You may have heard or seen terms like hybrid rocker, traditional camber or flat-to-rocker camber profiles but may not fully understand them.
So I thought I’d put together this post to help people understand the different snowboard camber types.
First we’ll take a look at what a camber profile is and then look at the different types and what ability and style each one is suited to.
Why Learn About Camber Profiles?
If you have a personal preference or are used to a certain type of camber profile (and have tried others and don’t like them) you may want to stick to what you know.
However, if you are in the market for your first snowboard or are looking for a change then you may want to consider which profile will be the best choice for your next snowboard. And if you’ve always used the same profile and haven’t experimented, it’s worth trying some others to see if they are more suited to your riding.
Different camber profiles tend to have different feels on the snow. For example a rocker profile has a looser feel. Different camber profiles are also more or less suited to different riding styles – and to different ability levels.
What is a Camber Profile?
A camber profile is essentially the shape of your board when looking at it side on (images below will give you a better picture) and this affects the feel of the board on the snow.
Looking at a board side on, a camber in the board is a convex shape (like an arch or the letter “n”) and a rocker in the board is a concave shape (like an upside down arch or the letter “u”). See illustration below.
Of course this is more subtle on a real board. There are several different combinations of camber and rocker and camber and rocker sections can be more or less exaggerated and the length of the camber and rocker sections can differ a lot too.
What are the Camber Profile Types?
Snowboarding manufacturers are always coming up with new types – though I think most of the time they just come up with new names for them!
It’s important to note that the illustrations below are exaggerated and also once you step on the board it takes on a whole new shape, when weighted.
The main combinations are as follows:
Traditional Camber:
This is known as traditional camber because once upon a time pretty much all snowboards were made with this profile.
Basically there is camber under the board which runs from the contact point near the tail (where the board makes contact with the snow) to the contact point near the nose (where the board makes contact with the snow) – or said an easier way, camber from tip to tail!
This type of camber profile typically provides good for pop for ollies and jumps, improves edge-hold, adds to spring out of a turn and helps with stability at speed.
The trade off? (there’s always a trade off) – it can be easier for beginners to catch an edge with this style of camber. It is also more difficult in deep powder where you want more float – and it’s harder to butter and press (typically).
This is typically the most aggressive style of camber – though how aggressive depends on how exaggerated the camber is. If it’s very subtle, then it will feel less aggressive – and the factors above will be less pronounced – if there is quite an exaggerated camber, those things will be more pronounced.
Continuous Rocker/Reverse Camber:
This has many names – rocker, reverse camber, anti camber, banana and continuous rocker come to mind. But essentially it is the opposite of traditional camber. There is a continuous concave (“rocker”) shape between the tip and tail contact points.
Reverse camber boards were traditionally recommended for beginners because it makes turn initiation easier and you are less likely to catch an edge. These things are still the case. However, it also provides a looser feel, which may not be the easiest for a beginner to control, particularly one-footing it off the lift. And with hybrid profiles around these days, you can get the best of both worlds for a beginner.
The continuous rocker profile has a very playful feel, is great for butters and floats well in powder.
The trade off is that there is less pop, they feel loose (which is only a bad thing if you don’t want a loose feeling board), doesn’t hold an edge as well as other profiles, and it is more difficult to stomp landings from big air.
Flat Camber:
Just like it sounds this profile has no camber or rocker – it’s flat between the contact points.
This camber style gives a stable ride, without being too aggressive, meaning it could be a good option for beginners except that, like the traditional camber, it’s prone to catching an edge.
It makes it good for landing big air and is good for hitting jibs. It is typically fairly quick from edge to edge so is great for riding through trees and tighter areas and provides decent of edge-hold.
The trade off is that, due to having so much contact with the ground, this style will be a slower ride. So if speed is your thing this may not be the way to go. Also for beginners it will be easier to catch an edge than a rocker board but is more stable. Flat profiles aren’t that common. A flat-to-rocker on the other hand is much more common, and is a very popular choice for beginner boards. The flat-to-rocker profiles, as it sounds, has rocker sections before the contact points, helping to make it less catchy and easier to initiate a turn.
Hybrid Profiles:
Like the name suggests, hybrid profiles are a mix of camber, flat and rocker. There are heaps of different combinations of this employed by snowboard manufacturers. The most common hybrids are rocker/camber/rocker (hybrid camber), camber/rocker/camber (hybrid rocker) and rocker/flat/rocker (flat-to-rocker). Some examples are shown in the illustrations below.
Rocker/Camber/Rocker (aka Hybrid Camber)
The rocker in the tip and tail are great for turn initiation and float in powder, whilst the camber underfoot adds stability, pop, speed and increased edge-hold.
The length of the camber section, and the rocker sections often varies. And how pronounced the rocker and camber are differs too, depending on the board. And those variations can lead to a very different feeling ride. A board with longer rocker sections – or very subtle amounts of camber in the camber sections are often good for beginners – with the camber offering stability and the rocker sections helping to make it a catch-free ride and for ease of turn initiation. Hybrid rocker profiles that are mostly camber – or where the camber in the camber sections is highly pronounced – aren’t as suitable for beginners.
Hybrid rockers can also sometimes be directional – and this is usually done by having more camber towards the tail and more rocker towards the nose – often with camber right back to the tail and rocker starting just after the front insert (where the bindings go). A Directional Hybrid Camber is often used on freeride boards.
Camber/Rocker/Camber (aka Hybrid Rocker)
The camber towards the tip and tail produces the kind of pop you get out of camber whilst the rocker between the feet give it a looser feel and better float in powder than a traditional camber ride, and allows for easier turn initiation. It will butter well and land well. This is a great all round profile for the park and mountain.
Hybrid Rocker profiles tend to produce a slightly looser feel than Hybrid Camber profiles, due to that rocker being between the feet – and Hybrid Rockers as a rule tend to be very quick edge-to-edge – all else being equal. Of course, like Hybrid Cambers, there are lots of variations, both in terms of the length of the rocker and camber sections and how pronounced those sections are. There are also Directional Hybrid Rocker profiles too.
Other Options
These are just a few of the combinations used. Within each combination different levels of camber and rocker can be used and the lengths (amounts) of the rocker, flat and camber sections can be tweaked. This leads to almost endless combinations.
Best Profile for the Beginner
Beginner: The rocker/flat/rocker (Flat-to-Rocker) or rocker/camber/rocker (Hybrid Camber) profiles are great for beginners as they feel more stable due to the flat or camber sections underfoot and the rocker sections towards the tip and tail reduce the likelihood of catching an edge and make turn initiation easier. Of course with Hybrid Camber it depends on how much camber and how much rocker is involved. Hybrid Rocker profiles are also good options, if you don’t mind a looser feel.
For more on how to choose the best beginner snowboards check out the link below.
>>How to Choose the Best Snowboard for a Beginner
Best Profiles for Different Styles
In terms of styles I’ve put together this quick table. I looked at a couple of hundred boards for their camber profile and found that different camber styles are used across all board styles but some profiles are preferred over others for certain categories of board.
Overall 87% of the 2016-2019 models I analysed had some form of Hybrid profile, with 7% traditional camber, 5% Rocker/Reverse Camber and 1% flat, making up the other 13%. If you compare this with the table for 2015 models, which was originally used with this post – Hybrid models are even more dominant now vs 2015. That said, of the Hybrid models, 17% were predominantly camber and 16% were directional hybrids (which typically have plenty of camber). So the trend is towards hybrids, but it’s also towards more camber dominant hybrids. (I haven’t completed my search for this and will update once I have – and will update for 2020 models too, once I’ve analyzed those).
| Freestyle | All Mtn Freestyle | All Mountain | Freeride | Powder | TOTAL | |
| Traditional Camber | 4 (8%) | 6 (8%) | 7 (10%) | 5 (8%) | 3 (6%) | 25 (7%) |
| Continuous Rocker/Reverse Camber | 7 (15%) | 4 (5%) | 2 (3%) | 0 (0%) | 4 (8%) | 17 (5%) |
| Flat | 1 (2%) | 1 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (1%) |
| Hybrid Camber | 17 (35%) | 31 (41%) | 42 (58%) | 47 (72%) | 19 (36%) | 202 (56%) |
| Hybrid Rocker | 10 (21%) | 27 (36%) | 18 (25%) | 9 (14%) | 10 (19%) | 74 (21%) |
| Flat-to-Rocker | 9 (19%) | 6 (8%) | 4 (5%) | 4 (6%) | 17 (32%) | 40 (11%) |
When I first looked at this is was for 2015 models, and these were the percentages then.
Overall 76% of the boards I analysed had some form of Hybrid profile, with 9% traditional camber, 13% Rocker/Reverse Camber and 2% flat, making up the other 24%.
| Street/Jib | Freestyle | Freestyle-All Mountain | All Mountain | Freeride | Powder | TOTAL | |
| Traditional Camber | 1 (5%) | 6 (12%) | 4 (8%) | 1 (3%) | 5 (14%) | 1 (3%) | 18 (8%) |
| Continuous Rocker/Reverse Camber | 4 (20%) | 11 (22%) | 8 (15%) | 1 (3%) | 2 (6%) | 3 (9%) | 29 (13%) |
| Flat | 2 (10%) | 2 (4%) | 2 (4%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 6 (3%) |
| Hybrid Camber | 1 (5%) | 10 (20%) | 12 (23%) | 13 (33%) | 18 (50%) | 16 (47%) | 70 (30%) |
| Hybrid Rocker | 0 (0%) | 11 (22%) | 17 (32%) | 15 (38%) | 6 (17%) | 3 (9%) | 52 (22%) |
| Flat-to-Rocker | 12 (60%) | 9 (18%) | 10 (19%) | 10 (25%) | 5 (14%) | 11 (32%) | 57 (25%) |
If you want a more detailed page about the different camber profiles and the styles they suit check out my snowboard camber profiles explained post. It breaks down the different styles of snowboarding and which camber profiles are best suited and most common to each.
