete!
If you sometimes ride in these conditions often you’ll know what I mean. I’m guessing this can be found in other places in the world too, but this is where I am, and it can be pretty prominent here.
Best Board Specs for Cascade Concrete
There are a couple of things that can help riding in concrete-like conditions.
- Sintered Base
- Keep it waxed
- Setback stance
- On the stiffer side
Firstly, because these conditions are slow it’s good to have a board with a fast base. So going with a sintered base is your best bet. Or something equivalent that is fast.
And for this same reason it’s a great idea to keep your base well waxed.
The other thing is to try to get a board with a bit of a setback stance. Of course whether you go with a setback stance (and how much of a setback stance) or centered stance will also depend on your style.
If you are riding the park a lot or like to ride freestyle on the rest of the mountain then a centered stance is better. But if you are venturing through some heavy sticky powder it might just be a little harder work to keep the nose up out of it. A bit of setback usually aids in riding faster, and you need to keep your speed up when it’s really sticky.
A slightly stiffer board can also help you keep speed up better. How stiff you go will of course depend on your style, ability level and personal preferences though.
GROOMED – SOFT PACKED
The groomed soft packed conditions – groomed trails with some nice fresh snow on top, are pretty much suitable for most boards.
Some boards with super edge-hold might get grabby (in this and in powder) but in general you don’t really have to worry about specs when it comes to conditions, if you mostly have groomed soft pack.
Your board choice should then come down completely to style, ability & physical specs.
GROOMED – HARD PACKED
Groomed hard packed conditions are faster than soft packed conditions and require more edge-hold.
Like icy conditions it’s nice to have sharp edges in hard packed and some edge-tech can be good too (but not as necessary as in icy conditions).
And like icy conditions certain flex (don’t want anything too soft) and camber profiles (some camber in there is good) will be better suited as well.
But you’ll still want to be more focused on style and ability, if these are the conditions you encounter the most.
Thanks for reading
I hope this post has helped you to decide on a board based on the most common snow conditions you encounter.
Of course a lot of mountains will give you a combination of conditions depending on the weather, time of year and where you go on the mountain. Then it’s a case of finding a board that can ride all of those conditions, or having multiple boards in your quiver.
What do you usually ride in? Anything that I’ve missed here? Just leave a comment in the comments section below.
Photo Credits
Top Photo by dualdflipflop [CC BY 2.0], via Flikr
Manuel Fung says
Hi,
Great info even for seasoned snowboarder. My question is “Does 4cm make a difference in snowboard length ?”
I am 5’4” at 180 lbs. Size 9.5 Freerider. I have Burton Flight Attendant 156cm. Thinking about Burton Hometown Hero … Dilemma = 156cm or 160cm ?
Nate says
Hi Manuel
Thanks for your message. 4cm makes a noticeable difference, IMO and in my experience. I have on a few occasions had the same board in different sizes at the same time and tested them back to back and its always surprised me how much I can notice the difference. Even when it’s just 2cm difference. If that difference was going to be predominantly outside the contact points, then you wouldn’t notice much difference, unless in powder. But when there is a significant difference to the effective edge, then I find it quite noticeable. It is true that I’m probably more tuned in to subtle differences than the average rider, given that I test and analyze so many boards, but I still think you would find 4cm noticeable. In the case of the Hometown Hero, according to Burton’s specs, all of the length difference seems to be before the contact points (117.7cm effective edge on the 156 and 121.7cm effective edge on the 160) – which is quite unusual. Usually you’d see some of the extra length go to the tip and tail. But this seems to be the case with all the Burton boards that I’ve just had a quick look at. So it might be the way they measure the effective edge. In any case, I think it will be a noticeable difference.
For your specs, I would be leaning 156, rather than 160. Unless you feel like your Flight Attendant feels too small and think you’d prefer something longer, then I think 156 is the way to go.
Hope this helps with your decision
Manuel Fung says
Thank you !!!
Omega says
Hi!
I cannot even express how grateful I am for finding your site and all the super detailed and thorough information you provide!!
I was wondering if you could help me choose between two snowboards that you recommended. I’ve read through a bunch of your articles including the Best Snowboards for Beginners-Women, and I’ve narrowed it down to two based on your camber article and this article.
I live in the North East (generally machine made, icy conditions,) and I’m a mid to upper level beginner snowboarder (I’ve gone a fair number of times over the last 20 years but I go infrequently, and I’m bad at sports in general haha.) My favorite way to snowboard is slow and steady and just fun cruising, and I’m not interested in backcountry, moguls, park, jumps, etc.
