A Guide to Buying Snowboards

Back in the day, choosing and purchasing a snowboard was as easy as one-two-three. Nowadays, however, there are practically twenty different kind of snowboard types to choose from, and with so many choices, today's snowboarders need to know what they are investing their money in. Here's a simple guide on buying snowboards that will make your personal snowboard purchases a more fulfilling and pleasurable experience.

As mentioned above, there are around twenty different kinds of snowboards available in the market nowadays. There are freeride boards, freestyle boards, backcountry boards, park/pipe boards, kid's boards, women's boards, bordercross boards and signature series boards, just to name a few. As you can tell, you will definitely have your work cut out for you when deciding which board you should spend your moolah on.

Before buying a snowboard, a couple of important questions should be answered; questions that you thankfully already know: your height, your weight, your riding style and your foot size are the essential factors you will need to classify the perfect width, shape, stiffness and height of the snowboard you are about to purchase.

Amongst these factors to consider, you should really know your personal riding ability and personal riding style, as they are the main factors in helping to determine what kind of snowboard you should buy. There are three main categories of riding styles:

All Mountain and Freeride style are when a freeride or all-mountain snowboarder makes use of the entire mountain. This means you probably enjoy catching air at big-air jumps, sliding the half-pipes, carving turns on slopes and pretty much every riding aspect you can think of: the ultimate essence of snowboarding. The majority of snowboarders fall into the freeride category since most snowboarders take pleasure in the entire snowboarding experience, as a whole.

Freestyle or Technical riding style are when you mostly enjoy jumps, trick riding, rail sliding, grabbing, jibbing, spinning and tearing it up. This type of freestyle riding is usually set up parks or near the vicinity of the half-pipe. If you're a beginner at snowboarding, freestyle and technical boards are the optimal choice for you. This style is also the most popular amongst younger snowboarders.

Carve or Alpine style is for snowboarders who enjoy pulling speeds together, as well as deep turning and making the most of what every mountain has to offer. Alpine riders are fond of transitioning from one turn to the next and are all about hard carving and high speed. Professional skiers who have really taken on snowboarding as a lifestyle seem to prefer the performance of these carving boards. These types of snowboarders are the ones who really stand out in a crowd, mostly because they are always seen laying a trench in the snow every time they turn. These snowboarders have the ability to use full potential in a snowboard's edge like no others, while using commanding body movements and gravity as their ally. Alpine riders are lovers of snow and enjoy the art of snowboarding mostly when they are attached to it. The alpine style is not a good choice for beginners because of their stiffer flex and narrower width.

In conclusion, the most important thing you need to know before buying a board is your riding style. Once you know this, the buying process is going to be extremely simple for you. The only thing left to do would be to choose the perfect snowboard design to fit your personality. Happy snowboarding!