Snowboard Gear

If you run across older books on snowboarding you'll see many different types of boards discussed. Nowadays the vast majority of boards fall into 2 categories: Freestyle boards and "All Mountain" boards (also known as "Freeride".) The problem is that they all look exactly alike! Looking at a wall of boards at a dealer the only thing obvious is the size and the graphics. What makes a freestyle board different than an all-mountain board is the way they are cut and the flex built into the board. Freestyle boards are the choice for the young kids doing tricks, but don't automatically eliminate freestyle boards from consideration. They tend to have softer flex and less aggressive side cut.

Board Length: Your body weight determines board length. Heavier riders need longer boards to support them. Most of the manufacturers have charts to use as a guide or have cool sizing wizards on their websites. Just enter your weight, height, boot size, and style of riding and all the boards that meet the criteria will be presented.

Board Width: Your boot size, and stance angle determines board width. Board width is very important. If you board is too narrow you'll drag your toes and heels when turning. If it's too wide it the board will feel awkward to turn and will be less responsive. Ideally, your boots should overhang the edges by about one-half inch, on both the toe side and heel side. Reading the manufacture's literature you might get the impression that boards are only offered in two widths: regular and wide. This is not true. Just because you wear a size 12 boot does not mean you have to pick from the wide boards. Be careful - not all mass merchandisers understand this. I have size 12's and found a great regular board that was just a little wider than most. It turns like a dream.

Flex: Tend toward softer flex in the beginning. Softer flex means easier turning. As you progress, you may eventually opt for a bit stiffer board. As the speed of your turns increases you will start to get "chatter" in more flexible boards. Very stiff boards (sometimes advertised as "Big Mountain" boards) are for heavy, strong riders going really fast.

Side cut: To the very casual observer, snowboards are straight-sided. They are not. The amount of "concaveness" of the sides is called side cut. Side cut, is what makes a snowboard turn. The more side cut, the faster the board wants to turn when its on an edge. Beginners will want to avoid boards advertised with "aggressive" side cut. As you gain more experience you will want more side cut for a better-handling board. But in the beginning an aggressive board will fight you and make you tired and frustrated.

There are three kinds of bindings on the market: Strap-in, Step-in, and the newest, Rear-entry.

Strap-in bindings by far are the most popular and are pretty simple. Two or three plastic straps wrap over your boot and are cinched down tight by ratcheting buckles. Not much to go wrong other than screws coming loose and buckles or straps breaking. If something does go wrong chances are the pro shop will be able to help you get fixed and back up on the mountain. 

Step-in bindings have come and go in various configurations over the years. The system I bought was discontinued. The idea of step-in bindings is a good one: You just position your boot over the binding and step down. Latches on the binding match up with hardware on the boot and lock the two together. To unlock, you reach down and press a lever. Under ideal conditions, you might even be able to clip in without bending over or sitting down. Sound good? Theoretically, yes. In practice though, the step-in bindings have "issues". First, ice and snow get packed in the mechanisms and foul their operation. Second, some brands require quite a bit of body weight to "engage" the latch - like clipless bicycle pedals. It's not always convenient to stand up, half clipped in, and try to get a stubborn binding to latch (like on anything but perfectly flat terrain). Lastly, if something breaks, the pro shop may not be able to help you. My son's step-in bindings broke at the top of the mountain on the first day of a three-day trip. The pro shop could not help us at all. I had to rent a complete set of boots and bindings. We were lucky - they were nearly out of rental boots. That brings up another good point: With step-in bindings, the boots and bindings have to match (same design). You cannot use Company A's boot with Company B's binding. Mixing and matching brands is not a problem with conventional strap-in systems. Most of the step-in systems have already been discontinued or are being phased out. My advise: don't bother with step-ins!

Rear-entry bindings are the newest innovation and hold great promise. In fact, I'm planning on buying a set for the 2004 season to replace my step-ins. The manufacturer who pioneered this new system is Flow. Two features make this system work. First, instead of straps, there is a single large "cuff" that holds the boot in place. This spreads the load out over a much larger area. Once the cuff is adjusted to your boots you leave them alone. The second part that makes this system so great is the release system that holds the high-backs in place. When you want to get in or out of the binding, you simply reach around and pull a release latch that allows the high backs to fall back, away from your boot. Then you simply slide the boot out of the cuff! Rear-entry bindings may be the best bet for older, less flexible riders. They should be more comfortable and will certainly be easier to get in and out of.

