BEGINNERS GUIDE

Congratulations, you’re now hooked on snowboarding! Get ready to invest a lot of time, effort, and yes, money into this sport. But before you dive headfirst into spending hundreds of dollars on your first snowboard, let’s talk about a few things you should consider—because while looking cool on the slopes is important, there’s more to choosing the right board than just the vibe. 

Does size matter? — short answer, yes.

As a beginner, you’ll want a snowboard that helps you turn easily while keeping you balanced without much effort. A properly sized board will reduce your chances of losing balance or catching an edge—something every snowboarder knows and dreads.

So, before you pick out the board that looks the coolest, here are the basic things to consider when you are choosing your first snowboard:

Your Height & Weight

As a simple rule of thumb, if you stand a board upright on its tail, the nose (top end) should reach somewhere between your nose and chin. If the board stretches above your nose, it might be too long, while one that sits lower than your chin might be too short. But don’t worry, this is just the starting point—there are other factors to consider before picking your ideal board length (we’ll get into those shortly).

So, how does length affect your ride? A board that’s too long will make turning more difficult, requiring more effort to link your turns smoothly. On the flip side, a shorter board will help you turn with ease (perfect for beginners), but it can feel less stable at higher speeds, and you might experience more chattering—an undesirable vibration between your snowboard and the ice below.

Image: https://mtnweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Snowboard-Size-Chart.png

Snowboard size charts provide a helpful guideline based on your height, weight, and riding style. Since each brand has its own sizing chart depending on the design of their boards, it’s always a good idea to compare them before making your final decision.

If you’re above average weight, consider a longer or wider board. These will provide more stability, especially at higher speeds. On the other hand, if your board is too short for you, you’ll likely feel it. Chattering underfoot as you gain speed, or losing balance even on the smallest bumps, are clear signs your board isn’t the right fit. And if you find yourself riding in deep powder, a shorter board will have less surface area and struggle to keep you afloat.

Bottom line: Always take the time to check those size charts—it’ll make a world of difference in your ride.

Male or female snowboard – does it matter?

​​Generally, women’s snowboards feature a narrower waist width and softer flex, while men’s boards have wider waist widths and a stiffer flex. A narrower board makes it easier to initiate turns and transition from heel edge to toe edge with less effort. In contrast, a wider board provides more stability but requires more effort to control.

Choosing the right snowboard width is crucial—if your board is too wide, transitioning between edges can feel sluggish, making your turns less responsive. On the other hand, if the board is too narrow, you risk dragging the toe or heel of your boots in the snow during turns, which not only slows you down but can also damage your boots. The most common issue is “toe drag,” which can be both frustrating and dangerous, especially at higher speeds.

For smaller, lighter riders, considering a women’s board may be beneficial. Similarly, taller women with shoe sizes above 8 may find that a men’s board suits them better. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different boards to find the perfect fit for yourself.

Main types of snowboards for beginners

For beginners, we recommend freestyle or all-mountain snowboards. These boards typically have a centred stance, which is great for learning, and they offer a soft to medium flex, making them more forgiving and easier to control.

All-mountain boards

If you’re still figuring out which terrain you prefer, all-mountain boards are the way to go. They’re versatile and work well on any terrain, whether it’s groomed slopes (on-piste), ungroomed areas (off-piste), or in the freestyle park and pipe. This flexibility means you’re not locked into one particular riding style as you explore different terrains.

Snowboards for Progression

As you progress, you may want to explore two main riding styles: freestyle and freeride. Freestyle boards are lighter, shorter, and softer in flex, making them ideal for jibbing, buttering, ground tricks, and popping spins.

If you’re eyeing off-piste terrain in search of fresh snow, freeride boards are a better fit. These boards are stiffer, offer excellent edge hold for carving, and are stable at high speeds on un-groomed, bumpy terrain. However, as a beginner, it’s best to hold off on these for now, as they can hinder your progress! 

Flex & snowboard profile

The flex rating of a snowboard tells you how playful or stable a snowboard is. Most snowboards will have a flex rating between 1-10, 1 being the softest & most playful, with 10 being the stiffest & most stable.

Soft flex (flex rating: 1-3):

These are great for groomers, buttering, flat-land tricks, spins, and overall fun and breezy stuff. Very forgiving for beginners, lighter riders and park rats but not so good for icy and bumpy conditions & going at higher speeds.

Medium flex (Flex rating: 4-6):

Also great for beginners, medium flex boards are still soft enough to make learning easy while still maintaining enough stiffness to be stable at higher speeds as you progress and ride faster and harder. Medium flex snowboards are ideal for beginner to advanced riders and freestyle focused riders looking for an all-mountain board to take on groomers (on-piste) and into the terrain park.

Stiff flex boards (rating: 7-10):

We do not recommend these for beginners! Stiff snowboards are very stable at high speed and uneven, icy snow conditions but they require good technique and a strong rider to really enjoy.

So camber or rocker?

Well, in our opinion, this is not the most crucial factor at this stage of your snowboarding career. Most people out there would recommend a rocker profile for pure beginners to reduce your chance of catching an edge and this allows you to practice your C and S turns comfortably. While this is a popular opinion, it is not absolutely necessary to start with a rocker profile, as we find that many beginners progress very quickly once you are able to link your turns, and you would quickly switch to a camber profile board. Camber boards have more edge control, more responsiveness when turning and going faster. These will improve your snowboarding tremendously.

PRO TIP: While it is tempting to get a snowboard that you want to grow into, such as a high-end advanced to expert level snowboard or directional powder boards, getting a board above your riding ability can actually cause your progress to slow down. These snowboards require strong riding fundamentals and good technique to really perform on these boards. For most of us, we only have a few days a year on the mountains and that means we will be at the beginner & low intermediate stages for a while—at least your first 2-3 trips. So keep this in mind when deciding on your first snowboard. Be sure to use the right equipment to help you maximize your time practicing and quickly progress on your turns.