What Camber Profile Do You Prefer?
Do you know the camber style of your board? And if you do what camber style is it and how do you think it affects your riding?
Hi Nate – thanks so much for the article, it’s easly the best I’ve read describing all of this, it’s certainly a complex subject. I was wondering if I could ask your advice however? I have been riding an old Burton Clash from 2007 and feel like it’s time for an upgrade. Looking around at the various companies out there I really like the look of the Arbor, GNU and Burton boards so have narrowed the make down to these three companies but their terminology for board shape and bend all seem to be slightly different and I’m finding it hard to figure out which board would be best for me. From these companies, what board would you suggest for me based on the following:
1. I would say I’m an intermediate level and I only ever ride regular runs in the resort (although I still catch an edge and fall off every now and then!). I’m not super confident on the board but would just like to turn and carve well and want to practice my speed and turns
2. I’ve no real interest in tricks/the park etc. or going into deep powder etc. I generally just keep to the main slopes – pretty standard stuff
3. I live east coast so tend to board in icy conditions often
BTW, I’m 5′-9″ & 150Ibs if that helps?
Thanks so much for your advice in advance and thanks for the great article!
Carl
Hi Carl
Thanks for your message (got your other one too, but all the info is in here (apart from boot size – US8.5), so I deleted that one).
Some good intermediate options for predominantly riding the groomers, from those brands, that are also good in icy conditions, and taking into account good sizes for your specs too:
– GNU Rider’s Choice 154.5
– Burton Process Camber 155 (not as good in icy conditions as something like the Rider’s Choice though, but better than the Flying V version and prob a little better than your old clash too)
– Arbor Shiloh Rocker 154
– Arbor Element Rocker 155
My first thought before I did any real searching was GNU Rider’s Choice 154.5 and I think that’s the pick of the lot for what you’re describing.
Hope this helps
Thanks so much for the advice Nate! (sorry I posted twice, I thought I’d done it wrong the first time when it didn’t appear straight away, lol).
I was actually looking at the Arbor Element before you mentioned it. Interestingly though I was thinking of going for the camber version….. Just watching various youtube videos seemed to suggest that most people preferred the camber board for intermediate level and beyond saying that the rocker was good when initiating a turn but after that was a bit of a “loose” ride and didn’t quite carve as well. To be honest I never found a video that did a great job explaining the difference with respect to how they ride compared with each other as most just explain the design/geometry differences between them. In terms of actual riding, you think the rocker version would be better for what I have described?
Thanks!
Carl
Hi Carl
I think you could go camber in this case. Arbor’s camber is less catchy than other full camber boards. I was erring on the side of caution when you said that you were still catching edges. But if you’re a solid intermediate rider, then you could go camber for the Element – I didn’t find it too catchy – you can see more detail in my Element Camber review.
I’d say the main differences between the camber and rocker versions are:
– Camber version carves better, has more pop, is more stable at speed and slightly better edge-hold in hard/icy conditions, less forgiving of skidded turns
– Rocker version easier to initiate turns on, quicker edge-to-edge at slower speeds, better in powder and better for jibs
So yeah, from what you’re describing, probably would be leaning more to camber. Sizing is a little different on the camber version. I would be leaning more to the 153 for you.
Hey Nate,
This is so helpful! Thanks so much for sharing your expertise. I have a silly question. I believe I have mostly ridden traditional camber the last 20ish years. I just bought a NeverSummer Lady West which is camber/rocker/camber and I can no longer get off the lift without falling! It’s ridiculously embarrassing since I’m an intermediate boarder and have never had this problem. Could it be a difference in the board? Is there something I can change to not fall? I’d love any tips for my embarrassing predicament. Thanks!
Hi Mikkala
Thanks for your message.
I get your predicament. Every now and then I take a tumble off a lift when I’m testing a new board I haven’t ridden and it’s the first time off the lift on the board – and it’s typically looser boards where this is an issue. Boards with rocker between the feet tend to have a looser feel. Some subtly, some more obviously. But one of the downsides is that it can make things more squirrelly getting off the lift.
I think the best thing you can do to get used to the new profile of your board is to practice skating on it with one foot. Find a flat area or very gentle slope and practice skating with one foot unstrapped and letting yourself glide like that and do that for a while to get used to the feeling of that.
Hope this helps
Thanks for the great article, Nate! My wife bought me a snowboard for my 50th birthday. I thought she was nuts. I didn’t wind up trying it for three years. That was last winter. I got pretty banged up on day 1 and said I was done. But this year, my son (age 9) wanted to snowboard. He and I took one lesson, and it changed everything. We’re now addicted. I have a Nitro that seems to my eye to be a camber. The more I get into it, the more I suspect I have the wrong type of board for my style. I don’t want to go fast. I want to do butters and presses and ride freestyle. I’m not that interested in the park, although maybe I’ll build up to doing a few basic tricks there. I can ride switch, carve, and do a basic revert. Would a rocker board be better for me?
Hi Randy
Thanks for your message.
Not necessarily full rocker. But certainly something with rocker in the profile would be better suited to how you want your riding to be. I would check out the following.
>>My Top 10 Men’s Freestyle Snowboards
You don’t necessarily have to take these boards in the park but if you’re looking for a more freestyle oriented board and don’t want to go fast, then there are some great options for that in there. There are some in there that are more jump specialist and will be more camber dominant (like the Paramount), but pay attention to the score breakdowns and see what you think might suit you in there.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the great article on the profiles. I was hoping you can give me some feedback.
I have been riding since the 1990s and learned on the old skool full camber boards. Mostly rode Burtons for the first 15 years, then in 2012 I switched over to a Gun Riders choice with Mervin’s C2 Profile (CAMBER/ROCKER/CAMBER), it was a game-changer for me as I felt like I could finally ride flat and not have to be constantly riding on one edge or another the entire day and have been using it as an all-mountain board since. That board is past its prime so I have been looking into replacing it and have been eying some of the Jones directional Hybrid Camber boards where are the complete opposite (ride all-mountain, lots of trees and pow, and groomers when the snow sucks, no park). I’m just worried it will be more prone to edge catching compared to my current board. Would you agree with that? Also, I noticed Jones is using a new 3D base which actually affects the profile on the width vs just the length. They claim that it provides less edge catch since the base of the board is curved in select areas vs completely flat. Any insight you can provide on this as well?
Hi Kris
Thanks for your message.
Yeah the 3D base does make it more forgiving in terms of catching edges, IMO, and I’ve never found Jones boards to be catchy. I think the main thing with the 3D is better powder performance, but they do help to make the edges more forgiving too, for sure.
There’s definitely more directional/freeride oriented Hybrid Rocker (Camber/Rocker/Camber) if you wanted to stick to that profile, but in my experience I have never found Jones boards to be catchy. They feel a little more stable, rather than Hybrid Rocker, which feels a little on the looser side (think loose, semi-loose, stable, semi-locked in, locked-in – where all camber boards tend to feel locked-in or semi-locked – most Jones boards to me feel more at that stable level and C2 Hybrid Rocker feels semi-loose to me – just to try to illustrate the difference – if you’re looking at any reviews on this site, it will have a little picture in the specs graph to show the feel on a scale from loose to locked-in).
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks for this wealth of information. It’s very helpful and have spent hours on your reviews. I currently ride a 2013 Custom Flying V, and I am a solid intermediate/advanced rider who enjoys carving, bombing piste, trees, and want to learn powder techniques. I’ve decided to reuse my Cartel ESTs, and came down to getting a Custom X 154 or Flight Attendant 152/156. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to ride the custom x for a half day, to demo it, and it was great. I was able to carve harder than my Flying V, and it wasn’t too stiff. Then, I also tried the Flight Attendant 152, and was also very happy with it’s more playful demeanor and ability to ride pow more easily than a Custom X, but still retaining carving and camber pop I lived so much about the Custom X. My specific question to you is: would you suggest Custom X Or FA, and what size flight attendant should I be? Based on your size charts (I am 5’6”, 150lbs, size 8, stance width 19”) and my free riding preference, I would be a 156. I rode the 152 version it felt fine, but would I be better on a 156?. I went to the store today and with my old school thought that the board should be around my chin, stood next to a FA 156 and the reference stance width, and it felt long (probably in my head). A 156 FA has stance width at 560mm, so will I be able to take off 30mm, and not upset the balance? Sorry, for the super long question, but in summary, Custom X or FA, and if FA, 152 or 156. Thanks!
Hi Freddy
Thanks for your message.
I think if you’re looking to get in the powder, that I would go Flight Attendant. Also, IMO, it’s a little better in the trees. Custom X certainly not wrong for you, but from what you’re describing, I think I would be leaning FA.