I’ve chosen either the Gnu Chromatic or the Yes Emoticon. Off the bat the Yes seemed like the better choice because it’s a hybrid camber (they call it “camrock 3-3-3”) but in this article you specifically suggest “Magne-Traction®” for icy conditions, which the Gnu boasts that it has despite being a hybrid rocker (it describes itself as “mild camber-rocker-mild camber” aka “original banana.”)
So do I go with the magne-traction grippy edge even though it’s a hybrid rocker, or do I stick to the hybrid camber even though it doesn’t have any special edge grip technology?
Any help is incredibly appreciated and thanks for all the great content!!
Omega
35/Female
Nate says
Hi Omega
Thanks for your message.
The YES Emoticon is good in icy conditions, so if that’s speaking to you more, I think it would be a really good choice. The Emoticon has something called “underbite” – so it does have some edge tech which helps it in icy conditions. Magnetraction is also really good for icy conditions, but if you’re liking the sound of the cam-rock over the hybrid rocker (and the “BTX” or “Original Banana” is very rocker dominant – the camber isn’t very noticeable in it, so it feels mostly like an all-rocker board), then the Emoticon will do well in those icy conditions, so I think it would be a great choice for what you’re describing (also being a good board for your level and how you like to ride, IMO).
Sizing is important too – would be happy to give a sizing suggestion, would just need your height, weight and boot size.
Hope this helps
Omega says
I’m so sorry I accidentally posted twice!!
Nate says
No worries! 🙂
Omega says
Thank you for your input!
I’m 5’5″, 125 lbs, female body. My weight is steady.
Omega says
*Also my US shoe size is 7
Nate says
Hi Omega
Thanks for the info.
Size-wise for the Emoticon I would be weighing up between the 143 and 146. I would put your “standard all-mountain” size at around 146. I would be leaning 143 for a couple of reasons. Firstly, whilst it’s a board that’s not too wide for your feet by any means, it’s on the wider end of a good range, so sizing down a little works. Secondly, as someone more on the beginner end of the scale and who likes to ride slow and steady, the 143 will be easier to ride at slower speeds, so another reason to err on the shorter size. The 146 wouldn’t be wrong for you or anything, if you wanted to go a little longer, but I’d be erring 143 in your case.
Omega says
Thanks for all your help! I got the 143 and it looks so tiny compared to the wrong board I had been using for years 😅
I can’t wait to get out on the mountain with it for the last month of the season!!
Nate says
You’re very welcome Omega. Hope it treats you well. If you think of it at the time let me know how you get on, once you’ve had a chance to get it out on snow. Happy riding!
Iris says
Hi!
I live in Ontario and most of the time I snowboard it’s pretty icy. I’m buying a new board and was wondering if you have any recommendations for boards that would be good on ice/ all-mountain. I’m looking at Salomon Wonder and K2 dreamsicle at the moment but I’m not sure of either of those are good options for ice/intermediate snowboarder.
Thanks so much
Nate says
Hi Iris
Thanks for your message.
I think both would be intermediate suitable for sure. Salomon, in my experience, tend to be better in icy conditions than K2, so I’d be leaning Wonder for you out of those 2.
You could also check out the following:
>>Top 10 Women’s Intermediate Snowboards
Assuming you’re looking for an all-mountain option and not a freestyle/park board or a freeride board, I would look at:
– YES Hello
– Rossignol Airis
– YES Emoticon
– Never Summer Infinity (not quite as good as the 3 above in icy conditions, but still decent – on par with the Wonder)
Hope this helps
Iris Liu says
Hi Nate,
Thanks so much for the advice. I’m debating choosing between 149 and 152 or even 146. I’m around 5’3 and weight around 145 pounds. Which length do you think would be the best for me? One other question is about the boards you suggested. I’m mainly ride down mountain resorts but occasionally like to try stuff in the park, so you do you think all those boards could be used for the park sometimes?
Thanks in advance
Nate says
Hi Iris
Yeah all those boards can definitely be used in the park as well.
Size-wise, say something in that 146-149 range, depending on the board. But if you could also let me know your boot size, I can give you what I think are the best sizes for each of those boards.
Iris says
Hi Nate,
My boot size is 7.5-8.
Thanks in advance
Nate says
Hi Iris
Those sizes in that range should be all good for your boot size.
For the options we discussed, I would probably be looking at:
– YES Hello 146
– Rossignol Airis 146
– YES Emoticon 146
– Never Summer Infinity 148
You could definitely go to the 149s of all of those sizes, but just erred on the shorter side because you like to frequent the park. But if I’m overestimating your park time and you value stability at speed more, then you could certainly go 149.
