Choosing the flex for snowboard boots will depend on a few things, namely:
- Your riding style (what you like to do on the mountain)
- Your ability level.
- Compatibility with snowboard and bindings
- Personal preference
Right, let’s look at each of these in more detail.
Riding Style
The following are the different recommended flex levels for a few different riding styles. Of course there will be some personal preference and these aren’t strict guidelines but are a good place to start.
Freestyle
Freestylers generally prefer softer flexing boots (just as they typically prefer softer flexing boards and bindings). Depending on the type of freestyle riding, will typically determine just how soft that flex should be.
The softer flex allows more give on landings and more movement for tweaking grabs, for butters and presses.
The flex for Freestylers could range anywhere from a soft flex (1 or 2 out of 10) to a medium-soft flex depending on your preference and purpose.
If you are doing more medium to large jumps then medium soft is probably better but if you tend to stick to butters, small jumps, presses, jibs etc then soft is usually preferable.
All Mountain
Though the term all-mountain is a broad one, typically all mountain riders prefer a medium flex. This typically ranges anywhere from a 4 out of 10 to a 7 out of 10.
Those all-mountaineers that prefer a more playful ride should go for a softer flexing boot and those that prefer a more aggressive ride should lean more towards a stiffer flex.
This will also depend on the terrain you prefer to ride and how much time you like to spend in the park and with freestyle riding in general vs how much time you spend on the groomers or in the backcountry.
If you prefer doing tricks as you ride the mountain, enjoy doing park laps from time to time and don’t enter the backcountry or more challenging or steep terrain too often then the softer side of medium will be more suitable to you. Probably a 4 or 5 out of 10.
On the other hand if you prefer to ride the steeper slopes, more tree runs, chutes and finding powder and the occasional trip into the backcountry then you should lean towards the stiffer side of medium. A flex of 6 or 7 out of 10 will be more suitable for you.
Free-ride
As a rule a stiffer flex will lead to greater response. Free-riders are usually looking for a maximum in response.
Freeriders/backcountry riders need a boot that will work well in powder, through tight spaces, down steep slopes and anything that the challenge of riding the backcountry, and challenging terrain within the resort, can throw at them.
Therefore a stiff flex rating is usually preferred by freeriders. This translates to a flex rating of around 8, 9 or 10 out of 10.
Ability Level
This section on ability level will focus on beginners and some intermediate riders. If you are a more advanced rider you have probably developed a riding style and can refer to the riding style section above.
Beginners
As will be discussed below, it is a good idea to try to match the flex of your snowboard, bindings and boots so they are at least close to the same.
Since a medium-soft flex (3 or 4 out of 10) is a great flex for beginner bindings and beginner boards it is also the best choice for snowboard boots.
But the reason is not just to pair them with the bindings and board. A medium-soft flex is also great for beginners because the softer flexing boots will be more forgiving of errors and more comfortable – but still provide enough response for the purposes of a beginner.
Intermediate riders
Intermediate riders that haven’t really defined their style and aren’t sure what to go with in the riding style section above could also go with a medium-soft flex or a medium flex. But I wouldn’t go with anything stiffer than a 5 or 6 out of 10.
Compatibility with Snowboard and Bindings
As a rule of thumb it’s a good idea to match the flex of your boots to the flex of your bindings and the flex of your board.
This is of course not mandatory but it’s a good place to start.
At the very least it’s not typically a good idea to match a stiff flexing boot with a soft flexing board or a soft flexing boot with a stiff flexing board.
Personal Preference
Taking all of that into account sometimes riders just have a flex feel that they prefer – maybe because it’s what they’re used to after having ridden for so long with that level of flex in their boots. And maybe for other reasons.
If you’ve tried boots with a different flex and keep going back to that personal preference or familiar feeling that’s all good.
But if you haven’t really tried anything different it might be worth experimenting to see if you can find a boot with an even better feeling flex for you. You might just find a new personal preference!
Some other things to Consider
Softer flexing boots are more forgiving and take less to ‘break in’. They will feel how they should fairly quickly.