Size-wise, I think you could definitely go 152. I would say anything around that 151-153 range is a good all-mountain length for your. As a freeride board you could ride it at 156 for sure. It wouldn’t be wrong at 156 for you – and I think if you were predominantly going to be bombing and hitting open terrain powder – and big mountain stuff, then I would consider 156. But if it’s going to be more of a daily driver and if you’re riding it in trees, then I would go 152. And given that you’ve experienced the 152 and liked it, I think that’s going to be the best bet.
In terms of stance width, if you did go 156, you could certainly ride it 30-40mm narrower than reference stance. I haven’t had any issues narrowing or widening stances by that much. But if you go 152, that has a 530mm reference. If you wanted to get closer to your 19″ stance, no reason you couldn’t narrow that stance as well, if you wanted. I try not to go further than 40mm off reference, but anything 40mm I’ve never felt like it’s done anything weird with how the board rides or anything.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks for the quick response! With a size 8 boot, I do see some overhang with the FA’s narrow waist. Is that something to be concerned about, that would necessitate a move to the 156?
Also, what are the pros/cons of having a wider waist?
Hi Freddy
Some overhang is a good thing. You just don’t want too much. The ideal setup is where you can have your bare feet reaching the edges (like the outside of the metal edge rather than the edge of the top sheet) or even slightly over. This necessitates that the boots will overhang a little. But as long as they aren’t overhanging by too much, you shouldn’t experience any drag issues. Ideally around 2cm overhang on the toe and 2.5cm overhang on the heel (note when I refer to this overhang it’s overhang over the outside of the metal edge, not the top sheet).
I would predict that the width at inserts on the 152 Flight Attendant would be around 25.1cm. So let’s say your boots are 29cm (26cm mondo of a size 8 with the average difference between mondo and outerboot being around 3cm), that would be a 3.9cm total overhang (so roughly 2cm heel, 1.9cm toe) – assuming a flat binding angle – the more binding angle the more leeway you get. This might be a little different depending on your boot – whether it’s bulkier or lower profile than the average. But I think you should be pretty good there. Although going with a narrower stance, would mean you would be on a narrower part of the board, so you’re looking at being a couple of mm narrower. But I think in most cases you’re likely still good.
Pros of a wider waist is that you give yourself more leeway in terms of getting boot drag. You give yourself the opportunity to carve deeper, with less risk of boot drag.
Cons are that edge to edge transitions tend to be slower and harder work, when the waist is too wide. There’s obviously a range where this is good and within that range you wouldn’t notice that much difference, but get too wide and you start to notice it. I don’t think the 156 would be too wide for your boots. I think it would still be in your range, but I also think that the 152 shouldn’t be too narrow.
Thanks for the wealth of information and the quick replies. I have to say, as an engineer and a detailed-oriented person, your website has, by far, the most objective and detailed technical information. It is also organized very well. Keep up the good work, and thanks for supporting us!
You’re very welcome Freddy – and thanks for the kind words, really appreciate it. Happy riding!
Hello there! Surfer thru and thru. Been snowboarding last 8 years. On a ride kink 156W size 13 DCs on union bindings. I am looking into new board need help. Live in NC ride over in Boone a ton. I like carving most but would like more pop as well. Definitely sintered base. Appreciate any input. Have a cool day
Hi Bil
Thanks for your message.
If you could give me a little more info that would help. Mostly just how you like to ride. When you’re carving, are you quite aggressive on your carves – like elbows deep? Or more casual? Are you hitting jumps in the park or just popping off rollers, sidehits etc? Do you like to ride switch at all, or just one direction for the most part? Jibs? Trees? Bombing at speed down groomers, or more moderate speeds?
The Kink is a very freestyle oriented board and quite soft. It’s predominantly camber, which I think you’ll probably want to stick to in terms of carving and pop, depending on how aggressive you like to ride. But you might want something stiffer, depending on the answers above and potentially more directional, depending on the answers of the above.
Size-wise, are you looking to size up? I would be happy to give a size recommendation too, if you don’t have a size in mind. Would just need your height and weight as you already mentioned your boot size.
Hi Nate, great post I read another one of your posts too all very informative thank you. I’ve been snowboarding for 8/9 years and only have had the first board I bought, K2 moment, I looked it up and the profile says flat. I’ve been wanting a new board, one that can help me go faster on flat sections maybe with more stability because embarrassing as it is to say I can hit the blacks sometimes double blacks too and carve down but I’m probably the slowest on some of the flat areas because I feel even with an edge in I’m unstable. Any suggestions of what to look for? Is the hybrid camber better or hybrid rocker for speed on the hill? I like all mountain, powder, trees, groomers and would like to hit small jumps when I can improve my speed
Hi Emma
Thanks for your message.
Certainly something with some camber in it is a good idea. But because you also want to ride powder – and if you want a bit more forgiveness than full camber – then some rocker is a good idea too. So either hybrid camber or hybrid rocker would work for sure. Hybrid Camber is typically more stable feeling, so if you’re looking to maximize that, then that’s a good way to go. Since you want something covering a good range of riding aspects, I think an all-mountain board would work well for you. Check out the following for some great all-mountain options:
>>My Top 6 Women’s All-Mountain Snowboards
Hope this helps
Awesome, thanks for the feedback! My friends are beginners and looking to buy boards as well definitely sending them a link to your site this is very helpful 🙂
You’re very welcome Emma and thanks for letting your friends know about the site. Much appreciated
Hey dude, thanks for the info.
I have been riding the 2012 CAPITA NAS 159cm board for the last 8 years. It is the only board I have owned and 98% of my snowboarding has been on it.
I am a 110kg, 176cm tall male.
I enjoy going fast and playing in powder (it is really hard work though TBH) and I am starting to go off some small kickers.
The NAS is a straight up stiff camber board, so probably why I enjoy going fast with it, but is there a better option out there for the powder while still enabling me to hit runs pretty fast. Would Hybrid Rocker be a better choice? Or should I get a dedicated powder board for powder days?
Hi Grant
Thanks for your message.
Certainly getting a dedicated powder board for powder days is always an option – and that way you can maximize the specs towards riding powder. But if you wanted to go for just one board, then there are definitely some good options out there. And yeah, going for something hybrid camber, or hybrid rocker is a good bet, if you’re looking for something that can ride powder well, but still want to ride it fast on groomers.
If you wanted to stick with Capita, then you could look at something like the Black Snowboard of Death. Or if you wanted to go a little more powder oriented, you could also look at the Navigator or Kazu Kokubo Pro.
Otherwise, I would check out the following, which is basically a list of boards for what you’re describing – they’re mostly focused on powder, speed and carving – with some better than others for jumps. But check out the score breakdowns of the boards for more details on each board’s strengths.
>> My Top 10 Freeride Snowboards
Hope this helps
We have a 15 year old son that switched to boarding last season and loves it! We live in Colorado and he learned on a basic rental board. This summer we bought a demo burton skeleton key not knowing any better. It was sold to us as an all mountain board but our son was crashing and burning and really thought he was terrible. I rented him a burton custom camber and he said it was night and day. His dad bought it again not being informed about the flying V version. He is 130 and 5’10 boot size 11. He currently has a 154 Burton Custom Camber. He seems to be doing fine know carving blues, groomers, but does say he can catch an edge from time to time. I think he should try the flying V to see if he likes it better? My concern is that it will be harder for him to progress on the Camber? Boy I wish these salesman would be more helpful. We just want our son to have a blast and have the best board for him. Thoughts on him trying the burton process flying V vs. his burton custom camber? Thanks so much! Lisa
Hi Lisa
Thanks for your message.
The Custom Flying V is certainly less catchy than the Camber version. It’s better in powder too and in uneven terrain – and easier/quicker edge to edge. The Camber version is better for more aggressive carves, has more pop and is more stable at speed. It’s a more stable feeling board, whereas the Flying V can feel quite loose. Some people prefer a looser feel, whilst others prefer a more locked-in feel of something like camber. Overall the Flying V is more playful/loose and an easier ride vs the Camber which is more aggressive and precise. So, I think it would depend if your son wants a more playful ride or if he prefers to ride faster/more aggressively. The Flying V is certainly an easier board to progress on.
Size-wise, ideally I would say something around 150-152 would be a better size for his specs. But I can see wanting to go a little longer, assuming he will still be growing? Certainly weight-wise. And taking into account width, with size 11s, going to something like 150, might be too narrow. But if he’s not riding that aggressively (as in getting high up on the edges on carves), then he could get away with something narrower. But if he is carving quite deep, then 154W might even be more appropriate to avoid boot drag. Sizing for the Flying V and Camber versions are the same.
Of course there are also other options, outside of Burton and if you wanted something not as locked-in as the camber version, but also not as loose as the Flying V version, there are certainly boards that are at a nice in between.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Hi Nate! Thanks for posting; found this very helpful.
I was hoping to know your thoughts on the 2019 Salomon Oh Yeah women’s snowboard. I am just learning how to connect my turns from heal to toe, and stability and not catching an edge is my main priority at this point. Happy to buy a new board in a couple years once I progress.
If that board is too advanced for me, do you think the 2020 Ride Heartbreaker is a better option?
Thanks so much!
Hi Vanessa
Both boards are certainly suitable as beginner boards. And good for quick progression. Both are quite freestyle focused but that would only affect you if you were going to be holding on to them long term. As a beginner, they are great to learn and progress on and once you have figured out your style more, then you can go based on that when you upgrade to your next board. I would say the Heartbreaker a slightly better (as found on my top 5 women’s beginner snowboard list) option but both are good beginner options.