Dan Caputo says
Hi Nate , I live in northern Ontario , and we usually get good conditions here . In the beginning of the season they make snow which makes conditions icy underneath a layer of fresh snow which would be 2 – 4 ” thick . So these groomed areas have ice patches which partially can be avoided and for rest , the snow depths vary on the groomers nothing exceeding 6″ over the base . I currently ride a Rome All Mountain 159 which seems to handle this hill for the most part BUT I’m in the market for a new board for next year and doing my research and shopping now . So many brands , want to try something different , I was checking out , Jones , Not Summer , Bataleon , or whatever . I’ve been riding for 9 yrs. so I prefer to shred on the groomer , looking for advice …. thanks .
Dan
Nate says
Hi Dan
Thanks for your message.
Jones & Never Summer definitely make some great boards, and they’re typically good in harder conditions. There are some that are better, but Jones and Never Summer are good there. And it doesn’t sound like you’re icy all the time. I don’t currently test Bataleon snowboards. I think the first step is to narrow down the type of board you think you’d like. I would say, based on what you’re describing, I would say the following:
>>My Top All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
>>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards
>>Top 5 Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
>>Top 6 Aggressive All Mountain Snowboards
If you feel you’re quite an aggressive rider, then look at the 2nd two. If you don’t really go off-groomer, and rarely see powder, then the all-mountain-freestyle options are good to look at, even if you don’t really do any freestyle stuff. But if you do see some powder sometimes and want some powder performance, then all-mountain is the way to go. If you’re on a smaller mountain, then you may not want to go too stiff or if you do, then sizing down a bit can help.
If you narrow down some options, let me know, and I can give you my opinion on what I think of those individual boards for your situation.
Hope this helps
Dan Caputo says
Hey Nate , thanks for your opinion , the 2 boards I’m interested in are Jones Aviator wide 158 or Jones Twin Mountain 157 , what do you think or I’m open for suggestions , I’m not partial to any particular brand , just wanted to something different besides Rome , my last 2 boards are Romes .
Thanks again .
Dan Caputo says
Me again , I made a mistake , I meant to say Jones All Mountain also I checked out all the info you sent and wow lots there and very helpful , thank you , thank you .
Nate says
Hi Dan
Between the Jones Aviator and Jones Mountain Twin, I would say it depends on how you like to ride. If you ride a little more aggressive, then the Aviator would be the call. If you want to keep things a little more playful, then Mountain Twin. That said, the Mountain Twin isn’t what I would call playful, it’s right in the middle of playful and aggressive, IMO. The Aviator isn’t ultra aggressive either, but it’s a little more aggressive than the Mountain Twin, if that makes sense.
They’re both quite versatile all-mountain boards, with slightly different strengths and weaknesses. For more details on edge check out:
– Jones Mountain Twin Review
– Jones Aviator Review
dd says
Thanks Nate.
dd says
Hi Nate – planning to hit some late season slush this weekend at Killington. Curious which board you think would work best for soft/slushy conditions. I can take my Jones Explorer (thanks again for the great suggestion on this, I loved riding it this past season) or Rome Mechanic (flat to rocker profile and med-soft flex). Haven’t been on the Rome since getting the Jones earlier this season, but heard that softer rockered boards might be better in the slush? If it matters, the only open runs are blacks. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and hope you are doing well!
Nate says
Hi dd
I would still take out the Explorer. Rocker is definitely good in slush and soft flex can be fun. But usually I find slushy conditions slow and the Explorer will be a faster board, and a better base for it (just make sure to have it nicely waxed). That little bit of extra stiffness also helps to keep it faster in the slush, IMO. I think the Mechanic would still be fun in those conditions, but I’d still go Explorer personally.
Hope you enjoy your late season slush slashing!
Neil Russo says
I’ve been out ont the mountain for about 5 sessions and decided to purchase my own board instead of continuing to rent the Ltr boards. My first board was avRosignol Circuit. It’s a fun playful board that’s easy to turn and has a good flex to it but it’s unstable at higher speed and catches edges easily. Living on the east coast I keep hearing about magi traction so I purchased the Templar model and took it out for the first time and was extremely unhappy. It’s a little stiff and doesn’t carve as well not so easy to turn. I like the free ride surfy feel of just cruising and carving. Thought this board would be good. Any suggestions for the type of board I should be riding to best suit me.
Nate says
Hi Neil
Thanks for your message.