Stiffer flexing boots on the other hand will take a bit longer to break in so you’ll need to be more patient with them at first. So don’t worry if they’re not perfect when you first ride them. They will take a bit of time to break in.
However, this shouldn’t influence your decision on flex. You flex should be decided based on your style and ability level as discussed above.
Thanks for Reading
Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have learned more about snowboard boot flex so you can make a more informed snowboard boot choice.
Learn more about how to choose snowboarding boots (fit, lacing systems, shock absorption, traction etc) at the link below.
If you have any questions or comments you are very welcome to leave them in the comments section below. And if you liked this post please feel free to share it.
Photo Credits from Top
Photo by Snowticias.com [CC BY 2.0], via Flikr
Hi, I like a little bit of woods, I hit some jumps in park and also like shredding down blues. So I pretty much do everything on the mountain. I would like more responsive boots so that I can move my board easier and not feel like I’m flexing my calves and feet so hard. What’s your opinion on a shortish more wide twin board with stiffer boots and binding so I have the control all over the mountain and can still be stable at high speeds and do the little side hops and bigger jumps in the park and windy turns in the woods? I was thinking on 6/10-7/10 stiffness?
Hi Keegan
Thanks for your message.
I think 6/10 to 7/10 flex would be a good bet for what you’re describing. I find going too stiff can make performance at slower speeds worse, so if your doing shorter sharper turns at slower speeds, e.g. in the woods, then I wouldn’t want to go too stiff. But also you’ll want that high speed response and stability, so don’t want to go too soft. In my experience that 6/10 to 7/10 flex range strikes a good balance between both. For some good options in that flex range check out:
>>My Top All Mountain (medium to medium-stiff flex) Snowboard Boots
Hope this helps
Hey Nate, thanks for providing such a great resource and taking all the time to answer questions.
I was wearing Salomon Launch (speed lace) for about 5 years and loved them. They were getting pretty trashed so I changed to the Dialogue last season (dual boa). They instantly felt really stiff (forward and back as well as side to side) with a preset forward lean on them (vs Launch) that I didn’t like at all. I wore them for a season (tend to ride about 6-10 weeks per season) to try and adapt to them and break them in, but never really liked them. I also tried a few other boots/ brands and all felt too stiff for me.
Having just tried the old Launches again, I MUCH prefer the softer feel. I see you rate the Dialogue around 6/10. Based on that, I reckon my pretty knackered Launches are about a 1-2/10. Waaaaaaay softer than the Dialogue.
I surf and windsurf a lot (obviously with no boots!) and just much prefer the extra feel and feedback I get with a softer boot.
I tried a new Launch on – they only had a Boa in stock and it’s a single Boa so wasn’t really impressed and get the feeling that the boot has changed a fair bit from my old model and is now a bit stiffer (appreciate its new and not broken in, but still…). So thought I would pop you a question to see what recommendations you might have for a 1-3 out of 10 stiffness boot…I’m struggling to find brands that offer this – particularly in a performance model.
My wish list would be:
> 1-3/ 10 Stiffness
> Ideally Dual boa (I like the simplicity) – like to leave the lower loose and adjust the upper for conditions, so single Boa not great. Would take speed lace or similar again if dual Boa not an option.
> To fit narrower foot (size 12 US)
> A decent fastening system on the inner that allows you to properly tighten it and lock it off – what’s with so many of the brands replacing decent locks with those rubbish toggles (Salomon included)?!
> I ride everything from pow to carving pistes to park jumps and butters etc
Any suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Adrian
Thanks for your message.
Firstly, yeah I have found a lot of brands cheapening out on the toggles, even when the rest of the boot seems really high quality. I don’t get it either. Hopefully a trend that will end soon!
Though not boa or speed lace – and not overly narrow, I think you’d really like the DC Mutiny. That’s the first that sprung to mind. And it’s not super wide or anything either. If you can get past the speed lace, they could work.
Weird that the Launch you tried only had a single BOA as the only Launch I know of that has a single BOA is the Lace SJ Boa version, which is predominantly a tradtional lace boot, but has a side boa that works to lock your heel in place. But it’s not a single BOA boot in the form of those that have one boa that tightens the outer shell of the boot.