Also pay attention to size as that’s very important too. I would be happy to give you my opinion on sizing, if you wanted. I would just need your height, weight and boot size (or shoe size if you’re not sure of boot size yet).
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thank you for posting this really helpful page!
I am still a bit confused onLy because I really know nothing about snowboarding. I just recently learn how to snowboard this year and have only gone 3 times. I am looking to buy my first board. I am definitely no where near doing jumps, tricks or anything. Let’s just say I can finally do the falling leave down an intermediate slope and falling maybe once or twice. But anyways I found a very cheap board and the description says it is a flat camber profile, do you think this will be okay for me?
Also, my friend who have only boarded 3 times as well (but is picking it up way faster than I am) is also looking for a board. She can spin and turn but is still trying to find her dominate foot. She is in between two boards, one is the Flow Velvet with CRC profile and the other is the Nidecker Elle with RCR profile. Which do you think would be best for her?
We are 5”2-5”3 and I am 130lbs and she is 150lbs.
Hi Kathy
Thanks for your message.
If it’s a completely flat profile, then it’s not ideal, as it could feel a little catchy, but if there’s rocker before the contact points at the tip and tail, then it’s likely fine – assuming the flex is good for beginners. Without knowing the make and model, I couldn’t say for sure if it’s suitable. There’s a few things that make a board more or less suitable for beginners. Flex (softer flex is better for beginners) and camber profile, are the main things. I would also want to find out how stiff the board is. You can also check out:
>>How To Choose The Best Snowboard For A Beginner
And for some great options, if that one doesn’t turn out, also check out:
>>My Top 10 Women’s Beginner Snowboards
Between the Flow Velvet and the Nidecker Elle, I would say the Nidecker Elle is the safer bet for a beginner. Looks to have a good camber profile and flex for a beginner, and is designed with beginners in mind. The Velvet doesn’t look too bad for a beginner, but I’m more unsure of that one. Just because I’m not familiar with Flow boards, and so not sure how their EZ rock camber profile rides. Would probably also be fine, but I think the Nidecker Elle would be the safer bet.
Size is also really important. Even getting a suitable beginner board, but in the wrong size and it won’t be suitable anymore, IMO. These are the size ranges I would suggest to look at for you and your friend:
You: 142-144
Friend: 145-147
Hope this helps
I am on my fourth winter of snowboarding and I am 53 years old and had never previously skied. Although a bit of a late starter I am totally hooked ! I hired a board for my first week and then bought a burton ripcord 50 . I love it and have progressed pretty quickly on it . I haven’t done any parks and I have started to do a little off piste which gives me a different buzz to the piste runs . I feel as though I need to move onto a more intermediate board and wish I had read your article before buying it .
I looked for intermediate boards without knowing about profiles . I have bought a Salomon Assassin which I now know to be a hybrid camber .
I have just come back from a week on the alps I used my burton the first day to find my legs and then tried the assassin . I really struggled on it at first and although I got better on it I never felt in total control when carving . It was definitely more stable at 35 mph and above but I found the turns harder . My burton does ‘chatter’ at higher speed .
So I am thinking now that I have read your article on profiles that although I did buy one for a more intermediate use I have inadvertently swapped from a continuous rocker to a hybrid camber and that was probably not a smart move . So I am thinking of licking my wounds and selling the assassin and perhaps looking at a hybrid Rocker.
Your thoughts would be appreciated
Steve
Hi Steve
Thanks for your message.
It sounds like it could work for you to go with a Hybrid Rocker. Something with a bit of the feel of a more rockered board but with a bit more stability at speed. Something that’s still good for leaning on but a little bit more advanced than the Ripcord (which is a great beginners board but has a limited lifespan in terms of progression). I would check out the following for some good options:
>>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards
From that list, the following have a hybrid rocker, or full rocker profile and would work well for you, IMO.
~ Never Summer Snowtrooper
~ GNU T2B
~ Arbor Whiskey
~ Burton Process Flying V
Size is also important. I would be happy to give you my opinion on size, if you could just let me know your height, weight, boot size and the size of your Ripcord and the size of your Assassin.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate, I am 50 and just starting snowboarding…. like 3 times on slopes. i have rented all the times i went. first time they gave me a 158 size board. the 2nd was not a wide (i am a 11 1/2 shoe) and the 3rd (last weekend) they told me i should use a smaller board and rented me a 152. i kept bailing on the 152 alot. was it cuz it was smaller? unfortunate they didn’t know what profile i had which sucks.
i want my own board, but want to make sure it is the right one. i don’t wnat to do jumps.. but love doing spin 180’s 360’s, and butters, oiles… etc… (only can once a while do the spins so far… very slow.) but that is what i want to do.. what is the best board for me to get, along with bindings and boots. thanks.
Hi Scott
Thanks for your message.
With 11 1/2 boots, I’m guessing that the 152 was too narrow for your boots. Boards that size don’t typically come in wide. So you may well have been having boot drag issues. In any case it might have been too short for you as well, but if you could let me know your height and weight, then I can recommend a good size for you.
This is one of the perils of renting, you often have to adjust to different boards and different sizes, which is far from ideal, when you’re starting out. Having that consistent gear every time you go really helps.
It sounds like you want to be quite freestyle focused, so I would check out the following list and look for the ones that say “freestyle” or “all-mountain-freestyle” as their “Style of Board”.
>>My Top 15 Men’s Snowboards for Beginners
And if you could let me know your height and weight, I can come back to you with a recommended size.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate. I m looking for an all Mountain – freeride board. I m an intermediate snowboarder. Not interested too much for park. Wich camber would you recommend me? Thank you very much.
Hi Gaston
Thanks for your message.
I would say anything that has a good bit of camber but also some rocker is a good idea. So anything hybrid really. If you’re mostly freeriding and not riding switch much or at all, then a directional camber profile might be a good way to go as well – which will typically be something that has more camber towards the tail and more rocker towards the nose.
You can also check out these for some good all-mountain and freeride options.
>>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards
>>Top 6 Aggressive All Mountain Snowboards
>> My Top 5 Freeride Snowboards
Hope this helps
Hey Nate, thanks for your website and the vast amount of Information that you have here.
Might you be able to assist me with a board/profile suggestion?
I am 184 cm big, weigh in at around 75kg and am more or less a beginner (doing the dreaded skidded turns instead of real, normal turns, ugh). I am hooked on this sport and am searching for a board now.
I think I will need a true all-mountain board as I’d like to do a bit of park, normal slopes and powder. Would you recommend a RCR profile or CRC?
Hi Yannick
Thanks for your message.
Either profile is a good option for all-mountain riding. Both are very good at doing a bit of everything, IMO.
The biggest difference between them, in my experience is that the CRC usually has a slightly looser, more surfy feel. The extent of that depends on how much rocker there is between the feet. The more rocker there is between the feet, the looser/surfier it will feel.
The RCR is what I would call a “stable” feel. Not loose, but also not “locked-in”, if that makes sense (a locked in feel can make it difficult to ride, especially for beginner/intermediate riders or anyone who still skids there turns, even if just from time to time). Again, how much camber there is effects this too. If it’s a RCR that is mostly camber and just subtle bits of rocker, then it will have a more “locked-in” feel to it. More rocker, the less “locked-in” it will feel.
The same with the CRC – if there is predominantly camber it will feel more “locked-in” or closer to stable than loose.
Hope that all makes sense. Anyway, both are certainly good options for a do it all. Mostly depends on the feel you’re looking for. A slightly looser feel or a more stable feel.
Since you’re looking for an all-mountain board, check out the following for some options:
>>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards
If you’d like any more details on those boards, check out the “see full review” links on them for more details and if you have any questions on any of them, I would be happy to answer them (if I know the answer of course!)
There are some other all-mountain options in this lot, which are more suitable for beginners, if you were looking to progress quickly:
>>My Top 15 Men’s Snowboards for Beginners
Hope this helps and if you still have any questions after checking those out, let me know.
Hey Nate
First and foremost I just want to say that you’re a great A dude, thanks for helping all of us here and taking the time out of your day to answer our questions!
I’ve looked at your beginner list and am now torn between the Salomon Sight and the Never Summer Snowtrooper.
Price is not really an issue here so I leaning to the Trooper one. Might I be better of with the Salomon board though?
Hi Yannick
I think the Snowtrooper would be a good choice for you, given that price isn’t a factor. It’s the kind of board that can stay with you for longer, IMO, as you progress, whereas the Sight is something you’d likely want to upgrade from sooner.
That said, it also depends on how you think you want the feel to be. The Snowtrooper has the CRC and the Sight the RCR, so based on my last reply – if you think you’d prefer a slightly surfier/looser feel, then Snowtrooper and if you think you’d prefer a more stable kind of feel, then the Sight (or something like the YES Typo or YES Libre) would be better options. I know it’s hard to know what you like the feel of if you haven’t ridden the different profiles but if you have a gut feel, go with that.
In terms of size, depending on which you go with, I’d say:
~ Snowtrooper 156 or 157X (depending on boot size) – you could go 159 and that’s a size that will last you into a more advanced level, but the smaller size would be a faster progression, IMO.
~ Sight 156 or 158W (depending on boot size) – again, you could go 159 and that’s a size that will last you into a more advanced level, but the smaller size would be a faster progression, IMO
If you’re not sure in terms of width, I can give you my opinion on good width for you if you can let me know your boot size and, if you know them, your binding angles.
