Choosing a snowboard for beginners

Active rest should be present in a person's life in any weather. If in the warm season there is a huge variety of things to do, then in winter the range of such activities is narrowed. In the cold season, in the open air, in the presence of snow, it is possible to ski and snowboard. A more modern and interesting occupation is now snowboarding, because every year the number of people wishing to try this type of activity is only growing. The correct selection of equipment will allow a beginner to feel confident in the snow and quickly master the basics of skiing.

An active holiday in winter can be very exciting and rewarding if approached correctly. When choosing snowboarding, you need to take care of the correct equipment in order to protect yourself and quickly master the basics. For a beginner, you need to choose the height of the snowboard based on its height and weight.

In order for the sports equipment to be suitable for an adult and a child, it is necessary to know the height of a novice athlete and his weight. Thanks to the table, you can easily choose the right board height:

Board selection information regarding weight for guys and girls:

If it is not possible to measure height and weight, an adult can choose a snowboard, guided by the following calculations:

• the height of the board should be 15 cm less than a person;
• if the board is not above the chin and not below the collarbone, this is the optimal size;
• with a large body weight, it is worth adding 5 cm to the height of the snowboard;
• with a thin build, you can subtract 5 cm from the length of the board.

At the moment, there is a huge variety of snowboards that vary in size, stiffness and types of bindings. To avoid injury to a beginner snowboarder, it is important to choose a snowboard with knowledge of the matter. There are different types of mounts.

• Soft (The most common). Snowboard has a low cost and a rather primitive boot attachment option. The beginner's foot is secured with transverse straps that hold the toe, ankle and a thick heel counter.
• Step-in... Fastening mechanism that snaps into place when pressed. This is a system in which there are two straps, thanks to which the boot is securely fixed. Snow falling on such fasteners does not allow the boots to be fixed. The cost of such boards is very high.
• Hard. It resembles the equipment of a skier. The system has the form of a lamella with two frames; an element with a lock is put on the toe. This type is only used for rigid boards.

In the process of choosing a good and reliable fastening, you need to take your shoes with you and try on the board on them. If the boot is tightly fixed, without skewing, then the fastening system of this product is optimal. The clips should be easy to unfasten, and the mechanism should securely fix the foot in the boot, otherwise the beginner risks serious injury.

Considering the types of boards, different manufacturers, fastening systems and other factors, it is important to know all the subtleties and nuances of choosing a snowboard. If you take equipment based on only one criterion, you may end up with the wrong board that will allow you to easily learn the basic techniques. The rigidity of the equipment should depend on the weight of the athlete and on the style that is planned to be mastered. The types of attachment should be chosen based on the skills of the beginner, age and financial component.

The completely inexperienced can be given a soft type of fasteners, more skillful athletes will need reliable leg fixation.

One of the criteria for choosing a snowboard is riding style. There are three main areas in snowboarding:

1. carving - skating along an arc, where the track is completely prepared, the snowboard moves along the surface at a significant speed;
2. freestyle subdivided into 2 types:
   • tricks, jumps and spins;
   • riding a board along handrails, pipes and other products that are pre-installed;
3. freeride - skiing on an unprepared surface: slopes, rocks, deep snow.

The choice of the board is made based on the style.

• For slalom. Experienced snowboarders can gain high speed and skillfully manage equipment with the help of rigid carving boards. It is necessary to ride such snowboards only in hard boots and with a secure attachment. This type of equipment will not work for beginners.
• For freestyle. This is the most common type of snowboard suitable for all-round use. Both a professional and a beginner will feel equally good on such equipment. There is an opportunity to go through the prepared slopes, ride outside their borders and practice freestyle. The shape of the product is as close to symmetrical as possible, but sometimes the nose is longer than the tail.
• For freeriding with geometry. Specialized snowboards designed for riding on soft snow and maximum glide on this surface. The nose has a more elongated shape, and the back side resembles a swallow's tail. This option is more difficult, because it will be quite difficult for beginners to learn on it.

The snowboard consists of a core, a sliding surface and an upper decorative cover. The material of each of the layers can be different, which affects the rigidity of the structure, the reliability of the product and the price category.

Cores can be made from the following materials:

• wood (beech, ash, poplar, pine, etc.), wooden cores actively damp vibrations and shocks, therefore they are considered reliable and comfortable to ride, some companies create genetically modified wood that does not have rings, which enhances its strength and elasticity;
• combinations of wood and foam - such a combination allows you to make the weight of the finished product less, but the presence of foam worsens the elasticity of the board, and it is less resistant to vibrations;
• combination of different materials - the use of wood with carbon and aluminum makes it possible to create a fairly lightweight, yet reliable and rigid snowboard.

The sliding surface can be made from the following materials:

• extruded polyethylene - has a pleasant appearance, glides well, but requires special care, with low material costs, a lot of money will be required to eliminate damage;
• sintered polyethylene - as a raw material, polyethylene powder is used, which is baked under high pressure using high temperatures, a feature of the resulting material is a porous structure, due to which the ointment is well absorbed, and the surface of the snowboard glides better, such material is not afraid of scratches and damage, but in case of serious problems, repair will be difficult.

Based on the materials used in production, and the technology of their combination, snowboards can be of different quality. There is a version in which the core is closed with a monolithic cover on one side and a sliding surface on the other. This option is the cheapest, since inexpensive materials are used for manufacturing, and in the event of a fall, such inventory can split, and the lid will move away from the sliding surface.

The multi-layer construction is more durable and comfortable, and most importantly, safer. The cost of such boards is significantly higher.

To make a snowboard that is not too heavy and expensive, manufacturers use both designs. The technology of pressing materials is used for the nose and tail, and the middle has a lightweight structure. The quality of such boards is not bad, they can be used by both professionals and beginners.

When choosing a snowboard for beginners, you should pay attention to the rating of the most popular models.

• Prime blank - a very light board with good technical characteristics. The rigidity of this model is average, which makes it easy to master the basics of skiing on a slope or in the mountains. Manufacturing material - light and durable wood. A feature of the product is the presence of a Flat Camber side cutout. This board is in the top of the highest quality, but has a high price.

• Burton ripcord - has a reduced rigidity, more suitable for men weighing 70 to 90 kg. This is one of the softest skating boards around.

• Nidecker - boards of high quality. A special feature is the Cam Rock sag, which will speed up the learning process for beginners and give more ride comfort to professionals. Play is a soft version of the board that is most comfortable for the first steps in snowboarding.

• Arbor Foundation - a board with a parabolic rocker, which allows beginners to keep well on the snow.A special feature is the grip teach technology, thanks to which it is possible to maintain control of the snowboard at speed and on poor surfaces.

• Joint Evenly - a budget snowboard that has good quality materials. A special feature is the use of fiberglass weaving technology - tri-axial Fiberglass, the presence of Rocket deflection makes the learning process the simplest and fastest.

To learn how to snowboard, you must:

• pick up equipment;
• decide on a riding style;
• find an assistant (learning yourself is difficult and long);
• learn the position of "snowboarder stance", where the hips, knees and ankles should be slightly bent, the weight is equally distributed on the two legs, the arms are spread out to the sides of the body;
• make a descent with one leg fastened;
• do preparatory exercises: bend and unbend your legs in motion, as well as touch the snowboard in front and behind with your free leg;
• learn to fall, get up and slow down;
• make descents from training trails, using all previously learned elements and exercises.

For information on how to snowboard, see the video.