Snowboard size - How to choose an appropriate board

I’d love to answer the question “What size snowboard should I buy?” with this blog, but we’ve got to be realistic - it’s not going to be that simple. The factors that influence your snowboard size are vast, and every board is unique, so I don’t believe in tying the decision down to a simple formula.

Unfortunately this makes buying a snowboard, particularly your first one, an extremely difficult and risky business. Hopefully the following will help your decision making process and avoid any of the buying mistakes that you see around the mountains a little too much.

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE:
I’ve got to get this out in the open straight away, because it makes my blood boil every time I see or hear of it. This is particularly common in hire shops. When you ask for a snowboard, the attendant grabs one straight off the shelf, measures it against your height and if it’s level with your chin it’s the correct board for you... WRONG!!! Your height is way down in the list of factors that will influence your board size. Think about it. How does your board know how tall you are, when it can only feel the soles of your feet touching it?

IT’S THE WEIGHT
Different sizes of boards are built to react to varying amounts of pressure that’s transferred via your feet. Weight (not height!) is the main factor that influences that pressure. So, a good place to start when considering a board size, is with a decent weight chart. I quite like this one here from sunandski.com:

You’ll notice that your weight will be within the boundaries of three or four board size categories. That’s because the decision making process doesn’t end with weight, unfortunately...

EXPEREINCE AND RIDING STYLE
Here’s a true story that happens way too often. Last year a guest came to stay at my chalet. Although he was only a beginner, he was super keen and had gone out to buy a bunch of kit before the holiday. He was a tall guy, I think at least 6’5”, but was as skinny as a rake. I dread to think how much he’d spent on his sparkling new set-up - it was top of the range stuff. Straight away you could see he’d been taken for a ride by an ill-informed shop assistant. He’d been sold a 169. That’s a big board by any standards, but for a beginner it’s totally inappropriate. He had a terrible week, as he struggled to get the board around on every turn he made.

By looking at your weight in the chart above, you should have three or four board size options. Here’s how you should choose which size is best for you:

Go for the smaller snowboard bracket if:

• You are relatively inexperienced (1-4 weeks on snow) – it’ll be easier for you to turn.

• You want this board for park / freestyle riding – shorter boards are more agile and light.

• You want something more playful and you’re less concerned with speed.

Go for one of the middle brackets if:

• You’re relatively experienced and want to have a board that will support your weight at speed, yet still be a little playful.

• You want something that will rip up the pistes and be able to handle powder.

Go for the larger bracket if:

• You want something that will have more float in untracked powder.

• You want more stability at high speed.

• You don’t mind a less agile and playful board.

OF COURSE, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE BOARD SIZE
Every board is different, and they’re built to do different things. So, if your higher bracket is 158 you can’t just pick any 158 in the shop as your ideal powder board. For example a freestyle specific 158 (built for larger riders than you to throw around in the park), wouldn’t be the ideal choice. So to get a little more info about the kind of board you’re buying, it would be worth checking out the manufacturer’s website or talk to a shop assistant. I’ve always found the guys at TSA very knowledgeable, so they should be able to give you appropriate advice... and not send you out the shop with a 169 for your first outing on the snow! If you’re not in the UK it’s worth checking out forums to find a good snowboard shop at a location near you.

THE IDEAL WORLD
In the ideal world we’d all be able to test a bunch of boards first before we make our buying decision. Some shops will let you try a stack of boards before you make your final decision, so it’s well worth looking for a shop like that (there’s plenty of them out there). Also, in this ideal world, it would be nice to have a quiver of boards – one everyday board, one park board and one powder board. However, if you’re not ready to remortgage the house, maybe just go for that everyday all mountain freestyle board.

Happy shopping!

 
Board sorted? Now all you need is a chance to ride! Check out our awesome snowboard improvement courses