Hey Nate, my boot size is a 10 (Burton Rulers).
Have you by any chance heard of the Burton descendant? A good friend of mine has the 2018 version in size 155 he got from work and he wants to ‘hand it down’ to me. To me it sounds like a good board, can you give input on this? The PurePop camber sounds interesting.
And for what it’s worth, now I’m leaning more toward the Typo if you do not think that the descendant is sufficient!
Kind regards
Hi Yannick
To me the descendant is more of a freestyle board, than an all-mountain one. It’s going to lag behind something like the Typo or the Snowtrooper in terms of powder and also for carving and speed, IMO. It’s doable – and would work well for your park riding and some freestyle over the rest of the mountain, but isn’t as versatile as the others you’re looking at, IMO. I think the 155 would be a good size for you as a park board though, so it’s something you could keep later as your dedicated park board if you were to upgrade later.
The only other thing is that the PurePop camber isn’t the most catch free – i.e. you can catch an edge on it relatively easy if you’re off your game a bit – so it’s not ideal for a beginner level, IMO. Not a terrible beginner option, as it’s quite soft flexing, but not great either. I haven’t ridden the Descendant itself, but based on other boards with PurePop Camber.
So, I’d say it’s doable but not ideal for what you’re describing.
For the Typo, I would say 158, but you could go 155. The 158 would be something that would stay with you longer in terms of progression, but you would probably progress faster on the 155. Also:
~ The 158 would be more stable at higher speeds, more stable on landings, float better in powder and hold on to a carve better
~ The 155 would be more agile/nimble at slower speeds, easier to butter, easier to spin and be a little easier to ride particularly in the beginning
Hope this gives you more info to go off for your desicion
Hello Nate, I went with the Burton Descendant. I got some brand new Burton Cartels for the board as well, more or less for free.
Gonna take the board for a spin in a week and see how it goes. I’ll most definitely get a more All-Mountain board before I go out on the mountains in november but I think the descendant is a good board to have in my quiver.
Thanks you very much for your help, see you out on the slopes, my friend.
Hi Yannick
Thanks for the update.
Sounds like a great deal, especially getting the Cartels as part of it. And yeah a good quiver board that you can compliment with a more all-mountain type board. Let me know how you like it once you’ve had a chance to ride it next week.
Hey Nate!
So, the Descendant. PurePop Camber. Switching from edge to edge was pretty painless, fast and smooth and never once did I catch an edge doing that. Pretty good pop I’d say as well. Was a lot of fun to jump around and do little butters on! I couldnt get the board to carve but thats probably just me, still working on my proper turn technique! 🙂 At high speeds it gets quite chattery and I faceplanted twice when I was doing a race with my ski-buddy. But I feel like this board handled way better than the rental boards I had in terms of speed. So quite happy with that.
Overall I am very happy with this board and can say that this board could be for beginners, maybe early intermediate riders. I can’t really compare it to other boards but I urge you to give it a try, I most certainly like it!
But now; onto the search for my all-mountain board, right? Haha!
Hi Yannick
Thanks for the update and good to hear that you’re having fun with the Descendant. Will have to try and get on one next winter or spring. Let me know if you have any more questions when looking for your all-mountain board.
Hi Nate,
the effort you put in this site is amazing! I’ve got to know so many things I wasn’t aware of!
I am an intermediate lightweight (1.73 m x 63kg) rider. I’ve been riding since 2010 and I’ve always used an old super-stiff traditional camber board (directional twin – 153 cm).
I like to roam around the mountain jumping on each sidekick/bump I find and I’m focusing on improve my freestyle skills. What I’m looking for is a board that will guarantee infinite freestyle fun on the mountain, also giving me the chance to make some good carves!
Sometimes I spend a whole day in the park, hitting mainly kickers.
Free-rides are occasional stuff, and I always ride close to the mountain pists.
What I loved the most of my current board is its great carving and pop out of ollies.
What I disliked was it’s huge stiffness and its weight. I’ve never learnt to butter due to its stiffness .
As you say, I’d define myself as a “all terrain freestyle rider”.
Could you give me some advises about the kind of board I should look for? Is 153 okay for me?
Thanks in advance; even if you won’t reply you’ve really helped me a lot already! Keep going 🙂
Hi Jacopo
Thanks for your message.
Firstly, in terms of size, I would say 153 is fine. But for an all-mountain-freestyle board – and the style you’re describing, you could even go 150-152 as well. Would make things a little easier for spins, butters and just a little more playful.
I think an all-mountain-freestyle board would be perfect for you. They are (the good ones anyway) boards that you can still carve with but are freestyle focused – designed for riding freestyle over the whole mountain and in the park (typically more jump focused than jib focused but some are pretty good for jibs too).
I would check out the following list, maybe excluding the Assassin Pro (just as it’s a bit stiffer and would be hard to learn to butter on) but the “Assassin” (non-pro version) would definitely be an option. Also I would add Lib Tech TRS in there too.
>>My Top All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
Hope this gives you some options
Hey Nate,
Thanks for the excellent explanation into the different board profiles. I’ve been boarding 1-2 weeks every season since 2006 and would consider myself a beginner-intermediate (leaning more towards the intermediate). In 2008 while is Meribel I was sold a Burton Farm 161 with Burton Cartel bindings and been on them ever since.
I married into a family of skiers and their biggest complaint is my requirement to “ratchet up” the bindings after every lift. To speed up this process, I’m looking into rear-entry bindings and think I have settled on the K2 Cinch TX… What are your thoughts on rear-entry bindings?
I am also looking at new boards. I’ve enjoyed my current board, but as I’m discovering through your site, there is plenty of newer technology out there and I find myself asking if maybe there is something that could improve my overall experience and offer me a better ride while up in the Alps each year.
I’m 5,11 (181cm) tall and weigh in at 82kg. I wear size Eur 43 (US 9.5) size boot. As I spend most my time with skiers, carving groomed slopes is my day-to-day and I’m wondering if you could recommend a R/C/R (Hybrid camber) board and suggest a board length as I’ve always felt the 161 might be a bit too long and I would be better off on a slightly shorter board.
Cheers
Guy
Hi Guy
Unfortunately, I haven’t ridden rear entry bindings for a while, so I can’t really comment on those in general or the K2 Cinch TX specifically. The other option to look into is the new Burton Step-on bindings – though you’d have to get new boots as well to get those. I haven’t tried their Step-Ons yet, but you could look more into those (I’ve heard mostly positive things and would be even quicker than rear entry).
My previous experience with Rear Entry, they were certainly quicker to strap-in and get going, but the models I tried didn’t live up to regular strap-in models. But that was quite some time ago – and I didn’t try anything K2 – so things might have changed quite a bit now.
In terms of board length, I’d put you on something around 160cm as an advanced rider. So as an intermediate rider there’d be no harm in coming down a centimeter or two from that – especially if you mostly ride groomers. So something 158-159 is probably a good size to look at for you.
I think for you something either all-mountain or all-mountain freestyle would be a good bet. You can check out some options at the links below:
>>My Top All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
>>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards
In terms of Hybrid Cambers, the following from those lists are Hybrid Camber:
~Ride Wild Life
~YES Typo
~Rossignol One LF
~Jones Mountain Twin
~Slash Brainstorm
~YES Standard
~Salomon Assassin Pro (though possibly a little stiff for beginner to intermediate level)
~Capita Outerspace Living
~YES Greats
Hope this helps
Great information! Thanks!
You’re very welcome.
Thanks for visiting the site.
Hey Nate,
First off I want to thank you for such a detailed and descriptive post! I’m very new to the snowboarding scene (Been on the mountain twice for a total of 2 days) and fell in love with snowboarding immediately! So off I went on my quest for information about the right board for me. Right now I prefer to freeride as I don’t have the skills to hit the park or jumps yet. But I would like to mix it up in the future as I become more adept at the sport! I have a couple of questions for you if you don’t mind:
1) I am a 5’9″ male weighing 128-130 (skinny and tall fellow) and am currently riding a 152cm traditional camber board from like ~2001. Would you say that 152 cm is right for me?
2) From what I read in your article it seems like a hybrid camber board would be the right fit for me, especially since I am just freeriding for now. Would you agree? One of the reasons I ask is I found a snowboard which I really like the design of (Never Summer Snowtrooper at Never Summer) but it seems to be a hybrid rocker. I know that in the end the camber style will be more important than the design as it will affect my ride, but wanted to check and see what your thoughts were first! With my traditional camber board I do have quite a bit of trouble catching edges!
Thank you so much in advance!
Hi Brandon
Thanks for your message.
I think 152cm is probably a good size for you in the long run but ideally you could go a little shorter as a beginner. Ideally around 150cm for you. But you can probably get a way with a 152cm if it’s an otherwise easy board for a beginner.
But in terms of the trad camber, that’s a difficult board to learn on compared with other profiles. So that in a 152cm certainly isn’t ideal, IMO.
Whilst hybrid camber and flat to rocker are what I would most recommend, a hybrid rocker is a close second and when it comes to the Never Summer Snowtrooper, I think this is a very suitable board for a beginner. I rode the 2018 model in the spring and it is definitely an easy going board that’s easy to initiate turns on and definitely not catchy.