If you’re not enjoying the feel of the Rossignols, and you like a surfy feel, then it might be a good idea to try something with a hybrid rocker profile. Also if you’re having issues with catching edges, this might also help. Some people get on well with boards that are camber between the feet and rocker towards tip and tail, in terms of not catching edges, but others get on better with rocker between the feet.
Since you’re still just starting out, then you still want to look at something that’s going to be beginner friendly, and since you ride East Coast, something that’s good in hard/icy conditions is also an important consideration. Based on all of that, I would say the following:
~ GNU Hyak
~ Never Summer Snowtrooper
~ GNU T2B (bit of a step up from the Hyak, but if you feel you’ve progressed relatively quickly could go up to this one).
Size is also important. If you’d like a size recommendation just let me know your height, weight and boot size and I’d be happy to give my opinion on sizing. What sizes did you get for the Circuit and Templar?
Hope this helps
Bryan Sell says
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the helpful article. I’ve been living in Killington for two years now and find myself riding on actual solid ice quite often. Now that I ride at least a few times per week, I’m actually quite surprised that I have yet to find a board designed just for riding on solid ice or the more frequent condition: very thin snow on top of a massive layer of ice. It all seems kind of weird since this is the norm (far more common than you suggest) for the northeast. Am I crazy? Is everyone around me pretending that we don’t actually ride on ice for most of the season?
Thanks,
Bryan
Bruno says
Hi Nate, great job !!!!
I have some doubts regarding the choice of my next board …
I’m Brazilian, and I only have the opportunity to snow 20 days/year during my vacation trips.
I have a custom 162w burton board from 2012 (my second board) … and I loved. But during my last trips I had a lot of problems with snow icy… practically not being able to control and break. my level and intermediary, I like all mountain and I venture into the parks.
I’m going back to Colorado in December and I’m going to buy a new board. I still have my binds and boots burton size 12+ and I am looking for ideas of snowboards wide to all montain and at the same time have a good response on the icy. Could you please help me or give some tips, thanks a lot for your time and keep doing this great job !!!
Nate says
Hi Bruno
Thanks for your message.
Check out the following for some great all-mountain and all-mountain-freestyle options.
>>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards
>>My Top All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
For the All-Mountain Top 10, look for the ones that have “HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION” for what I consider to be the best in hard/icy conditions.
For the All-Mountain-Freestyle Top 5 – the GNU Rider’s Choice is the best in hard/icy conditions, in my opinion, but the YES Greats and Never Summer Proto Type Two are also good in hard/icy conditions.
Hope this helps
San says
Hi Nate! Thank you for this article! I could use some help too.
I am a relatively new boarder, just wrapped up my 2nd season. I’d say that I am at intermediate level. My first season I was barely competent on the greens, and now at the end of my 2nd season I am comfortable carving and cruising blue-blacks. Unable to carve black diamonds yet, but that’ll be my goal for next season. I’ve tried a couple but it wasn’t pretty on the steeps haha.
I learned on, and am currently using the GNU B-Nice from 2017 size 135 (technically a childs board haha), with GNU B-Free rear entry bindings, boot size women 6. I am a 35 year old female 5’2 and 135 lbs.
I think I’m ready to upgrade and get a board that is better suited for me. I mostly ride Mammoth Mountain, which can see a variety of conditions. This season i’ve experienced icy, slushy, sticky, and extreme powder (powder day was during a blizzard and I failed MISERABLY). My riding style is conservative, I like to cruise and carve, would like to work on building up more speed and carving steeps. Probably won’t plan on doing any parks or back country, strictly resort trails.
Should also mention I would like to stick to Gnu or Libtech. Primarily will ride local to me like Mammoth & Big Bear, but occasional out of state trips perhaps a weekend or 2 in Steamboat or Big Sky. Thank you so much!!
Nate says
Hi San
Thanks for your message.
In terms of length, you could certainly go longer than that. Ordinarily I would say something around 143, 144 for your specs/abililty/how you like to ride – but what you’re used to and personal preference come into it as well, so I think something in between there would be the best option. Going to something like 144 would be almost a 10cm jump and might be too much of a difference all at once. So, I think something 139 to 142 would be a good range to look at for you.
That extra length should help with carving and stability at speed (and float in powder – I’m not too surprised you had trouble with a 135 B-Nice on a powder day!). To also help with taking your carving to the next level, a little more camber in the profile will help, as will getting something a little stiffer.
The Velvet Gnuru 139 would be the ideal next step up, IMO. Just a little stiffer and with just a bit more camber in there too. But it would still make quite a big difference – especially in combination. The longer length, the added camber and the added stiffness. It’s still quite an easy going board but certainly a step up from the B-Nice.
