Snowboard Shapes Explained
Walking into your local snowboard store and seeing a wall of boards all with different shapes can be quite overwhelming. In reality, understanding snowboard shapes is pretty simple and I hope that by the end of this post, you will be able to tell your twin boards from powder shapes. Choosing the right shape snowboard is important as it will affect how the snowboard rides across a variety of conditions and riding styles. Your personal ability will influence this decision along with the type of snowboarding you intend to do the most.
DIRECTIONAL SNOWBOARDS
Directional snowboards are intended to be ridden in one direction and are best for floating in powder and cutting through variable snow conditions. Directional snowboards are suited to freeriding and will normally be fast boards intended to carve and slash pow. There are a number of characteristics that are found within directional snowboards but the main one will be a longer nose than tail. By adding a longer nose to the board it will have better powder performance. Directional snowboards will normally also have a set-back stance where the binding inserts are shifted slightly towards the tail. This set back does two things, firstly it places the rider’s weight towards the tail of the board lifting the nose in deeper snow. Secondly, it allows the rider to apply energy and power through the back end of the turn to pop out of turns. Directional snowboards will sometimes have a different shape on the nose and tail with the tail normally being narrower than the nose of the board. Directional shape snowboards will normally have a camber profile that favours riding in one direction. For example, a directional camrock board may have a larger rocker on the nose as opposed to the tail.
BEST SUITED FOR
Directional snowboards are best suited to riders who are not interested in riding switch. It is not that you cant ride switch on a directional board, but depending on the severity of the directional bias it will be harder to master. Directional snowboards are great for freeriders who are looking to explore the whole mountain. Best for high-speed carves and riding in powder.
NOT SUITED TO
Due to the directional nature of these shapes riders who are more freestyle focussed might not appreciate them. Directional boards will make riding switch and landing jumps in either direction more difficult.
TWIN SNOWBOARDS
Twin snowboards are intended to be ridden both regular and switch and feel the same in both directions. A twin snowboard excels in freestyle terrain where taking off or landing a trick switch is required. A true twin snowboard is also great for all-mountain snowboarders who are equally happy riding in switch as they are with their front foot forward. Twin snowboards are symmetrical in every regard. This means that the board will ride and feel the same in both regular and switch. A true twin snowboard will have an identical nose and tail meaning they are the same in length and width. This equality between the nose and tail will help the snowboard feel familiar, independent of the direction it is being ridden. A true twin snowboard will have the binding inserts centred on the board so that each foot is an equal distance from the tip/tail respectively. This allows the rider to feel balanced in the centre of the board.
BEST SUITED FOR
True twin snowboard shapes are best suited to snowboarders who want a board that can be ridden in both directions. Perfect for the terrain park, true twins allow the rider to land or take off switch. Riding a twin snowboard will increase the options for spins and tricks that you can take to jumps, boxes, rails or side hits. A true twin board is also suited to beginners who are trying to figure out which foot they favour as their front foot.
NOT SUITED TO
A true twin can be ridden everywhere but will not be suited to riding powder as a directional snowboard. Because of its identical nose and tail characteristics and centred stance a twin board will be more effort to ride in deeper snow.
DIRECTIONAL TWIN
Directional twin snowboards are twin boards with some characteristics of a directional board. Directional twins are for the rider who wants a versatile snowboard that is comfortable riding switch but is looking for better carving and powder performance. Directional twins make great snowboards for all-mountain snowboarders who mostly enjoy exploring the mountain but will also spend some time in the park.
There are a few ways in which a twin shape can be made into a directional twin, the following will explain some of the most popular.
Binding Set Back: Placing the binding inserts slightly further towards the tail of the snowboard and creating a setback stance will increase control at the tail of the snowboard which is important for efficient turning.
Directional Flex: By creating a flex pattern that makes the board stiffer towards the tail and softer towards the nose a twin snowboard will perform better in powder as the softer nose will lift easier in deeper snow. This will also help with turn initiation.
Longer Nose: Increasing the length of the nose will not affect the performance of a twin board within the contact points, meaning you still get that manoeuvrability and control, but it will improve its performance in powder.
A twin can have one or more of the above adaptations to make it a directional twin.
BEST SUITED FOR
A directional twin snowboard is best suited for riders who want the ability to ride switch without it being their priority. Directional twin riders will prioritize all-mountain performance.
NOT SUITED TO
Riders who like to perform ground tricks and butters. It is not that you cant butter a directional twin it is just that the flex is likely to be stiffer than a jib board. Not impossible, but harder than it needs to be.
POWDER SHAPES
Powder shapes are a pandora’s box of possibilities. There is no hard and fast rule for powder shapes and you will find a variety of shapes that all excel in powder. The generally shared characteristic of a powder board is a wider than normal waist width. By increasing the waist width of the snowboard you therefore also increase the surface area in contact with the snow. This makes the snowboard harder to sink in deeper snow and keep you on top of the snow with ease. Another common characteristic is the use of rocker in the nose of the board. This rocker prevents the nose from diving under the snow and causing the rider to tomahawk! Rocker is unanimously accepted as key to a powder snowboard performance. It is very rare to find a twin powder board with the Bataleon Magic Carpet being the only one I can think of, most will retain a directional design.
Some of the following are common in designs to improve powder performance.
Swallow Tail: A swallowtail is taken from surfboard design and aims to drop the tail of the board into deeper snow, therefore lifting the nose. This makes riding pow effortless on your back leg. A swallowtail is a cut out of the tail of your board which essentially leaves two wings as your tail. There are many variations of swallow-tail with shorter stumpier designs like the Bataleon Camel Tow or longer tails like the Bateleon Surfer.
Tapered Design: A tapered powder board is a board that has a wide nose and gradually narrows throughout the board to the tail. This results in a narrow tail that sinks into deep snow, you guessed it preventing that back leg burn out. Tapered designs are found on many freeride boards and can also help your powder board feel great on the piste.
Setback Stance: Powder boards will often have a set back stance placing the rider’s weight towards the rear of the snowboard. As with all aspects of powder board design, this helps the rider to sink the back foot and lift the nose with less effort allowing them to blast through powder.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There is plenty of variety in snowboard shapes and you really should take some time to consider what shape best suits your riding style. As always thanks for reading and if you are still unsure feel free to get in touch via our socials or the comment section. Make sure to check out our Snowboard Buyers Guide where you will find all the information regarding how to buy a snowboard.