In any case, it sounds like you’re looking for something softer anyway.
I would look into:
– Thirty Two STW Double BOA: Note that 32 boots tend to feel quite a bit stiffer than advertised to start with but tend to break in quickly, in my experience – so you might find that this feels stiffer than you’d like to start. Though more mid-wide.
– Burton Swath BOA (or speed lace) – it’s not what I would call a 1-3, but it’s softer than the Dialogue for sure. Also more mid-wide.
– Vans Aura Pro – same comment as with the Swath except that it’s narrower, so potentially a better fit for your foot.
– Nitro Sentinel BOA – I rode this recently and haven’t got a review up for it yet, but it’s one of the few softer flexing boots, that’s also decent quality and Double Boa, so I think that’s worth looking into as well. Only thing would be that it’s bordering on mid-wide too, but I’d still look into this one.
And I would have said Salomon Launch too! But what I would consider a 5/10 flex, like the Aura Pro and Swath. The STW Double BOA, Mutiny and Sentinel BOA all in that 3.5-4 flex range, IMO. Pretty hard to find anything softer than that that aren’t lower quality boots. A lot more higher quality mid-flex boots made these days, but not as many in the softer flexing range, unfortunately.
Hope this gives you more to go off
Hey Nate, thank you for coming back to me on this and with such a detailed response!
Yeah, sorry, I should have explained better….the Launch I tried did have 2 Boas, but not to split the front lace top and bottom like a regular dual Boa. One Boa did the whole lacing in one, top to bottom (which I didnt like as I like to have some control over top and bottom separately) and the other Boa did the strap over the liner to lock in heel lift. Either way, it felt a much stiffer boot to my old version.
Anyway, I’ve had a good Google at the boots you’ve suggested and will try and get my feet in them soon. Starting with the Mutiny. Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
You’re very welcome Adrian. If you think of it at the time, would be interested in getting an update, once you’ve had a chance to try more boots.
Hello there and congrats on your work!
I am an experienced snowboarder oriented in some backcountry and carving. I am riding a Salomon Super 8 (medium stiff) or Slash Brainstorm (medium flex) both with Now Ipo bindings (medium). I am in between two boots from Northwave – Domain SL (flex 8 – “The Domain SL’s are a serious bit of kit for riders who want to ride aggressively and attack the mountain. You probably lean more towards freeride or are a mega piste charger looking for precision and control”), Decade LTD (flex 7 – “Intermediate and up riders who are looking for one boot to do it all.”).
Based on my setup and profile which one do you think it’s the best match? And what about a 8 flex on medium flex bindings and medium stiff board?
Thanks in advance,
Adrian
Hi Adrian
Thanks for your message.
Whilst I don’t necessarily think the Domain SL’s would be wrong, I would be leaning Decade LTD, just because I think the flex match is a little better for using between those 2 setups. If it was just the Super 8, then I would be more tempted by the Domain, but even then I think the Decade LTD would still be a good choice – and I think it’s the better choice on the Brainstorm. The 8/10 flex could work on medium flex bindings, but I’d personally prefer the 7/10 flex on medium bindings and for that board setup.
Note that this is entirely making assumptions about those boots as I have yet to try Northwave boots, so I don’t know how they feel in reality. I am getting some Northwave boots to test this winter, but I haven’t got them yet, so I haven’t had a chance to take them up yet, so unfortunately can’t say anything based on experience with the boots.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Thaks a lot, Nate! It helped a lot to hear your opinion! Good luck!
You’re very welcome Adrian. Hope you have an awesome season!
Hi nate! I’m looking for new boots and it’s midseason here in sweden. I’ve been riding for a couple of years and would say I’m a intermediate/advanced rider. As for my riding style, I like to charge down groomers, carve hard, free riding, but I also like to hit sidehits, butters, throw some 3’s and grabs in the park occasionally and I also do some touring regularly as well.
Up until now I’ve been riding ride fuse 2018/19 boot, and have loved every second of it. Unfortunately they don’t have them in my size anywhere, and there’s not much else to choose from since most places are sold out of boots..
