Snowboard Sidecut... What Is It? And How Does It Effect How The Snowboard Turns?
Probably one of the more confusing aspects when choosing a snowboard, sidecut will influence the shape and size of your turns. The sidecut is what you see when you look straight down the edge of your board. Essentially, your sidecut is a small cut out of a larger circle influencing the shape of your turn. A smaller sidecut will give you a tighter turn whereas a longer sidecut will offer long drawn-out carves.
WHAT IS A SNOWBOARD SIDECUT
The term sidecut refers to the shape of the edge of the snowboard, in other words, it’s the curvy bit on the side. The arc of the sidecut will vary between boards and will depend on the intended use. You will hear the terms sidecut and sidecut-radius used to describe the snowboard’s turn shape.
In straightforward terms the deeper or more obvious the sidecut the shorter the turn and the smaller the sidecut-radius. This means if you are looking for a snowboard that will turn quickly you should look for a board with a deeper sidecut, this would be useful in the terrain park as you initiate a spin of a kicker. Alternatively, if you are looking to perform longer arcing turns then a board with a more shallow sidecut would be better.
TYPES OF SNOWBOARD SIDECUT
To suit the variety of terrain that snowboarding has to offer there are also a number of sidecuts that will be suited for the purpose. Below is a generalized outline of the types of sidecut and their suited uses.
Radial Sidecut
Radial sidecut refers to boards that have a deeper sidecut for quicker and smaller turns. A radial sidecut will be very narrow at the waist of the snowboard ensuring a shorter turn radius. Radial sidecuts are often found on freeride boards that are designed for carving.
Progressive Sidecut
Progressive sidecuts use varying sidecuts along the length of the same board. The tip and tail may have a different sidecut to the middle of the board meaning that the board will act differently through the turn. This sort of sidecut can be used to help beginner riders when initiating a turn but ensuring the middle of the turn is longer.
Asymmetrical Snowboard Explained
Asymmetrical snowboards have a deeper heel sidecut than on the toeside. Heel turns are harder due to our bodies anatomy so an asymmetrical sidecut helps to even out this imbalance. Asymm boards allow for shorter heelside turns with minimal effort. Asymm sidecuts are found on a number of boards with all-mountain boards finding this sidecut increasingly popular.
Magna-Traction / UnderBite / Traction Tech
Brands use different terminology to explain this type of sidecut but essentially it is the same thing. A serrated edge that gives you more contact points on the snow. By introducing more contact points throughout the sidecut your board will have a better grip in icy snow conditions. Think of this sidecut as a bread knife with more contact points allowing you to slice through the snow more efficiently.
HOW DOES SIDECUT AFFECT YOUR RIDING STYLE?
Freestyle
Freestyle snowboards tend to have a shorter sidecut radius allowing the boards to turn quickly at slower speeds. Having a shorter sidecut on a freestyle snowboard will help initiate spins and allow quick changes of direction with greater manoeuvrability.
All Mountain
If you are looking for a snowboard that feels comfortable everywhere then consider a snowboard with a medium sidecut radius. A medium sidecut will be a middle ground between short sharp turns and long drawn out carves.
Freeride
Now, this is actually a tough one as it will depend on what type of freeride you like to do. If your only goal is carving on groomers than getting a snowboard with a sidecut of 8m + will suit you well. This larger sidecut radius will allow for mellow carves with a longer turning radius. That’s all well and good for a nice wide piste but if you want to have fun in some tight trees then you may want to size down that sidecut radius.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON SNOWBOARD SIDECUTS
Essentially, although sidecut might not be the first thing you look at whilst choosing your snowboard it will have a large impact on how your snowboard rides, specifically in carving and your ability to quickly go edge to edge. Choosing the right snowboard sidecut for you will ensure you have the best day on the mountain. Hopefully, that is the snowboard sidecut radius explained, however, if you have any questions make sure to drop them in the comments below. Make sure to check out the Snowboard Buyers Guide where you will find all the information regarding how to buy a snowboard.