Hope this helps
Awesome thank you so much for the reply! After posting my original comment I found your top 10 beginner boards and have decided to go with the #1 Rossignol District! I figure it will be the easiest to learn with and at 151cm could make a great park board to keep back after I decide to upgrade to a better all mountain board. Would you agree?
Also, if you don’t mind one more question, I noticed that you stated I would definitely need to upgrade that board when I hit the intermediate level. Will it just not handle the speeds and rougher terrain of a blue run? Or could I get away with using it through part of my intermediate phase?
Thanks again!
Hi Brandon
Sorry for the late reply. Getting ready for my wedding on Friday so its been pretty hectic!
Sounds like a good idea to be – go with the District and then you can keep that as your park board once you upgrade. I would say you could definitely get away with it part way through intermediate – but yeah, certainly for speed and for when you’re carving and really starting to get up more on the edges of the snowboard, you will appreciate something that’s better at those aspects once your at an intermediate to advanced level. And something a little stiffer is generally more stable at speed (but harder to turn when you’re beginning).
Hey thanks for the reply and that’s alright! I’m much later than you were lol. After a lot of thought and indecisiveness, I committed to the 152 Snowtrooper! I just loved the design too much to let it slip away and didn’t want to have to deal with upgrading boards. I also went with the Burton Moto boots and a of Flow Five Fusion step-in bindings for a nice soft setup to help with the beginner aspect. Thank you so much for all your in-depth articles and extremely helpful information. I would have been totally lost if not for you! Have a good one and enjoy the upcoming season! I’m personally itching to get out on the mountain 🙂
Hi Brandon
You’re very welcome. I’m definitely also itching to get back out on the mountain!
Nate, so I commented on the aggressive all mountain post you made. I could not find any of those boards online anywhere so I went with the never summer west 164W (I’m 6’0 225lbs wear a size 11.5) which is a hybrid rocker board. Prior to this I’ve ridden tradition stiff camber boards and learned how to snowboard using them. I have had a chance to ride the never summer west over the past two days at snowbird (due to the spring storm of almost 30″) and I’ve noticed that that I struggle on flats, cat tracks and when I am going relatively slow with the board. If I am not on edge the board is very shifty which I am not used to and and have fallen several falls as a result. Any tips on how to better control a hybrid rocker mainly the rocker section of it? I love the turn initation and ability of the board to carve.
ThanK
Hi Rasheed
Thanks for your message.
I think the most important thing is to get time on the board. It always takes a while to get used to a different profile. It actually took me a while to get used to traditional camber boards because I started out with a hybrid rocker – but you will get used to the different feel after a while.
With that rocker in the profile it’s always a bit more squirelly on flats and cat tracks – but again, it’s something you will get used to.
Because I demo different boards all the time, I’ve become faster at getting used to different profiles and they’re all familiar to me now. But there hasn’t been a profile that I haven’t been able to get used to. It will only take a run or two for me to get used to them now. But if you’ve been riding on a certain type of board over a long period of time and have never really ridden anything else, then it will take a few days to start feeling comfortable with it I imagine.
I’m not sure of any tips specific to riding with rocker other than giving it time – hope this helps anyway
Great thanks!
Nate,
Thanks for this article! I’ve been on a Burton Feelgood for going on 9 years and I’m ready to upgrade. I started on the board as a brand new boarder and I’d say I’m a solid intermediate boarder by now. I typically stick to the mountain (blue and black runs) and don’t really head into the terrain park, so no jumps or jibbing for me. I am on the East Coast where we don’t get a lot of powder but I’ve used this board out west and in Europe quite a bit. I would like something that maintains my ability for speed but allows me to maximize the powder when I have the chance to travel. I also plan to spend time in the bowls out west next year. From reading it seems like the Camber/Rocker/ Camber is the best choice but could the Rocker/Camber/Rocker also do the trick? I’ve “grown up” on a board known to catch edges so really anything is an upgrade ? Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer
Thanks for your message. I think that the Hybrid Camber (rocker/camber/rocker) would suit you just as well, if not better, than the Hybrid Rocker. Both will be good for what you’re describing and I think one or the other is what you should go with (over the rest). I think the hybrid camber will be the best for maximizing your powder days. The camber between the feet will help to give you that speed and stability at speed – as well as pop and spring out of turns and the rocker in the nose and tail help to keep your nose above powder – and help to make a board less catchy.
Note that there are varying degrees of these hybrid profiles – for example, with a hybrid camber profile the camber and rocker sections might be more or less pronounced and also the camber section might go just up to around the inserts and the rocker sections start early – or the camber might go most of the way to contact points – with only a small section of rocker. This will change the feel of the board.
I think that an all-mountain board would be a great option for you based on what you’re describing. Check out the link below to get some options.
>>My Top 6 Women’s All Mountain Snowboards
Hope this helps and let me know if you want any other board suggestions or sizing recommendations.
Hi Nate,
I’m an advanced beginner, linking curves with confidence. I’m gonna buy a new board and I am little bit confused what to buy. My biggest fear to catch an edge. I just sold my first board with which I had constant edge catching. It had Hybrid, Rocker-Flat-Rocker camber.
Two weeks ago I hired a Burton LTR which was excellent in that, no problem at all. Tried to get info on that board but cannot find the specs.
What would you recommend me if I want to focus to avoid the falls due to catching an edge? Rocker, camber, what type, etc? Thank you 🙂
Hi Ali
Typically speaking Hybrid Camber and Flat-to-rocker and Continuous rocker are the least catchy. But it does depend. There are different manners of hybrid camber and flat-to-rocker. Continuous rocker is the least catchy profile (but it can also feel very loose underfoot – that’s a downside if you want a more stable feeling).
To give you an example of why a Hybrid Camber or a flat-to-rocker might be more or less catchy.
A hybrid camber is anything that has camber in the middle of the board and rocker towards the tip/tail. But the amount of camber and the length of the camber and the amount of the rocker and the length of the rocker will affect how it rides. For example, something with camber that extends almost to the contact points and just has a slight bit of rocker is liekly to be more catchy than a board where the rocker starts further away from the contact points (i.e. the length of the rocker is longer).
But there are also different degrees of camber and rocker. So if the camber is quite mellow then it will likely be less catchy than if it was more extreme. If the rocker is more mellow then it’s going to be more catchy, generally speaking – but if the rocker is too extreme then it will be too loose feeling.
The same goes for flat-to-rocker.
That’s why I say generally speaking because it can depend. But generally speaking flat-to-rocker, hybrid camber and continuous rocker.
If you want some options for good beginner boards – most of which will also be good when you progress to a more advanced level – check out the link below. These are all flat-to-rocker or hybrid camber but these boards are made to be non-catchy so you know it’s the non-catchy type of flat-to-rocker and hybrid camber (if that makes sense!).
~ My Top 5 Beginner Snowboards for Men
~ My Top 5 Beginner Snowboards for Women
Hope this helps
I rode traditional camber for years, just switched to a flat last year and ill never go back!
Hey Nate, great article, was wondering if you could help me out. I started boarding about 10 years ago, 1 week away each year for 3 years, then did a season in whistler during the Olympics, but never boarded again after that until last week. I always wanted to learn park stuff like butters, 180 360, doing jumps etc but never did. Can you suggest a board for someone like me that wants to ride all mountain stuff but get into the park too? I’ve been pointed in the direction of Ride Kink, Saloman Villain and Bataleon Disaster. I’m 163cm roughly, 53kg, and currently have an F2/Ftwo Blackdeck 147cm, stiff enough and is a nice ride for mountain, nice carve and edge holding, very hard to catch an edge which I appreciate. Also the fact that it’s super light is great for me as I’m not a big guy. So basically a board that is stable at speed, can carve nice, but light and flexible enough I can butter, ollie, hit jumps and start doing 180/360 etc in and out of the park. Thanks a lot man.
Hi Stephen
Thanks for your message.
In terms of the boards you mentioned – I’m not that familiar with Bataleon boards so I won’t comment there – I think the Assassin is the best option in terms of what you want to do. The Kink is more purely park focused and probably won’t be up to what you want in terms of stability at speed and carving.
That said, I’m not sure that the Assassin is necessarily the best at that either – but would do a better job.
To me it sounds like you want an all-mountain-freestyle board (which the assassin is) – that is unless you like to/get to ride a lot of powder, then you’ll probably want to go with an all-mountain board.
Check out the links below to for some options. If you do feel like you want something softer I’ve also added in my freestyle list as well.
~ Top 5 All-Mountain Freestyle Snowboards
~ Top 10 All-Mountain Snowboards
~ Top 10 Freestyle Snowboards
In terms of sizing, I think something around a 143 to 145cm would be a good size to you. I’d say you’re “standard size” for an all-mountain board would be around 146cm – but if you want to start riding the park and be doing 180s/360s etc then it’s a good idea to go a bit shorter.
If you find some other options in there that you like and have specific questions about them, let me know.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate,
Thanks for the reply! Years ago when I rented a board they gave me I think a 144cm and it felt so light and turned so easy so I totally agree there. The 148cm feels good, but I think that 143-145 would be a good feel as you say. But I often have a problem with finding a board I like the sound and look of, then seeing that I can’t get it in my size. I’ve actually always wanted a Lib Tech board so when I seen it on your list it sparked my attention. The Lib Tech TRS sounds great, they do a 148 Narrow, but I was thinking something shorter would be nice. The only shorter board they do is the Skate Banana at 145cm. I’ve heard all about the Skate from others that it’s fantastic, plus I can actually buy it quite close to me and wouldn’t have to have it shipped from USA/Canada, do you think this kind of board would suit me? I read your review of it and combined with everything else I’ve heard, it seems like a great stick. Or would you suggest sticking with the 148cm Narrow TRS? Thanks again for the feedback!