But if you wanted to go another step up from there, the Ladies Choice 142.5 would also be an option. Another step up in terms of the camber profile but a similar flex to the Velvet Gnuru. Also, the size step up would be greater (142.5 is the smallest size for the Ladies Choice).
Both of those options are park/resort oriented. If you wanted something that was more resort to backcountry oriented, then something like the Klassy would be an option. The biggest issue with that, however, is that the smallest size if 145. I think this would actually be a good size for you for this board, if you were a more advanced rider and not coming straight from a 135. But at this stage, I think it’s a little too long.
Can’t think of a Lib Tech board in a good size that would work but there is the Roxy XOXO (Roxy are made by the same company that makes GNU & Lib Tech) in the 142 which would be an option. Similar to the Velvet Gnuru.
Hope this helps with your decision
San says
Hi Nate!
Thank you so much for your help a couple of seasons ago. I took your advice and got the Velvet Gnuru 139 and have been progressing. I’m now a much more confident rider, but mostly enjoy groomers and rolling blues, still a little timid on black diamonds but able to carve them. Have been working on getting my speed up and feeling more stable carving at higher speeds. I’d say I’m an intermediate 6 level now, where I was prob about a Beginner 3-4 last time I reached out. Also just this season I have been using the Burton Step Ons which have been a game changer for me.
I’m looking into upgrading for next season, and have been looking into the Korua Cafe Race which comes in a 144. For purely aesthetic reasons lol, as we just got my husband a Korua this season as well and thought it would be fun to have matching boards. Otherwise open to another Gnu board. Do you think the Korua would be a good fit?
Still mostly riding at our home mountains Big Bear and Mammoth, with the occasional bigger trips. Last season was Big Sky, and this year was Breckenridge. Looking into Utah next year or Jackson Hole.
Thank you so much!
Nate says
Hi San
Thanks for your message and good to hear from you again.
I don’t have any experience with Korua boards unfortunately, but just looking at the Cafe Racer, I would be thinking about a couple of things.
1. It looks like it could be quite an aggressive board – quite camber dominant and quite stiff. Which would be a rather large step up from what you’re currently riding. Again, I don’t have personal experience with the board but it looks to me that it’s more of an advanced to expert kind of board. Something that’s likely to be very good for aggressive carves and speed – but only if it’s a board that you can feel comfortable on. Just want to make sure that you’re not going to go onto something that you may find too much and not that much fun
2. I don’t know what the width at the inserts of Korua boards is usually like, but the waist width is considerably wider on the Cafe Racer, compared to what you’re riding. It looks like it would be considerably wider than the 139 Gnuru. Assuming that you’ve had no issues with the Gnuru in terms of boot drag (what was your boot size again?) that would be something else I would look at closely. If it’s too wide for your feet, then that can make it not only feel slow edge-to-edge but it can be quite fatiguing to ride, especially if you’re not sizing down. And since you would be sizing up to 144 – you’d not only be going up in length but also be adding width and on top of that, the stiffer flex and extra camber, might make it a very demanding board physically and technically.
So, as you can probably tell, I’m quite unsure of whether it would be a suitable option, but hopefully that gives you something to think about. If you could let me know your boot size too, that would be great.
In terms of GNU boards (or Lib Tech, which are made by the same company), if you’re looking to step up in terms of carving, speed and length (and going a little more directional as it doesn’t sound like you really ride freestyle right?), then I would look at:
– GNU Klassy – still definitely a step up in terms of carving, speed and in terms of camber, flex etc, but not as drastically so as the Cafe Racer sounds to me – and the 145 is a fairly big step up in length, but the width not as much difference. Still wider than the 139 Gnuru, which is quite narrow, but again not as drastic a difference.
– Lib Tech Dynamiss – since we last talked, Lib Tech have released women’s specific models (previously they just smaller sizes in some of their models). Again something that will give you more stiffness than the Velvet, and also more camber (and more camber than the Klassy too) but not be as big a step up as the Cafe Racer looks to be to me. And better width-wise too. You could choose to go 142 if you wanted to size up a little but not too much – or 145.
My instinct tells me that the Cafe Racer might be too much board for what you’re looking for and that the Klassy or Dynamiss would be a better step up for you. The other thing is that you know GNU now and are used to it (and like it?) so going GNU or Lib Tech makes sense for that reason too.
