Eternal Snows Guide To Picking A Board

This site prides itself on supporting local shops in any capacity possible as they’re the ones that essentially built the back bone of the culture and lets be honest when you have some kind of malfunction you probably run here to have them fix it. So with that in mind Eternal Snow a shop that has embraced the local scene with being a brick and mortar store just as much as being an online presence asked to write a guest post on how to buy a snowboard. Being a friend of snowboard shops like this we kindly obliged them. Here’s what their employee Rory Alexander has to say on the subject.

Snowboard selection and purchase is a decision best made with an informed perspective. There are hoards of
good to excellent options on the market, and just as many poor options. An informed decision could mean the difference between the best snowboard season of your life, or a dreadful experience.

With Internet retailers being the primary source for most, it’s hard to know what you’re buying. But, if you know what you need to look for you’re likely to find the right snowboard. There are three basics that will lead you in the right direction regarding snowboard selection, and will help you find what’s best for you.

Size

First, you need to consider snowboard size. Weight, Height, and Shoe/Boot Size are the leading factors when
it comes to size – get something to small for your weight or height, and you’ll be a boat anchor on hill with no speed and no control, and a very similar outcome came stem from riding a snowboard too big for you. If you have big feet – Men’s Size 11 and above – you’re going to need at very least a mid-wide snowboard, or a snowboard designed for bigger feet and bigger riders.

Style

Don’t forget riding style – the driving force behind snowboard design. Snowboards are designed to be ridden on a certain type of terrain and for particular riding styles. While a snowboard may be suitable for multiple uses, each excels on one terrain or one use. By riding styles we’re referring to Freestyle, Park Only, Freeride, Big Mountain, or the catch-all All Mountain. By terrain we’re referring to icy snow, wet snow, terrain parks, urban jibbing, backcountry powder, and groomed trails.

Selection

Every snowboard you look at should have a few specifications on it to help you make your decision. From waist width to Snowboard Profile, the specs should help narrow your snowboard selection. Also, every snowboard has a little “Silent Salesman” sticker on the base that explains what size rider a specific board is best for. These guidelines are just that – guidelines. You can stray from the manufacturer’s recommendations, but if it’s your first time at the derby, don’t stray too far.

The long and short of all that is that there are a ton of options out there, and picking the “right board” is not
something to be taken lightly, or something that’s easy to do without considering all aspects of what you need. Most boardshops that have snowboarders on staff can help you pick the best board for you and your use, and they’re the ones to turn to for advice. Keep in mind that most online shops are not rider owned and operated, and getting advice from most of them isn’t really what you want to do. On the other hand, most local shops and a few online are fully staffed by snowboarders, so pick your reference wisely. At Eternal, everyone we have ever employed and all current staff members are avid snowboarders, and we’re more than happy to help you get the snowboard setup that will best suit your needs. Simply give us a call at 800.8.ETERNAL with any and all questions and we’ll steer you in the right direction.

This author of this post, Rory Alexander, is an integral member of the Eternal Snow team. EternalSnow.com is
our online snowboard shop that offers a variety of snowboarding gear such as snowboards, gloves, outerwear
and helmets. We carry all the best snowboard equipment from your favorite core brands, like Academy, Capita, 32 boots, and so much more.