I’m 170cm (5’7 ish) tall, 70kg and I ride a Salomon assassin 153 with Burton malvita bindings and a nitro nomad 156 splitboard with union expedition bindings.
The different boots I’m choosing from is Burton ion, vans invado pro, vans infuse and Salomon dialogue (they are the only boots available in my size atm and I need new ones now).
Any recommendations on these ones? Really like the fit of the Burton ion, but wonder if they might be too stiff for the “playing around” riding on lazy days.
Thanks for your awesome reviews!
Hi Filip
Thanks for your message.
I would be partial to the Infuse for you – as you can adjust the flex with the removable tongue stiffeners – so you could just take them out on more lazy and playful days and have them in when you need more stiffness. However, that said, how they fit your feet is the most important thing, so if they’re not a good fit, then I wouldn’t go with them just for the convenience of the flex adjustment.
I found the Ride Fuse and the Burton Ion to have a very similar flex (both 7.5/10 by my feel). A brand new Ion will be stiffer than your well used Fuse of course, but new, I found both to feel the same in terms of flex.
The Dialogue and Vans Invado Pro would also be suitable, IMO. They’re a similar flex to each other (around 6/10) – and the Infuse more like 6/10 as well with the tongue stiffeners out and more like 8/10 with all of them in. So, I think if you want that more mid-flex boot, then I’d go with the one of those 3 that fits the best. But if you wanted something closer to the flex of the Fuse, then I would go Ion – and already sounds like they fit you well.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate,
greetings from Czech Republic:) Can you help me pls?:D I cannot decide which boots to pick.. I have K2 WWW 2017 snowboard which is I think medium-soft flex (4), I have K2 bindings and now Vans High standard boots (3 years old). I want to replace them, because my heel lifts and moves in the shoe and my ankles are not feeling good) From what I was riding I think I would prefer boots with good heel hold and also some which will be tighter around my shin, because I want to have faster reaction when turning.
I am riding 4 years. I like to ride on the slope, not extra fast, just playing with butters and presses, 180,360.. sometimes I ride in the park, just small kickers and boxes/rails for beginners – no big stuff:D
So my tips are: Vans Invado OG, Burton Moto, Burton Imperial. Invado and Moto are soft boots and Imperial shoe is stiffer – but I don’t know if it is to stiff for my riding style or not. I tried that boot in the store and it felt lighter and stiffer and much more quality than Invados. But the shopkeeper told me that Imperials don’¨t match my board’s flex…
Can you give me your advice please?:))
Kind Regards
Stanley
Hi Stanley
Thanks for your message.
Typically for your style and board, I would say softer, but with boots I don’t mind going a little stiffer than the rest of the setup.
The Imperials are what I felt as about 6.5/10 in terms of flex. I don’t think they’re way off, but bordering on being too stiff for that style/setup but still doable. If you wanted to go a little stiffer, but not quite that stiff, the Vans Invado Pro or Aura Pro would be a good in between – I’d say around 5/10 flex, maybe pushing 5.5. Or if you wanted to go Burton, the Ruler/Ruler Boa and Swath Boa are both around that 5/10 flex. The Moto maybe a little too soft, even for that setup – particularly for the feeling you’re for – I’d say they’re more like 3/10 flex.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate! First of all, thanks for all of your posts, I’ve learned a lot! My background is such that I have learned to ride from an early age, first with alpine snowboards and then switched to regular ones. Currently I hit the slopes only once or twice a season, but have a couple of leap years behind me and am now waiting anxiously to ride asap! My setup is an old but still good Burton Supermodel with Burton Custom bindings and Burton Mint boots. I love the Supermodel as it’s quite stiff and fits well with my riding style, which is on-piste carving, mimic-ing those childhood alpine days, and I never ever do freestyle. I’d say I’m an intermediate/experienced rider even though I ride so rarely these days. The only thing about my setup that I have doubts is my boots. For some reason I didn’t consider stiffness at all when buying those Mints, and just went with something I found off the rack. I’ve always found them to be quite flexible which I like comfort-wise, but I’m worried that they are far too flexible considering my riding style. I find myself always making my bindings tighter and tighter the get the response right. I also tend to struggle keeping my heel in place. Do you think I would benefit from a boot upgrade, to a more stiff model? My long time dream has been to upgrade to step on bindings, and this would be a nice push to that direction if I’d update the boots anyway. Just ride so rarely that I’m hesitant to invest the cash to this upgrade. I’d really appreciate your input, thanks!