Hope this helps with your decision
Erin says
Hey Nate,
I’m looking to get a powder board to add to my camber all mountain and rocker light snow board. I was looking at the Jones Hovercraft mostly because it’s a good carver (getting to the pow) and I’m trying to figure out what size to get. I’ve heard and read mixed things about size of powder boards. I’m a woman, 5’9″ and about 140 lbs. My all mountain is a GNU 152 B pro and I love it but it is full camber so not great for powder. I don’t want to go huge, since we do a lot of glade boarding and I want turning to be easier, but I fear that if I get the 150 Jones I may not be able to set back far enough due to my height. What is your opinion? Thanks in advance!!
Nate says
Hi Erin
Thanks for your message.
Sizing for powder boards is a little two sided. Traditionally just going for extra length was the way to go for a powder board. But recently there has a big trend to going for something wider and shorter. You still get the surface area out of the width (and other good things for powder, like a setback stance, wide nose, narrower tail, long nose, short tail, rocker in the nose etc), but you actually size down to a shorter length to maintain maneuverability. These types of boards are typically great in the trees, in my experience.
The Hovercraft is one of those shorter boards, so it’s designed to be ridden at a shorter length. And I wouldn’t be too worried about the setback. The Hovercraft has a reference stance of 550mm (21.65″) – so that’s a fairly wide stance already, I’m guessing you don’t ride wider than that but correct me if I’m wrong. And that’s already with a setback stance. And reference is never on the widest or narrowest holes, so you could setback further, or go wider, if you wanted to. It’s already got a 30mm setback (which is the setback along the effective edge, the setback on the overall length of the board will be considerably more than that for this type of board) but you can certainly increase that if you felt the need.
So, in short, I think the 150 would be a good size for you. You will be increasing the surface area compared to your 152 B Pro, plus a host of other things that make it better in powder, but without having to go super long.
Hope this helps
Arian says
Hey Nate!,
I saw a few of your top snowboard articles posted in your last comment.
I’m just curious what board you’d recommend.
I’ll pretty much only be in the Poconos, PA. Its pretty icy here and not much fresh powder.
I’m 5’3, 140-150 pounds (realistically 150 right now, but trying to lose weight haha 🙂 ).
My shoe size is 7.5-8 (I can get away with a size 7 Burton Fiend which fits actually quite well after breaking it in).
I already have a Skate Banana (as I thought the Magnatraction would help with icy conditions).
Its fun, but just wanted to try another board as well to compare against it).
Been only snowboarding a few years, so I’m a beginner I would say (the Banana’s rocker I guess helps out not get caught on any lumps for a beginner, but I’d be open for a hybrid rocker/camber style style if thats what you’d recommend).
Note: i do like the idea of trying to become ambidextrous on both sides of the board, so I guess that means I’d like a True Twin all-mountain board… and also I’d like to learn how to do occasionally buttering tricks going down the mountain.
What boards would you recommend?
Realize I’m a beginner but cost doesn’t really matter if that makes a difference.
Thanks,
Ari
Nate says
Hi Ari
Thanks for your message.
It sounds like something that’s all-mountain-freestyle board would suit you well (essentially a twin, centered all-mountain board). Taking into account that you are at a beginner-ish level, and that you need something with good grip in ice, I think the following would suit you well.
In terms of size, I would say something around 147 to 149 would be a good range to look at for your specs and ability level and for this style of board.
~ YES Basic – this is the first board that came to mind for you as it fits all of your criteria well – beginner friendly, good edge-hold in icy conditions and an all-mountain-freestyle board – the 149cm would be a great size for you, IMO. But you could also go 146, if you think you prefer shorter.
~ GNU Carbon Credit 147cm – this is perhaps more freestyle than all-mountain-freestyle but otherwise fits your criteria – not going to feel much different to your Skate Banana though – a similar board, except that it’s got an asymmetrical sidecut (heel edge has a deeper side cut). The other thing that it has going for it, in your case, is that the width is a bit narrower than on the Basic – so would fit your boot size better. It’s similar in width to the 148N Skate Banana – so if that’s the size you have with the Skate Banana, then it’s going to be very similar.
Those are the two that come to mind that come in sub 150 sizes that I can think of. More options around that 152 size, but I think that would be getting on the long size for you – as an advanced rider, I think you could get up there, but for now I would say something 147 to 149 better, especially if you’re wanting to learn some tricks too – but length does partly come down to personal preference and what you’re used to – so if you’re riding something longer now, you might be able to go a little longer. If that’s the case let me know and we can look at other options – but I think the YES Basic would be a great choice for you.
Hope this helps
Chris says
I’m a 47 year old male, 200 lbs. Considered very athletic and can do black diamonds on a snowboard. I moved to snowboarding from skiing when my daughters were learning to ski, so we could progress together. My beginner board is done from usage, and I’m looking for another, primarily for the Northeast, including icy stuff. My primary issue is control on ice! What would you recommend?