Hi Stephen
If you like the sound of the Skate Banana, then I think that would be the better option – mostly because you can get it in the 145cm. I think this will be a better size for you than the 148N TRS.
The Skate Banana is definitely a great board for learning the likes of butters, 180s, jibs, jumps, spins etc. You’ll sacrifice a little bit in terms of speed and carving compared to the TRS, but it’ll be a great board for learning some freestyle skills.
Hi Nate,
That sounds good, Most of my time I spend on the mountain trails, from green to blacks and above, or just off them in powder, some tree runs here and there. But like I said I want to start learning all those things in and out of the park and the natural features on the mountain. I don’t mind sacrificing some speed as long as the carving ability is still there and won’t wash out on hard or fast turns. It still amazes me how 3 or 4cm can make a noticeable difference in the feel of your ride. Thanks again for all your input!
You’re very welcome Stephen.
I find even 2cm can make a noticeable difference in a snowboard (all else being equal). It is amazing how the smallest differences can make a difference.
Hi Nate,
At first I have to say your articles are very helpful!
Can you give me advice for which would be better park board, Lib Tech Skate Banana-style board or hybrid rocker-style? I’ve always been using a traditional camber board and I want to try something new.
I’m looking for a board that can handle rails, small to medium jumps and occasional all-mountain action. I also looking for medium-soft board.
Hi Wade
Thanks for your message.
Technically the Skate Banana is Hybrid Rocker – but there’s so little camber in the tip/tail that it’s essentially continuous rocker. Either can work for park riding – Hybrid Rocker, Continuous Rocker and Flat to Rocker are all good for the park. Hybrid camber is also good but I prefer the other 3 in the park. Personally I really like the Hybrid Rocker and Flat to Rocker for the park. The Continuous Rocker is good too but I don’t find it as good for landing jumps and won’t be as good for when you want to ride the rest of the mountain (in my opinion).
Check out the next link for more on choosing a freestyle snowboard.
~ How to choose a freestyle snowboard
And also check out the next link for my top 10 freestyle snowboards if you want some ideas.
~ My Top 10 Freestyle Snowboards
Hi,
Great article and comments section. I’m an intermediate and most of my riding has been/will in the Alps.
I’ve spent most of my snowboarding life on a Skate Banana I got a good deal on, before I even knew what a rocker board actually was, never the less I’ve grown accustomed to it and ride it all over the mountain in all conditions and occasional park. I’ve tried the odd cambered board but still prefer the rocker,mostly for its forgiveness on bumpy terrain and easy turning.
I’m now in the market for a new board and am considering a CRC hybrid (Rome Reverb) with the hope that it will have similar Rocker characteristics which I love but some increased edge stability and less tendency of wiping out while carving. Other boards I’m considering are Rossignol Angus and the Salomon Time Machine, these are RCR profiles so I’m worried that they will behave more like Chambered boards with the Rocker’s ability to surf in case of powder (which I don’t really need as I will be keeping the Libtech for that).
I was wondering what your thoughts and opinions would be about this.
Thanks for your time!
Hey Dave
The Hybrid Rocker (CRC) profile will be more similar to the Skate Bananas profile than a Hybrid Camber (RCR) profile. But I wouldn’t say that a Hybrid Camber profile behaves like a Camber board. The rocker sections also add for easier turning when compared to tarditional camber and will also help with riding on bumby terrain when compared to a trad camber board. The rocker does also help with powder.
But you’re correct that the camber sections in the CRC will help with stability and help with carving without wiping out. You’ll definitely notice that over a continuous rocker board. The camber sections also help to add pop for ollies and spring out of turns.
The extent of any of this depends on the length of each camber and rocker sections and the depth (how extreme the rocker or camber is).
For the Rome Reverb make sure that you are looking at the Rome Reverb Rocker rather than the Rome Reverb. The Reverb Rocker is the one with the Hybrid rocker (CRC) profile. The Rome Reverb has a traditional camber profile.
Hi Nate,
Thanks for getting back to me. Your comments are very helpful!
You’re very welcome Dave
Hi Nate,
thanks for great article. 🙂 Please, could you help me with one question?
I want to buy my first snowboard – for beginner. Do you think Nitro Spell 2015 would be good board for female beginner? It is a park snowboard, flat camber but on the other hand soft and forgiving. What would you recommend? Should I go for It or look at other model rather? Thank you!
Hey SimonaL
Park boards often, but not always, serve as good beginner boards. I don’t follow the Nitro brand that closely but based on the specs of that board, I think it would make a good beginner board.
But make sure you get the size right – that can also have a big impact on how easy or hard the board is to ride. Let me know if you’d like me to recommend a size for you. I’d need your height and weight to make a size recommendation.
If you do want other options, you could check out my top 5 women’s snowboards for beginners list at the link below. But I think that the Spell would be fine.
>>Top 5 Women’s Beginner Snowboards
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
thank you for the reply!
I was considering to get 151. I am 173 cm tall and my weight is around 68 kg.
What do you think?
I have already checked your article. The second option for me is Rossignol Myth, looks really cool.
I think the 151 would be a good size for you.
If you were to go with the Myth then the 149 would be the best size option.
Thanks Nate! Right know, I am also thinking about Ride Rapture. 151 would be fine? What do you think?
Ride Rapture is a great beginners board. I think the 151 would be the best size for the Rapture if you go with that.
So after all, I decided I will go for Rossignol Myth 🙂
Nate, do you think 149 will be fine with bindings M ? (US 9) I am afraid It will be small..but I am not sure.
Hi Simona
The board should fit size M bindings fine. In terms of fitting the boots, it will depend on the brand of bindings you go for. For some brands an M will be the right size for size 9 boots. For other brands you might need to get large. Check out the post below for different brands sizing.
>>Snowboarding Bindings Sizing
Hey Nate,
Didn’t want to get back to you till I had a chance to ride the new setup. We finally had a little snow where I got a chance to try the new setup out. First off the Jibsaw has a lot more flex, much less effort to turn (easier to turn etc). I think the Union Bindings have a lot to do with that. I have the old Burton Mission Bindings from 2006 on the Burton unic. It is just as fast as both the Burton Unic and also the GNU 160. I took it up to Mount Snow Conn. last week and again was impressed by the whole setup. Overall just a lot less effort to ride the the older boards. It allows me also to be more flexible and more bend in the knees.
Thanks Again Nate for all the help
Hey Rob
You’re very welcome.
Awesome to hear that your loving your new setup!
Hey Nate,
I am new to the sport. I have been riding a hand me down Burton Unic Romain Di Marchi 2003/2004 156…And have Burton Mission Bindings from same era. I don’t even know what style of board it is Rocker/Camber or flat etc. I also ride a hand me down Gnu Carbon High Beams 160 made by Mervin Mfg I think it is a flat idk? Do you know anything about these boards? Style if they are good etc. A guy on the mountain saw my Burton Unic and he said it was a $600+ board when new.
Thanks Nate
Burton Uninc Ultimate Snowboarding Forum
Hey Rob
I never had the chance to ride the Uninc but did hear good things about it. Apparently the Burton Easy Livin is the modern day equivalent of the uninc. I’m not sure what camber profile the uninc had but the Easy Livin has a Hybrid rocker profile but with a twist. It’s rocker between the feet, camber at the inserts and then rocker again outside the inserts. It’s a softer flexing board and that plus the profile sounds like it would be a great board to learn on. But like I say I’m not sure about the uninc and a lot of boards in those days were traditional camber.
The Easy Livin retails for USD$549. Not sure what the uninc went for but probably something similar.
I think the Carbon High Beams stopped being made in 2009 but don’t quote me on that. It had a good rep so I imagine that there as a GNU board that is the evolution of that but with a different name but I’m not sure which it is.
Depending on your weight/height the Uninc would probably be the better learning board as it’s shorter. Have you had a chance to ride both yet? Which did you prefer? Sounds like some sweet hand me downs anyway!
Hey Nate,
Thanks for the response!!! I am 5’10” about 185…..I ride in new jersey and Pennsy…I ride mostly the 160 Gnu… I am getting very good fast as far as open riding . With a new board would I notice the difference right away from these older boards? Are they that much different then the hand me downs I have? I was looking at the Never Summer Ripsaw 159 and some Union Force Bindings? Would this be a good setup for me? I hoping for better edge hold at high speeds etc? I get some clatter from the GNU…
Hey Robert
I think the Uninc would be the better length for a beginner at your height/weight but you sound like you’re progressing pretty fast and it also sounds like you have the need for speed – in which case that longer length is good (longer length is better for speed and stability at speed).
There have definitely been a lot of tech advances since 2003/04 but it’s hard to say how much you’d notice without actually riding an 04 and a 2015/16 side by side. But I’d say you’d notice quite a bit – especially in the camber profile – but that’s not to say that you have to upgrade.
I wouldn’t normally recommend the Ripsaw for beginners. It’s quite stiff and really recommended for advanced to expert riders. It does have pretty good edge-hold so that would be good for you but might be a bit hard to maneuver. Same goes with the Force these are more for at least intermediate. But again as it sounds like you are probably getting there.