Hi Heidi
Thanks for your message.
Yeah, I would definitely look at stiffer boots for your riding style – and preferably stiffer bindings too. And to better match the board. But yeah, the boots most importantly at this point, IMO. If you went Step On, then the Felix would definitely be a good step up for flex/response from the Mint. But I understand that’s a big investment for only a couple of days per season. Though they would likely last you a long time.
If you wanted to upgrade but not spend that much on step on, then you could go with just stiffer boots for sure. But yeah, ideally with that setup and given your riding style, you would go stiffer.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate!
Thanks for the wonderful article. Wish I read it before buying my boots!
I’ve been riding for years, but only just investing in my own kit. I grabbed a pair of Burton Ruler boots because I was enchanted with the double boa concept & got a sweet deal.
But now realizing they’re a medium flex (6/10), while understanding I should be looking for stiffer boards/bindings. I’m an advanced rider (but no park). Love free-riding when there’s powder & bombing down steep groomers/bowls/trees when there’s not.
Should I return these boots to match my board? Planning to pull the trigger this weekend on a stiff board+binding set up. Could add some boots. Or pivot the set-up to be all medium if that’d be better.
G’damn there’s so many ways to ride these mountains!
Julian
Hi Julian
For sure, there’s definitely a lot of ways to ride!
Given you’re description of how you ride, I would be leaning towards the stiffer setup – and for that I would be inclined to go for stiffer boots than the Ruler. They’re not super soft, but for how you describe your riding and if you go with the stiffer board/bindings, then I would also step up the stiffness of the boots too.
Hope this helps
Hello Nate,
Wondering if you could give me some advice. I’ve been snowboarding for the last 25+ years and 15 years before that as a skier…..ya I’m old. anyways, I just purchased my 4th board (Burton – Flight Attendant, and Burton – Malavita EST bindings)…..my last boots were K2 Maysis (on the stiff side as far as flex) and a burton board and binding……loved them all but it was time for an upgrade…….with those last boots, I had them sized and heat formed at a snowboard shop but I always struggled with my left ankle as I had broken it multiple times playing soccer and adjusting the BOA system over and over with that foot just became the usual part of a snowboard day. I would consider myself a free ride intermediate/expert boarder. The park isn’t for me……I prefer the powder, steep shutes, trees and moguls……..what boots would you recomend for a free rider with my new setup……I have been researching the new K2 Maysis, Burton Photon, Ride Thraxis, and Insano. My worries are that I might go too stiff a flex with my new boots…….any advice would greatly be appreciated.
Hi Brad
Thanks for your message.
As a rule of thumb, I like to roughly match the flex of my boots to my board. However, that’s a pretty loose rule of thumb, and there is a lot of personal preference involved too. For me, I would either go flex of board or a little stiffer. I personally don’t like softer boots on a stiffer board. For me I felt the Flight Attendant (FA) at a 7/10, so I would go 7/10 to 8/10 in terms of boot flex and even up to a 9/10 if you prefer things a little stiffer. The likes of the K2 Thraxis I felt at a 9/10 and the Ride Insano a 10/10 (really stiff boots). So I think the Thraxis is doable if you like the idea of going stiffer than the Maysis, but the Insano might be that little bit too stiff. For the Maysis and Photon I felt both at around 7/10. So if you want your boots a bit more forgiving, they would certainly work with the FA, IMO.
