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Selecting a Freestyle SnowboardDec 26 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Riding Freestyle is my favorite way of spending my day on the mountain.
Freeriding and Freestyling on a snowboard are both very different and require very different equipment. Most snowboard companies manufacture boards of both types. Knowing the difference between the two and even knowing the difference between boards in the same category can be essential to finding the perfect snowboard for you. Riding on the wrong type of snowboard is not necessarily hard, but you will have much more fun on the correct type of snowboard. Freeriding can be defined basically as riding down a mountain and mainly keeping your base on the snow. That includes cruising down groomed runs at you local resort or carving powder in a remote mountain range. Freestyle can be a number of different things. Launching off of kickers, sliding funboxes and park rails, sliding handrails, launching out of the pipe and others can be defined as freestyle riding. What are the differences between the two types of boards? Quite often, freeriding boards are a couple Centimeters longer for more effective edge. More effective edge equals better edge control carving at high speeds. Freestyle boards typically have more flex and "pop". The overall shape of the board is different in the tip, tail, and everywhere in between. There are several 'tweener categories as well, in including all mountain, all mountain freestyle, and powder snowboards. Picking a Freestyle Board If you have decided that a freestyle board is what you think you will need, you need to sub-divide the category more to find precisely what you want. Just because it falls into the freestyle category, it may not exactly suit your style. Freestyle Boards Your typical freestyle board works for all freestyle situations. You may only want to invest in a specific category board only if you will spend most of your time doing that or are willing to own multiple boards. Most freestyle boards are twin tipped, meaning that the tip and tail are the same. They also often have centered stances for better side-to-side control, and better control riding switch. Some are have a wider waist for increased stability in icy snowboard parks. The general rule of thumb is to subtract 5 cm when buying a freestyle board. Pipe Boards Pipe snowboards are meant to be ridden only slightly shorter than freeride boards. They typically have twin tips (when the tip and tail are shaped exactly the same, equaling the same performance whether you are riding regular or switch). The main difference between a pipe board and regular freestyle board is the flex in the tail is stiffer for higher launches off of the pipe wall. The twin tip is important because you never have time to revert back to regular when you are in the pipe transition and are often forced to launch switch. Jib Boards The most specific category, I can only think of two jib boards on the market this year. Jibbing consists of jumping onto handrails and sliding on them. Because of the consequences if you catch an edge or make a mistake are great, Jib boards are different from other boards. Of the two jib boards, one has no steel edges at all and the other only has edges around the nose for better turning. Because of the edges (or lack thereof), jib boards are not to be ridden on resort trails because you have no control without edges along the sides. Throwing (and hopefully landing) a 360 1. First, you need to be able to land a 180, which are not very hard and take minimal time to learn. 2. Find a kicker or jump that suits your ability. On smaller jumps you need to spin faster obviously, but on bigger kickers you can spin slowly and add a grab for added style. 3. Ride up to the kicker with necessary speed. Don't go into your spin until the end of the jump because: a. It looks bad b. You could turn off the jump or lose speed 4. Jump and spin off your heels or toes, which ever feels comfortable. Look over your lead shoulder because your body will follow your head. Raise your feet and bring your board closer to you for the grab, if you wish. 5. Release the grab and lower your board. Make sure you are flat based when landing to prevent digging an edge into the snow and bailing. Ride away from the landing like it was nothing and slap your buddy a high five. Final Thoughts Freestyle snowboarding is quite fun to do and is fun to watch. It may be frustrating and painful to learn at first but is definitely worth it. You can use any board, but getting the right one is advisable. Just about every company makes Freestyle boards, so dialing in your personal choice of graphics and price are not a problem. Have fun and good luck! Reviews of Freestyle Boards Burton Dominant Forum Devun Walsh Forum Peter Line Jib Boards Forum Street Dweller  |
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