Nate says
Hi Chris
Thanks for your message.
I would check out the following lists for some options.
If you feel like you’re an advanced rider and mostly ride at speed, and don’t do any freestyle type riding (i.e. jumps, spins, jibs, ground tricks etc) and you ride in powder a fair bit (maybe not in the Northeast?), then I’d recommend something from the first list, or at least this type of board.
~ My Top 5 Freeride Snowboards
The best options for icy conditions from that list are the YES Pick Your Line and the Rossignol XV.
If you are all of the above but only see powder very rarely, then something from this list is also an option – though you could still go off the freeride list, even if you don’t see that much powder, if you wanted to.
>>Top 6 Aggressive All Mountain Snowboards
Everything there is good in hard conditions and ok in icy conditions – but nothing as good as the YES PYL or Rossignol XV from the other list, IMO.
And for lost of reasons, you might want to check out the next list – if you want something that’s a little more forgiving/not as aggressive, something that is more agile/maneuverable at slower speeds, if you also want to incorporate a little freestyle in your riding (but you still want something that can ride pretty well on steeps, at speed and in powder) or if you consider yourself more of an intermediate level rider:
>>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards
The best icy conditions boards in that list are the YES Standard, the Niche Story, the Rossignol One and the YES Typo.
If you’d also like a size recommendation, if you could let me know your height, weight, boot size, and size of your current board, I’d be happy to let you know my opinion.
Hope this helps
Aaron says
Hi there Nate.
Aaron here from Australia. I’m a beginner and looking at beginner intermediate boards for both my girlfriend and I. Something easy to turn and to help us progress. All mountain all round boards. Heading to seek the powder in Japan, but also good enough to handle NZ and icy conditions. So some edge tech as well. Have you got a top 5 or Any help would be great. Cheers.
Nate says
Hi Aaron
Thanks for your message. I would start by checking out the links below. These boards are good for beginner to intermediate riders, and there are some all-mountain options in there.
And I’ve also labelled those that are in icy conditions. But some that aren’t labelled as icy conditions boards, might still be pretty good, just not good enough to get the tag, so if there’s a board that you’re looking at and doesn’t say “Hard/Icy Option” just send me a message and I can let you know if it’s pretty good or pretty bad in those conditions.
>>My Top 15 Men’s Snowboards for Beginners
>>My Top 10 Women’s Beginner Snowboards
Hope this helps and hope you have an awesome trip to Japan!
John says
Nate,
Thanks for the advice. Two questions:
I find myself often in slush and “mashed potatoes” and man made conditions here in the north east . Any recommendations for this type of snow?
Do yo plan to review the K2 Simple Pleasures?
Thanks,
John
Nate says
Hi John
Thanks for your message.
Because slushy and mashed potatoes type conditions can get quite slow, and you can find your self getting a bit stuck, then getting something with a sintered base is a good way to go – and make sure you keep it well waxed. Also, something with a setback stance will help in that kind of snow.
A bit of rocker in the nose doesn’t hurt too – so you stay on top of the slush and don’t sink into it too much.
I haven’t ridden the K2 Simple Pleasures – but just looking at the specs, it does have a sintered base, rocker in the nose and a setback stance – so I’d say it would do well in those conditions. Just note that the Simple Pleasures is part of K2’s “Volume Shifted” series. This means that it’s shorter and wider than traditionally shaped snowboards – these are becoming more popular so if this is something you are interested in or have experience riding and liked it, then I imagine it would be a decent option. Just note that you would want to take off around 5-7 cms off what your length would normally be with a traditionally shaped snowboard.
It would also depend if that board suited your style or not.
If you’d like, I could make a few recommendations if you were to give me your snowboarding style (how you like to ride), height/weight and boot size and whether you also encounter a fair bit of ice/hard conditions. Otherwise, yeah just make sure of a fast base and preferably a setback stance and some rocker in the nose.
Hope this helps
John says
Nate,
Thanks again. Pardon me if I am being repetitive. I’m not sure if my last message posted.
I’m about 190lbs, 5-10,size 10 boot.
I ride primary here in PA. Looking to extend the early and late slush season. I stay away from the park and watch my kids from the side slopes. Just looking for an easy non catchy ride to handle these conditions. Primary board is a Typo largely based on your advice. If feeling really good I my hit a tight tree run or little jumps but typically just cruise around.
Have a good one,
John
Nate says
Hi John.