You could check out the list of all-mountain snowboards at the following link. Most of these have a medium flex (normally I’d recommend medium-soft for beginners but you can probably handle the medium and that extra stiffness gives more edge-hold).
~ My Top 10 All-Mountain Snowboards
In particular from that list I’d recommend, in terms of being good at speed and with good edge-hold in hard and icy conditions:
~ Rossi One Magtek
~ Jones Mountain Twin
~ Lib Tech Skunk Apes
~ Never Summer West
Those are just some options.
You could also check out my list of all-mountain snowboard bindings at the list below.
~ My Top 5 all mountain snowboard bindings
I think the Flux DS, K2 Lien AT or Burton Genesis would be good for you. But that’s not to say that the Union Force aren’t also suitable – just not entirely sure that they might be slightly too aggressive for you at this stage but they might be ok.
Hey Nate,
Thanks for the help!!!! After doing a little more research. I ended up buying a 157 Rossignol Jibsaw /Magtek . And also picked up a pair of Union Atlas Bindings …Will be trying the setup out friday in Jersey………I will let you know if I feel much different then the Burton Unic etc..Hoping for less chatter with the Magtek at higher speeds and easier carving etc..
Hey Rob
Thanks for the update. Let me know what you think of the setup after Friday
Nate, Been riding a Savard flat board since 1997 exclusively in New England which as you may know means hard pack, ice, and occasional powder (if we choose to plan a morning ride immediately after/during a storm). I’m tempted to try a camber because we ride groomed hard pack often, but would it totally ruin those powder experiences -albeit few? One powder ride at Wildcat is worth my season and i’d hate to screw it up if i went away from a flat board. My Burton boots are from mid/late 90’s too and so comfortable – like slippers, but after actually tweaking my ankle, i’m finally looking to get new gear. What’s a good boot and binding too while i’ve got you? I’m 41 now and just like to cruise. I guess my question is: Can an expert cruiser enjoy power with camber as much as flat? Thanks.
Hey Tom
Great that your boots have held up all this time and haven’t fallen apart! That said, I think you’ll really benefit from some new boots in terms of response. For your boots I would check out the link below. This is a list of what I think are the best all-mountain boots going around at the moment. You should be able to find something in there that is responsive but also forgiving and comfortable.
~ My Top 5 Men’s All Mountain Snowboard Boots
Also for bindings I’d go for all-mountain to get that good balance of response and forgiveness and comfort.
~ My Top 5 All-Mountain Snowboard Bindings
In terms of snowboard camber (to answer your questions in reverse order!) I wouldn’t go for traditional camber because this could definitely affect your powder days. But if you go for hybrid camber (Camber between the feet/at the inserts) and rocker towards the tip and tail then you’ll get the edge-hold and stability from the camber sections but you’ll get great float in powder from the rocker sections. That’s what I’d try rather than going to full camber.
Hope this helps – let me know if you have any other questions or would like any board recommendations.
Hey Nate, thanks for the detailed description.
I’ve recently started snowboarding (~10+ days on snow) and have been loving it. I’m able to slowly go through Blacks on the mountain and do some basic tricks, as well as ride a little switch. I’m going to Japan in March for my third trip and was thinking of picking up a board.
Based on my level, what kind of board would you recommend and what type of level would you classify me under? Thanks in advance Nate.
Hey Daniel
Sounds like you’re making some great progress for only 10ish days. I would say you are a high level beginner bordering on intermediate – which is really awesome for a 10 day old rider! I would still go with a deck that can support your progress. If you go with something that’s too far beyond your ability it will slow your progress down.
I would check out my top 5 snowboards post or my catalogue of what I consider the top 10 men’s beginner snowboards. Whilst you won’t be classified as a beginner for much longer (if even now) these boards will suit you for progression through the intermediate stage too. Most of these boards are suitable for beginners but also for intermediate riders and sometimes up to advance as well. But I do think you should stick to one of these rather than a more advance board – as I say you don’t want to slow your progress after you’ve made such a sweet start.
Check out the links below for these. The first one goes into a bit of detail on the top 5 boards and the next one is just a list of what I think are the top 10 beginner snowboards.
~ Top 5 mens beginner snowboards
~ Top 10 mens beginner snowboards
Very jealous of your trip to Japan – have an awesome time there and I hope this helps.
Hi Nate,
I am learning a lot from your website!
I found myself having the same riding style (all mountain free-style) as you, so am wondering if there is any snowborads you have experience with, and can recommend?
thank!
Hi Jerry
I currently own the Flow Era. I am really enjoying riding this board at the moment. It’s definitely a great all-mountain-freestyle board. I’ve had it for the last couple of seasons and it’s held up really well too so it’s got good longevity too. Check out the video below to see the ERA in action.
I have the 2013 model and they’ve made the board even better since then.
Hope this helps – let me know if you want any other recommendations.
Hey Nate,
I have been riding for 12 years now and in the market for a new board. My style of riding is all mountain. I normally ride trees and am always searching for powder stashes. I also enjoy finding natural features to launch, and sending it on rollers. On some boards, I have noticed they get a little shifty when trying to line up for rollers on a flat base. I am torn between a traditional camber and a hybrid rocker which is common on most boards I have seen ( ex lib techs). Would a hybrid rocker still be shifty when lining up for rollers, or do you think this type of board would be a good fit? I also enjoy taking a lap or two threw the park hitting medium sized jumps and board sliding some rails.
Hey Thomas
Thanks for visiting.
In my opinion the hybrid rocker profile is the going to be the best for your style.
A traditional camber won’t be as good when you find those powder stashes and they definitely won’t be as good when you want to hit the park.
The hybrid rocker profile should be fine for approaching rollers. It will of course depend on the particular board but in general you should be sweet. The camber sections in the hybrid rocker profile help with stability and edge hold so you should be able to line those up no probs on a hybrid rocker. It should also be great for landing off rollers.
And when you get into the park the hyrbrid rocker is going to be more fun especially on the rails.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you’d like any board recommendations or have any other questions.
Hi Nate.
I’m learning a lot from your site. I’m looking at a new board for the season starting here in NZ. My current board is an 8-year-old full-cambered Burton Custom.
I’m thinking of joining the modern world and getting a hybrid like the Jones Mountain Twin. Would I find this too washy? I like to charge down groomers and want my board to really be able to hold an edge but also want a bit of give for off-piste riding.
Thanks.
Hey Blayne
Thanks for visiting. Glad your learning heaps. I’m originally from NZ! – currently living in Vancouver. Where do you usually ride?
I think the Jones Mountain Twin would be great for your purposes. It has camber under your bindings so you’ll still get that stability and response and great edge-hold so you shouldn’t find it too washy. But it also has rocker towards the nose which will help for floating in powder in the backcountry (off-piste). It has a medium flex which should be similar to the Custom (assuming the custom had the same flex 8 years ago as it has now!). So that flex should give you that bit of give you’re after.
It also has magnetraction (which is like a serrated edge) which will help with edge hold in harder snow (but it’s mellow so it shouldn’t be too grabby in powder).
I reckon it would suit your purposes well.
Season just ending here – hope you have a great season!
A fellow Kiwi, choice. I’m in Christchurch so mainly Mt Hutt though the past few years have been with the kids at Roundhill, Mt Lyford and Rainbow. Those little fields are actually quite fun and really uncrowded.
Thanks for the advice.
Nice one. I haven’t explored the Canterbury mountains but would love to check them out next time I get some NZ winter.
Hi Nate,
Really comprehensive breakdown of the different types of boards out there and what they are suited to. Its interesting because it sounds a little like engineers terminology and you can get that feel with it just how much research and design goes into them.
Thanks again for the expert advice and we will be visiting again to check out your next posts.
Best wishes
Jade & Lovane
Hey Jade & Lovane! Thanks again for your input. Yeah heaps of technology goes into snowboards these days. It’s totally full on engineering. And camber profile is just one area area. You should here some of the other terms for other parts of the snowboard!
I learned how to snowboard once like eight years ago, and I never knew there were so many different types of shape to your board. When I pick it back up again I’m going to have to compare and see what I like best.
Hey Sarah! I’d say 8 years ago all of these camber types would have barely existed. Would have been mostly just traditional camber back then. That would be 2006 – yeah trad camber would have been pretty much the only camber profile around. Now it only takes up less than 10% (of the boards I looked at anyway) – how quickly things change!
Hey Nate!
Nice indepth article. I think as a beginner I’d go with the rocker myself!
Hey Ermin! Rocker can be good for beginners. But it can also feel a bit loose which might make it a bit more tricky to get your balance early on. I’d look into flat to rocker (rocker/flat/rocker) or a hybrid rocker (rocker/camber/rocker) this way you get the stability of flat or camber underfoot and the turn initiation assistance in the rocker. Continuous rocker/reverse camber will be fine for a beginner too – just might be a slightly steeper learning curve but will definitely make turning easier.
Love the site. The information about snowboarding is great and in depth. The site is very help for someone who might be shopping for one. Thank you.
Hey Darren. Glad you find it helpful. That’s the idea to make that snowboard buying process easier. It took me a long time to figure it out so trying to make it faster/easier for others.
Wow! Thanks for explaining this… I think the reverse camber will be the one for me 😉
No worries Steve. Glad to help. Thanks for stopping by!