For your riding style, I would potentially be leaning towards more like 7/10, 8/10. Just because I find with a little more forgiveness in there it can make maneuverability at slow speeds easier (whilst sacrificing a little in terms of stability at speed). So if you’re in the trees a lot, doing moguls etc, then going with that little bit more forgiveness might help there. Certainly when really opening it out and bombing and really leaning into a carve a stiffer flex can help there – so it kind of comes down to what you think would you value more there. Also noting that these things are noticeable but relatively subtle between a 7/10 and a 9/10. It’s not like the Maysis/Photon are going to be sloppy at speed like a 4/10 flexing boot or something like that. But you will get a little more power/stability out of the likes of the Thraxis/Insano.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Hi Nate. Can you give me some advice? I have kids who have been riding since age 4. They’re now almost 9. They’ve been riding in K2 Lil Kats, but these are super soft. It is possible to get kids’ boots that aren’t super soft? I’ve heard the Burton Grom BOAs might be slightly stiffer. Thanks!
Hi Kim
Thanks for your message.
I don’t really work with kids gear at the moment (I have kids but they’re 2 and 4, so not really old enough yet to be discerning in their snowboard gear!), so I’m not really sure about kids boots, unfortunately.
hey Nate,
I’m looking for boots to my setup and heard lots of different opinions.
I’m using capita DOA 2017/2018 model and union contact pro bindings, now i use burton ion 2011 model boots
I ride mostly on tracks on high speed and learning some park jumps, i dont like jibing, i heard lots of opinions on boot stifness some guys told me to go 5-6 stifness and some told to go from 6 to 8 stifness because union contact pro is very soft bindings
i would like to hear your opinion what boots should i choose for my riding style, what stifness and maybe you could recommend me some models to choose.
Hi Tomas
Thanks for your message.
For the DOA, I would be looking at something 6-7 in terms of flex. Ideally, I would also get bindings in that flex-range too. The DOA (which is a 6/10 flex to my feel), I’ve always preferred it with slightly stiffer boots and bindings, so ideally around 7/10 flex, but 6/10 and 8/10 would work too. But I wouldn’t go any softer than 6/10 for the boots. Ideally with bindings I’d say the same, but totally get if you’re not ready to upgrade your bindings.
Check out the following for some good options in the 6-7 flex range.
>>My Top All Mountain (medium-stiff flex) Snowboard Boots
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks for your time on the response and your site in general.
Looking into my boots more, I wished I had been reading something like your site 5 years ago, but better late than never. In addition to using something too stiff, I’ve likely been using something too big. My mondo is 26.5 but I’ve been wearing 27.5, about a full size bigger. So, with this being a year that I’m investing in equipment plus actually getting 10+ days to use it all, I’m looking into getting a new pair of boots as well. Two primary options at the moment and a couple of questions for you on each.
1. Found a fantastic closeout on Salomon F2.0 from 2013, and I ordered a 26.5 and 27 (free returns). Do you have any familiarity with these or thoughts? They seem to be a medium flex, and although now discontinued, they shared a lot of what the 3.0 and 4.0 had/have, which you obviously think highly of at the moment.
2. With $250 being on the lower end of high end boots, I’m also considering giving the Vans Aura a try. You clearly think very highly of them, and they are well reviewed by others as well. My question here is on sizing. How did you find it? If I can find free returns, I suppose I’ll try to order multiple sizes here as well, but I’m wondering what size you found fit and the comparison with your mondo.
Overall, would it be safe to say that I should only be looking at my mondo or at most one size above? Put another way, if I need to go bigger than that to feel comfortable, it’s not the right boot for me? As a rock climber, I’m no stranger to tight shoes, but there I can take my shoes on and off regularly. I’m trying to find where the balance should be here between snugness for control and enough room for all-day comfort, especially if “pack-in” is common for many boots.
Thanks again!
ps, I did take lessons early on, but with lots of years in between, I’m planning on taking your advice and taking a lesson to check for bad habits as well as (I hope) getting tips that will help me get onto (and be comfortable on) more advanced terrain.
Hey Michael
I never tried the F2.0 but definitely rate the F3.0 and 4.0 so I imagine they are good also – but no guarantees of course. I think they should go well with your set up. Let me know what you think when you get them. Also I’ll be curious to know which size you end up going with.