I remember now (or more accurately I went back and looked at our previous discussion!). We were weighing up the Typo and the Aether. What length Typo did you go with in the end?
In that case, then yeah going for that type of board if it’s your spring/fall board, I think is a good choice.
The only board of that type I have any real experience with is the Capita Spring Break Slush Slasher – and appropriately I did get to ride it in really slushy conditions – and it was super fun. Really cruisy/surfy kind of feel. I can’t vouch for the Simple Pleasures but I imagine it would be a similar kind of ride.
For the simple pleasures, for you I would go with the 151cm. This sounds short – but remember this is taking off 5-7cm off your typical length.
If you start to hit more tight tree runs, this will be a great board for in there.
Hope this helps.
John says
Sounds good. I will keep an eye on your site for more reviews. Just window shopping right now.
Thanks Nate
Loren says
Hi there,
I’m wanting to buy my first snowboard (beginner) and was tossing up between the Roxy Sugar 2017 or the Salomon Lotus 2017. I’ve read that they are both good beginner boards and the main difference is the bend profile. The Roxy board is a rocker and the Salomon board is a flat/camber/flat hybrid. Which one would you recommend out of the two? I’ve only been riding in the NZ alps which has had some powder and some icy conditions and I’m not looking to do any jumps etc, just mainly to cruise down the slopes! I’d like a board that makes turning and switching between edges easier and one that doesn’t catch an edge as much! But I can’t decide based on the bend profiles. Thanks in advance 🙂
Nate says
Hi Loren
It’s a bit of a toss up between the two.
They are both good beginner options but with their own strengths. I would say that the Sugar Banana would be the easier board to initiate turns on but won’t feel as stable to ride. The Lotus will have better edge hold in icy conditions. The Sugar Banana will likely feel quite loose and washy in hard/icy conditions.
Neither will be great in powder but as long as you’re not in any super deep powder, then it won’t be an issue. The Sugar Banana would be better for performing in powder.
Hope this helps with your decision.
Bankole Songonuga says
Hi, a friend is giving me a great deal. ..almost free on a 2009 Rome Postermania 153 board and bindings. I’m not a beginner but not an expert either. I ride in the northeast but every thing I have read so far suggests that this board is really for pipes, etc which is not really my cup of tea. Can I use this board for regular riding? Thanks
Nate says
Hi Bankole
The Postermania looks like it was certainly designed for more freestyle type stuff. Probably more park than pipe oriented but certainly more focused on the park than the rest of the mountain. You could certainly use it for riding on groomers too – not going to be amazing but doable. Not really one for the backcountry.
I haven’t ridden the Postermania personally, so this is all based on the specs and from what others have said.
So, I think you could certainly ride this on groomers but there are probably better options. But if you are getting it for next to nothing, there’s probably not too much risk in getting and seeing what you think.
Nate says
The other thing to consider is the length/width of the board – because that makes a big difference too. If you can let me know your height, weight and boot size, then I can give you my opinion as to whether I think the 153cm will be a good size for you or not.
Pat says
I was looking to purchase a new board, I currently ride a 2005 158 Burton Custom. I found a good deal on a 2016 GNU 157 Space Out, and was wondering if the shape and style board is a good all around board for the Northeast. Seems more of a powder board than anything?,thanks
Nate says
Hi Pat
Yeah the Space Out is really a Powder board and is really quite specialized more for just riding powder – not an all round board and wouldn’t be the best bet for your typical conditions, IMO. If you don’t get a lot of powder or if you don’t ride in powder that much, then it’s not a board I would suggest.
Jason says
I’m a beginner looking to snowboard. I’m out in the east coast (NY) so I’m told a board with sharp edges is the way to go. So would you say a Camber board with medium flex is the way to go? Thanks so much.
Nate says
Hi Jason
A camber board will give better edge hold – but will also make it easier to catch an edge – especially for a beginner so I don’t recommend that profile. I think a hybrid camber profile would be your best bet. This means that there’s camber between the feet with rocker towards the tip and tail. That camber helps with the edge-hold and the rocker makes it less catchy.
A stiffer flex also adds to the edge hold but it also makes a board more difficult to maneuver. I would still recommend something that’s medium soft for a beginner – even on the East Coast. You could go medium and it wouldn’t be un-learnable on but I think that medium-soft is still better.
I’d say go for something that has a hybrid camber profile and some kind of edge tech that gives better grip.
I would highly recommend the YES Basic for this purpose. It’s great in ice but is still a medium-soft flex, and has a hybrid camber profile. You can learn more about the Basic at the link below.
~ YES Basic Snowboard Review
Hope this helps