Snowboard Equipment

Gold | Silver | Champion | Snowboard Boots

You should choose your snowboards and snowboard boots bearing in mind your level and the style of snowboarding you intend to practice.

Alpine/Racing - snowboarding for the sensation of speed.
Freestyle - performing techniques, on the slopes or in the snowpark and halfpipe.
Freeride - exploring powder fields and hidden descents.

There is some overlap with regards to the type of equipment used for different styles. Our on-line shop supplies adult snowboards and boots in 2 different ranges: Gold and Silver. Children's snowboards and snowboard boots are available in one category

Snowboards

Gold range - Freeride & Freestyle boards for competent boarders

All boards in this range are for those who already have some snowboarding experience. They will allow you to Freeride and/or Freestyle. These are the boards typically associated with snowboarding (see picture), with their rounded tips and tail.

Softer boards are more suited to Freestyle boarding as they give more propulsion for jumps and tricks, whereas more rigid boards are good for Freeride because they allow for better slope riding and floating on powder.

Many boards will offer a good combination of the two, making for good all-rounders. This is generally the choice of competent boarders who just want one board to ride. The width and the curvature in the middle of the board differs according to the make and style of the board. Some such as K2's 'Fat Bob' are made very wide for those people with big feet.

Options in the Gold range include boards by Original Sin - Alphabet, Salomon - 450, Rossignol - Pro Wide, K2 - Double Wide, Rossignol - Salto and Oxygen - Vibe and Vibe+. Boards typically have step-in bindings.

Silver range - Alpine/Racing boards and beginners' Freestyle boards

oards included in this category are: Alpine and Racing snowboards for beginners and intermediates to board any terrain; and Freestyle boards for beginners.

Alpine Racing boards are more rigid, narrower and generally longer than the boards people associate with snowboarding. The tail of the board is usually square, but can be cut on an angle or like a 'swallow-tail'. The nose of the board is generally more pointed. Boards are rigid allowing for more stability at speed and more pronounced carve turns.

Freestyle is possible with Alpine Racing boards, but not suggested for beginners as the equipment is not very forgiving. Boards for beginners to Freestyle have rounded tips and tail and are softer.

Options in the standard range include boards by: Original Sin - Zental, Salomon-250 and Rossignol-Roc 2.

Champion - Children's boards

The Champion range includes light, fun and manageable boards aimed at young snowboarders. They make learning easier by reducing falls, and accelerate the progress of future champions. The boards measure between 122cm and 134cm and should reach between the child's chin and nose.

Snowboard Boots

Alpine/Racing

The boots used are very similar to ski boots in style. A rigid, plastic exterior gives good support and allows the boarder to produce pronounced carves and travel at very high speed.

The boots are mounted on to the snowboard so that both feet are angled more forwards than sideways. They have the traditional heelpiece of ski bindings and a 'clip' that fastens down over the front of the boot holding it into place. The bindings release easily and must be worn with a leash around the leg to stop the boots from falling from the chair lifts or escaping down the mountain after a fall.

Soft (Freestyle/Freeride)

The biggest advantage these snowboard boots have is their comfort. The soft boot, which looks more like a skate shoe, has a soft, waterproof, leather exterior and a malleable inner that holds the foot secure inside the boot. They lace up and sometimes have straps that allow you to tighten certain parts of the boot.

Soft snowboard boots have two types of bindings. The most common are strap-in bindings. They pass over the top of the boot. These boots are excellent for both freestyle and freeride as they offer more flexibility for tricks than the 'step-ins'. The only inconvenience is having to spend time doing them up, especially after getting off lifts. The second kind of binding is the step-ins. Their convenience makes them increasingly popular, especially for beginners and intermediate riders. As the name suggests, you simply step in to the binding, a bar on the base of the boot locks down into the plate on the board. They were originally criticised for their lack of support. They now come with back bindings and are good for all types of freeride. At very low temperatures these bindings can freeze over.

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