In general for sizing a boot’s mondo-print should fit the size of your foot as it’s supposed to fit as a snowboard boot – so yeah in general if the boot made for your foot size isn’t right then it’s probably not the right boot for you. Sometimes you can go up a size and the fit works but generally the mondo-print should be the right fit. I wouldn’t go more than half a size above mondo-print personally.
In terms of pack-in what I like to do is wear thinner socks when I first get the boots and then wear thicker socks as they get older and start to pack out. I find this is a good way to get a more consistent fit throughout the life of the boot.
Great to hear you’re planning on taking a lesson too – definitely made a big difference for me
Hi Nate, I appreciate your advice on generally trying to match your equipment, so I’m interested in your opinion in my potential mismatch situation. First, I’m an intermediate rider just moving from renting to buying. I’m pretty much just riding groomers, and any ambition I have is more to become a carver rather than heading to the park. Even though I’m just getting my own board now, I bought boots 5 years ago. At the time, didn’t know much and got a pair of DC Judge Boas on a really good closeout. Only now do I know that they are stiff flex and probably weren’t a great choice for my more beginner status at that time. I have liked them but don’t have any other real comparison. Fast forward to now. I picked up a Rome Tour (great closeout and lots of good recs, including yours) and also got a great closeout on 2015 Flux RL bindings. So, it will turn out that I will have a reasonably stiff boot (although the 2011 model I have was supposedly a little less stiff than the current DC Judge), a medium flex board, and a medium-soft (at most) binding. Am I doing this all wrong? 😉 I’m just setting up my board, and the bindings could be returned, so I could potentially “fix” a bad choice — although, as an example, moving to the Flux DS, which might be a better match, would effectively double the binding cost for me. I’m obviously trying to find the right mix of price and performance to match where I am and keep me progressing, so any thoughts you have would be great. Also, perhaps you have an opinion generally on using the Flux RL as an all-mountain binding as an intermediate — I know you like it for beginners. Lastly, I’m curious what you think I might have picked up as bad habits by using a (likely) too stiff boot when I was a high end beginner. Thanks for your work on your site!
Hey Michael
Thanks for your message.
In my opinion the Rome Tour is more a medium-soft flex board anyway (even if it’s sometimes considered medium). So it’s a good match with the RLs in my opinion. Also, I think that the RLs are a great choice for intermediate riding too so if you like how they ride there’s no reason why you need to return them now. Eventually you’ll probably want to get something stiffer for more response but for now I think they’ll do fine. And I found they were a bit more responsive than they’re flex suggests.
In terms of the DC Judge’s, they probably aren’t the best choice for a beginner but if they’re still in reasonable condition they probably aren’t too bad now. They’re a medium-stiff boot but after 5 years of use they may well have softened up a bit and probably more of a medium flex now which should be fine with the rest of your setup.
The problem with having gear that’s too difficult for you when you start out is that you tend to find ways to get down the mountain to survive but may not do so smoothly or with good technique which can hurt your riding in the long run. It’s not necessarily the case. It’s less likely if you had lessons early on that taught you good technique. If you haven’t had lessons before then I suggest you have at least one lesson to make sure your technique is ok and you haven’t picked up any bad habits. I had lessons after 7 seasons of riding without a lesson and it made a huge difference for me.
Thanks for the information on boots and pairing them with style and ability. I am a beginner, spent 3 days total snowboarding in March before becoming addicted and imprisoned in summer. 🙂 Although I’m new, by day 3 I was very comfortable on all green runs at Park City and was able to link my turns pretty well on a Rossignol Trickstick with Rossignol bindings and crappy Head rental boots. It was suggested to me to buy boots before anything else, so based on my ability level and preference for all-mountain riding at this point, I chose the Burton Moto.
I haven’t purchased bindings or a board, but I want to get something that gives me a lot of room to grow, so I don’t necessarily want a soft, “beginner” board. I have been evaluating boards like the Slash Brainstorm and Never Summer Snowtrooper, and either Union Contact or Contact Pro bindings. Any thoughts on using the Moto with those bindings and board? I appreciate any input you have.
