Not all snowboards are created equal – there are several different types of snowboards.
You could really say that every make and model of snowboard is unique but it’s more useful to look at some broader categories so that you know that type of snowboard you want to search for.
The different types of Snowboard
Some snowboard manufacturers and retailers have different names for different types and everyone have slightly different ideas of what certain terms mean.
In this post I’m going to outline how I classify the different snowboards.
Beginner
This isn’t really a snowboard type as such and manufacturers don’t call any of their snowboards “beginner snowboards”. However, there are some snowboards that are better suited for beginners than others.
Check out the link below to learn what specs to look out for in a beginner snowboard.
Typical Specs
Flex: Medium soft (3-4/10)
Shape: True Twin
Setback Stance: Centered
Camber Profile: Hybrid Camber, Flat to Rocker best
Base: Extruded
Freestyle/Park
Freestyle boards are made to do tricks, jumps and hit jibs. Freestyle is still a fairly broad category and some people prefer a freestyle deck that is more focused on different aspects.
For example if you are more into jibs than anything else then usually you’ll go for a softer flexing board – anything from a 1/10 (1 being the softest and 10 being the stiffest) and a 4/10. This is also a great flex for smaller jumps and flat land tricks.
If you prefer your jumps large and more extreme then a bit of a stiffer flex is often sought – a 5 or 6 out of 10. If you spend a lot of time in the pipe a flex more around that 5-6/10 is more preferable also, in general. A lot of all-mountain-freestyle boards (see below) are better in the pipe and for larger jumps.
If you like to do a bit of everything freestyle then a 4/10 is a good way to go, in my opinion.
Of course some of this comes down to personal preference too.
No matter what type of freestyle you prefer you’ll pretty much always have a centered stance and a true twin shape.
Typical Specs
Flex: Medium-soft, soft or medium (1-6/10)
Shape: True Twin
Setback Stance: Centered
Camber Profile: Various but usually some rocker in the profile
Base: Extruded more often but sintered common too
All-Mountain-Freestyle
The all-mountain-freestyle snowboard is like a hybrid between a freestyle snowboard and an all-mountain snowboard.
It allows you to ride the whole mountain and be able to ride freestyle on the whole mountain and is better in the park than an all-mountain board.
Typical Specs
Flex: Medium (sometimes medium-soft sometimes medium-stiff)
Shape: True Twin or Directional Twin
Setback Stance: Centered
Camber Profile: Various
Base: Extruded and Sintered but sintered preffered
All-Mountain
The all-mountain snowboard is designed to be able to do a bit of everything. There will always be some compromise in an all mountain snowboard.
For example to be ideal in riding powder you will want to have directional shape and a setback stance. However, for riding freestyle, you will want a true twin shape and a centered stance.
An all-mountain board finds the middle ground that allows you to do a bit of everything.
Typical Specs
Flex: Medium
Shape: Directional Twin (sometimes Directional)
Setback Stance: Usually between 5mm and 20mm (seldom cenetered and seldom greater than 20mm setback)
Camber Profile: Various
Base: Sintered (but cheaper all-mountain boards will have an extruded base)
- Learn more details about all-mountain snowboards here (plus aggressive all-mountain and all-mountain-freestyle)
Aggressive-All-Mountain
An aggressive all mountain snowboard is like an all mountain snowboard but it’s closer to a freeride board than a freestyle board.
So it’s really good for riding aggressive all over the mountain but isn’t really suited to riding the park or riding freestyle.
Typical Specs
Flex: Medium-Stiff
Shape: Directional & Directional Twin
Setback Stance: Between 5mm and 20mm mostly
Camber Profile: Predominantly Hybrid Camber and Traditional Camber
Base: Sintered
Freeride
A freeride board is an aggressive, directional, stiff board that is designed to ride fast, carve well and be able to explore the backcountry so needs to be good in powder – but also be good in hard snow conditions.
A freeride board won’t be very good in the park at all or for riding freestyle – though a lot of freeriders do like to be able to do some freestyle type riding in the backcountry – particularly when there is plenty of powder.
Typical Specs
Flex: Stiff
Shape: Directional or Tapered Directional
Setback Stance: 20mm or more
Camber Profile: Various but hybrid camber most common
Base: Sintered
Powder
A powder board is a specialized board for riding powder.
It will also have a tapered directional shape a majority of the time – you’ll usually find they have a nose that is wider and longer than the tail. There are always exceptions to the rule – you do have true twin powder boards but these are the exception to the rule.
And the setback is usually greater than 20mm – which is no surprise as a setback stance really helps with float in the powder. Again there are always exceptions and you can get powder boards with a centered stance.
Typical Specs
Flex: Medium or Medium-Stiff
Shape: Tapered Directional
Setback Stance: Usually more than 20mm
Camber Profile: Hybrid Camber and Flat-to-Rocker
Base: Sintered
Thanks for Reading
Thanks for reading and I hope you now know more about the different types of snowboards and the specs that the different types typically have. Check out the links above to learn more about each type of snowboard.
hi,
Been snowboarding since 1996. I have a salomon board size 154.
I’m 5’10 and 140. Im 60 yrs old . i stay more on blues now than black runs.
I still love going on powdered moguls though when we get it in PC, utah .
Im looking to upgrade my board. need your guidance.
Grace
Hi Grace, thanks for your message.
Could you also let me know your boot size. Just so I know the best size range to look at.