What's a high-back? A high-back is a device mounted on the back of most bindings that press up against the back of your boots. High-backs allow you to exert more heel-side leverage onto the board and thus enhancing the control you have over the board.

TIP: Look for the new "Boa" lacing system - it takes most of the work out of lacing. And believe me, lacing snowboard boots is WORK. It's been said you can spot hard core snowboarders on the street by the calluses on their pinky fingers! Out on the mountain, announcing to your friends that you need to stop and re lace your boots will not make them happy - unless everyone's ready for a long break.

Fit is very important. Too loose and the whole system will feel sloppy and harder to control - not to mention blisters. Too tight and you will hurt your feet and be miserable - possibly even cutting off circulation. Take time to get your boots fitted right. In my opinion, boots should feel just shy of "too tight" when shopping. Snowboard boots have a lot of foam material inside. This foam eventually compresses and the boot will loosen as you ride.

TIP: For lacing flexibility, learn how to lace the bottom differently than the top. You can do this by tying an "intermediate knot" in the strings after tightening the lower foot and then possible lacing the upper half a little looser. Hikers have known about this trick for years.

Snowboarding gloves are different - for a reason. They are "gauntlet" style designed to overlap your jacket sleeve. They are mostly water proof. The will also frequently have very tough material over the fingertips, knuckles and in the palms. Snowboarders are either riding or sitting. Anytime you sit you have to get up! The way you get up is plant a fist behind you to push with while you reach out with the other arm and maybe grab the toe edge of the board. The fist behind you has to deal with anything you stick it in. The other glove has to deal with the sharp edge of the board. You can get away with some "cheapies" but you may have holes in the finger tips before your trip is over.

Any ski or snowboard pants will do as long as the butt and knees are waterproof! Baggy is good because you sit and squat a lot with snowboards. Ski pants tend to not be loose fitting. Slim and sleek has always been "the look" skiers prefer. You will need extra length, and extra roomy cut for squatting and sitting.

You have a lot of flexibility here. There may already be something in you coat closet that will do the job. No insulation necessary. You need a heavy, long "shell" type jacket with a full front zipper. Lands End and L.L. Bean have all kinds of shells that will work great. You can buy suitable jackets of this style nearly everywhere these days.

TIP: The one thing I have found with jackets made specifically for snowboarding is ventilation. Look for zippers in the armpits and a vent across the back. Snowboarding is very physical and you need to vent all that perspiration or you'll end up wet. On the ride back up the mountain you can zip everything up and survive the cold long enough to get moving again.

Get one specifically for winter sports because it will have a clip or strap in the back for your goggle strap. Helmets that look nearly identical, but made for other sports will not have this essential clip. Make sure the one you buy has one otherwise your goggles will come off and you'll loose them. You can rent a helmet on the mountain. Like everything else, buy off-season for huge discounts.

A what? This is not a Greek pastry. This is one of those things to pull on over your head (under your helmet) to keep your sweaty head and face from freezing if the weather changes for the worse, or to stay warm in the chair lift. There is an opening for your eyes, everything else is covered up. Buy one made of thin material so it will fit under your helmet. When you don't need it just stuff it in your coat pocket. Every ski store has these things for under $20.

I buy the cheap ones - they work fine. Look for anti-fog lenses.

If you've ever done any cycling you know what this is. Or, you may have noticed our combat troops using them. Simply put, a Camelback is the VERY BEST WAY to stay hydrated while you're on the mountain. It's a plastic bladder inside a little backpack with a hose that runs around to the front for you to drink from. At the end of a hose is a valve. When you bite down on the valve, it opens allowing you to draw liquid from the bladder. These thinks are cheap ($25-$40), work fantastic, and beat the heck out of carrying water bottles. On a really cold day you may have to keep the hose protected from freezing.

TIP: Put your favorite sports drink in your Camelback. It will have a lower freezing point than plain water, will help you maintain energy, and it tastes really good ice cold!

Getting lost or split up from your group can be a hassle and a big waste of valuable slope-time. A set of FRS radios to help out when you most need it. Be sure to buy ones that have "sub-channels". This allows you to tune in to a near-private frequency. If you cheap out and by the regular 18 channel models, they will constantly be squawking with conversations that you don't care about. Every radio conversation on the mountain starts with "HEY DAD...".