Snowboard Guide

Wavejammer's Guide to
Snowboard Types, Specs & Construction

Board Types

twin tip (freestyle) - the nose and tail have the same shape and the stance (the center of the binding inserts) is centered on the length of the board. The nose and tail kicks also tend to be shorter in length. This is the best shape for freestyle, half pipe and whatever other trickery your're into.

twin directional - the nose and tail have the same shape, although they may have slightly different flex patterns, and the stance position will have a slight setback (often about half an inch). This is kind of a cross between a freestyle and a freeride shape.

directional (freeride) - the nose and tail shape will differ, usually with the nose being longer and higher compared to the tail, as well as still greater flex pattern differences between nose and tail. The stance setback will also be a little greater (often about an inch). This is more of an all-mountain carving kind of shape.

Board Specs

length - from tip to tail. (all dimensions are in centimeters)

effective edge - the length of the board that actually touches the snow (i.e. the whole length minus the sections where the nose and tail kick up).

sidecut radius - indicates the curvature of the sides of the board's template. A smaller radius means a sharper curve which will make tighter turns. A higher radius means straighter sides which will be better at carving than at tighter turns.

nose / tail width - measured at the widest points of the board.
waist width - measured at the narrowest point near the center. The nose, waist and tail width give you some indication of the degree of sidecut. The widths also will give you some idea as to how the board will relate to your shoe size, but where your bindings will be the width will probably be a centimeter or two more than the waist width.

weight - in pounds, without bindings.

flex patterns - this is one aspect of a board which is difficult to quantify (which is why its not listed in the specs) but is very significant in how the board rides. The flex can be characterized as torsional flex (how stiff it is twisting about the boards lengthwise axis) or longitudinal flex (how stiff it is bending up and down). Flex patterns are, to a large degree, a matter of personal preference. In general, freestyle boards will often have more flex for easier turning and the flex patterns will be more symetrical between the nose and the tail. Freeride boards will be stiffer, to hold your edge better when carving, making them more stable at higher speeds.

Board Construction

Each manufacturer has its own approach to improving board performance and durability. From one to another they may use different materials (different wood cores, different fiberglass, different base materials, different top sheets, different edges). They each have their own construction process and design details, from sandwhich to full cap and some variations in between. If you read through the board descriptions for each of the lines we carry, they might sound similar. That's partly because we only carry high quality snowboards at Wavejammer. Life's too short to ride bad boards.

Snowboard Guide