Hi Nate,
I am a female that’s been boarding since the 90s with the same burton board from then. It’s time for a new board and was thinking of getting the burton feelgood flying v. My acient board is a 152 and I’m 5’4″, 120lbs. A lot of people think I should get a smaller board but I’m very comfortable with my 152 so I’m torn. I do understand that this is a rocker/camber combo which is new to me. Also, I’m a solid intermediate that mostly likes slamming down the hill with sharp turns.
Any recommendations for me?
Hi Holly
Thanks for your message.
From what you’re describing, I think you would be better off going for the Feelgood camber, rather than the Flying V. Since you are riding with a board from the 90s, the Flying V will be a very big adjustment – and you might find that it feels too loose.
Size-wise, I agree that something smaller would be better, particularly if you like sharp turns. Something around 145 would be a good size for you in my opinion, but since you’re used to a 152 and are comfortable with that, then maybe going with something in between those sizes would be a good bet – maybe 147-150. So, if you were to go Feelgood, then the 149 might be the best bet – something in between.
If you didn’t want to go full camber, and try something with a hybrid camber profile, then I would go for something that has a “hybrid camber” profile – which is camber under the feet and between the feet, with rocker towards tip and tail. This will give you the feel of camber underfoot that you’re used to but be a bit more forgiving than full camber. The Flying V profile has rocker between the feet, camber underfoot and then rocker again out towards tip and tail.
Check out the following for some good options:
>>My Top 6 Women’s All-Mountain Snowboards
Or if you don’t really see powder, then these would also work well.
>>My Top 5 Women’s All-Mountain Freestyle Snowboards
The Hel Yes and Twin Sister, from the first list are both Hybrid camber (and there are the camber versions of the Swoon and Feelgood there too).
The Salomon Rumble Fish and Capita Paradise are both hybrid camber, from the second list.
All of those options are good for intermediate and up, too, IMO.
Hope this helps with your decision
I’m also 5’4 and have ridden comfortably with a 152 for the past couple of years. The I love the feel good Flying V it’s has proven to be a very resourceful board to me
Hi Joana
Thanks for your input and insights.
What is your weight? Height is only one factor for choosing length and weight is, IMO, the more important factor for choosing the length of a board. Height comes into it but has a smaller impact on the best size. The Feelgood Flying V model is an easier going board as well, so would be easier to handle in a 152 than the Feelgood Camber. While you may like the Flying V, it’s not the same for everyone and depends on your riding style and the conditions where you ride. It may be the case that you ride in icy conditions a lot and haven’t had an issue with the Flying V profile, but personally I have never been able to hold an edge in ice with that profile – and many others have said the same. I’m not sure Holly, whether you ride in icy conditions a lot or not, but given that you like slamming down the hill, you’re more likely to enjoy the camber, IMO, as it will handle speed and hold and edge better at speed, even when it’s not icy. And particularly if you’ve ridden a trad camber for 25+ years, adapting to a camber profile like the Flying V would take some time, I would imagine, even if you were riding in good conditions all the time, and didn’t want to ride very fast.
Hi, im willing to buy my first snowboard. Im from Dominican Republic and there is no snow here so i just snowboard for 1 week (snow trips are expensive). I have snowboard like 4 years (1 week each year and not all the years in a row). Im 5’9, skinny 125lbs, 22 years old, i wear 9 or 8.5 in sneakers. I consider myself an intermediate or maybe beginner but want to be an expert. I like riding fast. What tyoe of snowboard do you guys recommend me? Should i buy an used or a new snowboard. Give me some tips please.
Hi Eduardo
Thanks for your message.
Sounds like you’re a good fit for the following list:
>>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards
Which are what I would consider great for anyone high-end beginner or intermediate looking to advance. Since you like riding fast, I think the Templar, Whiskey, Typo, Libre and Outerspace Living would be your best bets off that list.
Whether you buy a new or used board is up to you. You save money on the used board, but there’s more risk in terms of the condition it’s in, and typically if a board is well used it will have become softer flexing than it was when it started out life. So you don’t necessarily get the same feel that you would from a new board, depending on the board and depending on how much it’s been used. And also there is typically less choice in terms of size. And getting the right size is just as important as getting the right board. Also if you go for something that’s too old, then it won’t have some of the tech that more modern boards have. I often find that trying to find something that’s past season is a good way to go – still a new board, but the price has dropped because it’s a past season board. But if you can find a used board that’s not too many seasons old, in good condition and hasn’t been ridden to death, and in a good size for you, then going consider used is a good option.
Size-wise for you, I would say to look for something around 146 to 149. There aren’t a lot of options in that size-range. But for your specs, I wouldn’t go too much longer than 150, especially as a beginner. Assuming you get in around an 8.5 boot (US size) you shouldn’t have any issues with width for that length of board. The Typo comes in a 149 and the Arbor Whiskey in a 148.
Hope this helps
Hello , all my snowboard equipment got stolen, so bought all Ride stuff, got a deal on this stuff, the boots and bindings r good. But I hate the board ,it feels too stiff , had some hard crashes . My other board that got stolen was a cheapy from sport chek called Silience , probably gunk, but I loved it,compared to this Ride board , what r the differences , maybe I need a softer more flexible board, that Silience board was about 15 years old. Thanks for any suggestions
Hi Rennie
Thanks for your message – sorry that your gear got stolen – that sucks!
If you could give me a bit more information, then I can make a more informed recommendation.
1. What is the model of Ride board
2. What is the size of the Ride board
3. What was the size of your old board
4. What are your specs – height, weight, boot size
5. What is your ability level
6. What kind of riding do you like to do (trees, park, just cruise the groomers, bit of everything etc)