Hey John – good to hear from a newly addicted rider!
Good call on buying boots first – and the Moto is a good choice for beginners too.
I can definitely see your point in wanting to have “room to grow” but be a bit careful with that. If you go for a board that’s too difficult for a beginner you aren’t likely to learn well because you’ll do whatever you have to to control the board and this will affect your technique. Remember that you can always sell your board after a couple of seasons and get a reasonable amount back for it selling second hand and then upgrade.
In terms of flex I suggest medium-soft flex (3 or 4 out of 10) for beginners in a snowboard. It’s not completely soft so does give you that room to grow, but not so stiff that you’ll pick up bad habits. There are also a couple of other things to think about. Check out my choosing a beginner snowboard post to learn more about choosing your first board.
The NS Snowtrooper is probably close to having the right flex (5 out of 10) but the camber profile isn’t necessarily the best to start out on (again see the link above). The Slash Brainstorm is a great board (and even got second spot in my top 10 all mountain boards) but if it was me I would get something else first.
You can check out this list of what I considered the top 5 men’s beginner snowboards of 2015 – everything on that list will be good to take through at the least the beginner and intermediate phases. Or you can check out my beginner snowboards catalogue for a few more options.
Of course it’s totally up to you – if you’re set on either the Snowtrooper or Brainstorm I’d go with the Brainstorm personally (and it’s a bit cheaper too) but otherwise check the lists at the links above. The Brainstorm would also be a better match with the Motos.
In terms of bindings – I think the Contact Pros would probably suit your purposes better than the Contacts (but you do pay a bit more) and would definitely be fine for first time bindings. They would also go fine with the Motos. You could also check out the following links. The first one is what I think are the most important things to look out for in beginner bindings and the second my choices for the best 5 beginner bindings in 2015.
~ The Key Specs for Snowboard Bindings for Beginners
~ The Top 10 Beginner Snowboard Bindings of 2015
Hope this helps your search and answers your question. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Nate
Wow, great information, thanks a bunch Nate. I have spent a lot of time on The Good Ride (TGR) and even solicited their input on gear. The only board where you and TGR intersect is the Rome Tour, and while the Flux RL is your #1 beginner binding, TGR rates it as “Intermediate – Expert”.
Now, I know some of this gear evaluation is subjective and different people will have differing opinions on things, but the Rome Tour being recommended by both of you is noteworthy, so much so that I agree with you that the Brainstorm and/or Snowtrooper is not the best choice for me at this stage. I’m going to shop for a Rome Tour. 🙂 Now, onto bindings …
James at TGR included the Burton Custom in his list of recommendations to me, and you have them in your top 5 for beginners, which again is noteworthy. I greatly respect your opinion because of your attention to detail, passion about snowboarding and the fact that you specifically mentioned items that I had referenced in my original post, like the Snowtrooper and the Moto. So, at this point, I think pairing the Rome Tour with the Burton Custom looks like a great starter kit that will last me a few seasons, as the boots, bindings and board all fall into the medium-soft flex range.
I greatly appreciate your help and willingness to field questions. I’m sure I will have more so thank you in advance, and thank you for the informative articles laden with detail. I love that!
John
Atlanta, GA
Hey John – always glad to help.
I think you’ll have a great set up there. And your research into getting the right gear is going to really help you when you get back on the slopes – just now have to hang out for next winter now!
Another question for you Nate …
The Rossignol Trickstick I rode in Utah was 154cm. I’m 5’9″ and 155-160 lbs. TGR suggested a Rome Tour at 156cm. If the board is available at 153cm and 156cm, what do you recommend?
Thanks again.
John
Hey John
Definitely agree with TGR on this one. 156 is spot on for your height and weight.
Often in a beginner board you go a bit shorter. The 153 would feel great to begin with (as it’s easier to control a shorter board) but you’ll probably grow out of it reasonably quickly. Especially considering it sounds like are progressing quickly the 156 is what I’d go for in this case.
The more I think of it, the more I think you’re making the right choice with the Rome Tour. It’s a great beginner board but is also a great all mountain board.