Buying a snowboard is a major investment. Like all big investments, a certain amount of research should be done before plunking down your hard earned money to ensure you’re getting the best board possible. Read on to learn about the different types of boards, how to determine what size board is best, and when the best time to buy is.

Determine Your Riding Style
The type of riding you do should be the biggest influence on the type of board you purchase. The biggest difference, equipment-wise, exists between Freestyle/All-Mountain riding and the race disciplines. Race equipment, also referred to as Alpine gear consists of hard-boots that closely resemble ski boots, as well as longer, stiff-flexing directional boards and specialized bindings. Unless you are an advanced intermediate or above, you’ll want to look for freestyle/all-mountain equipment, which features softer flexing boards, soft boots, and either strap-in or step-in bindings.

How Tall Should My Board Be?
All snowboards are measured in centimeters from tip to tail, with the last two numbers often incorporated into the board’s name (so a Burton Custom 56 would be 156cm tall).

Beginners and freestyle riders generally look for shorter boards to enable them to maneuver easier – between the collarbone and chin is a good height. All-mountain riders tend to prefer a slightly longer board, measuring between the chin and the nose.

Riders that spend most of their time in the riding big mountain terrain and deep powder should look for a taller board, generally measuring between the nose to several inches above the forehead.
How Wide Should My Board Be?

The final factor in determining the proper sized board is the width. Standing on top of a properly sized board, your feet should stretch almost entirely across the board. Too much distance between your feet and the edges makes it difficult to apply pressure to get the board to turn, while having your toes and/or heels overhanging the edges of the board results in drag that can cause unintended falls. Fortunately for riders with large feet, many manufacturers produce their boards in both regular and wide models.
How Stiff Should My Board Be?
The stiffness of a snowboard affects both how easy it is to turn as well as how well it will hold an edge on hard snow. Freestyle boards are generally softer than all-mountain boards, due to the freestyler’s need to make minute adjustments when performing tricks. Beginners should always go with the softest board that can accommodate their height and weight. More advanced riders generally choose stiffer boards for harder snow (often found in the eastern U.S.) and slightly softer boards for powder (often found in the western U.S.).

Do Graphics Matter?
No. The best board for you is the best board for you, regardless of what’s decorating the topsheet.

Riding a snowboard makes you a snowboarder. But did you know there are several different disciplines within the sport of snowboarding? A day in the life of a freestyle snowboarder is different from a day in the life of an all-mountain rider. A day in the life of a snowboard racer differs drastically from both a freestyle rider and an all-mountain rider. Read on to learn about the different types of snowboarding and how your riding style can affect equipment choices, favored resorts and more.
Freestyle Snowboarding

Freestyle snowboarding is the discipline most closely associated with snowboarding’s skateboard roots. Freestyle riders spend the majority of their time in terrain parks and the halfpipe, performing aerial tricks, sliding and jibbing handrails and other man-made obstacles, and executing flat-ground tricks like butters, flat-spins, and ollie/nollie variations. Freestyle riders also frequently take to the streets, using urban features like ledges and staircases to showcase their skills.
All-Mountain Snowboarding

All-Mountain snowboarders make up arguably the largest group within the sport. An all-mountain rider is one who dabbles in each discipline while focusing mostly on riding everything the mountain has to offer. A typical day for an all-mountain rider may involve riding groomed trails, moguls, gladed (tree) terrain, ungroomed terrain, the terrain park or halfpipe, and even a run or two through a racecourse. Oftentimes an all-mountain rider will decide where to ride based solely on the day’s conditions – a powder day sees them charging through ungroomed terrain and glades, whereas a soft spring day has them perfecting freestyle moves in the park. If you don’t know exactly which discipline you enjoy most, you’re likely an all-mountain rider.
Snowboard Racing

Simply put, snowboard racing involves competing against another snowboarder or group of snowboarders in a race against the clock. Different disciplines exist within the subset of snowboard racing, including gate racing (slalom, giant-slalom, super giant-slalom) and snowboard-cross, otherwise known as Boarder-X.

Racing gates on a snowboard is closely related to ski racing, with the biggest difference being the shape of the gates. Whereas ski racing gates consist of two vertical poles with a square flag connecting the two poles at the top, snowboard gates are shaped like a right triangle. This shape allows riders upper bodies to clear the gate on a toe-side turn, which often sees the riders laid out nearly horizontally across the snow. The different races – slalom, giant-slalom, super giant-slalom – equate to different distances between the gates.

Snowboard-cross, or Boarder-X races combine aspects of both gate racing and freestyle riding. Groups of four or five riders at once are sent down the course, which resembles a motorcross course with banked turns and large table-top jumps. With multiple riders on course at once, this event often leads to spectacular crashes. The event has been dubbed “NASCAR on Snow” by many participants.
Equipment Choices
The different disciplines use different types of equipment. Freestyle riders often use shorter, softer-flexing boards that allow them to flip and spin easily, while snowboard racers generally use long boards and hard boots that resemble ski boots. All-mountain riders gravitate towards boards that are slightly longer and stiffer than those used by freestylers, but stick with soft boots.