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How To Choose A Snowboard For Instructors
Guide Summary
All the essential considerations for buying a snowboard when working as an instructor. Topics include where to buy a snowboard and the critical aspects of snowboard design to factor into your purchasing decision.
Do I Really Need To Know Everything About Snowboards?
Trying to choose the perfect board for a season of instructing can seem like a daunting task. Online forums are filled with jargon you don’t understand, and going down a YouTube rabbit hole could cost you days or even weeks.
Truth is, you don’t need to know everything, and snowboard selection isn’t the rocket science some instructors make it out to be. Snowboard manufacturers make it easier than ever to find your perfect board and help prospective customers geek out on their creations. If you’re about to spend a season working as an instructor and want the simple version of snowboard selection, you’re in the right place.
Every other article on the internet will take you on a round trip, arriving at a foregone destination: buy a vanilla all-mountain snowboard. It’s a safe bet, and sound reasoning supports that sacred conclusion. You’d be forgiven for thinking that’s where this was headed, but with the incredible diversity of snowboards we now have access to, I’m here to say you should go find your flavour. Just ensure you’ve read Snowboards Instructors Should Avoid before adding anything to your cart.
Should I Buy My Snowboard Online Or In A Shop?
If you can, visit a snowboard shop near your new local mountain or the city you land in. It’s a rite of passage, and you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store.
A good board store will make you feel at home in your new community and you might even meet some people to ride with. Most of all, a board store is a pillar for snowboard culture and supports local snowboarders with events, sponsorships, repairs and wisdom way beyond what you see on the shelves.
The rise of e-commerce has led to the decline of brick-and-mortar, but many board stores now embrace the click-and-mortar model. That is, they exist in real life AND on the world wide web. If you can’t wait to be there in person, peruse their website or email them. If they don’t have a product you’re after, they might be able to get it in.
Syndicate Boardshop Invermere BC, Canada
Snowboard Specs In 60 Seconds
When choosing the perfect snowboard for your season, several essential aspects of snowboard design should be considered to ensure it matches your circumstances. Here are the key factors to consider:
1. Riding Style
- Freestyle: Shorter, flexible boards for tricks, park riding, and jumps.
- Freeride: Longer, stiffer boards for all-mountain riding and powder.
- All-Mountain: Versatile boards for various conditions and terrain.
- Alpine/Carving: Stiff, narrow boards designed for carving at high speeds.
- Powder: Boards with wider noses and tapered tails for deep snow.
2. Board Length
- Generally, the length should reach between your chin and nose. The right size depends on your weight, riding style, and personal preference.
- Shorter Boards: Easier to manoeuvre, better for tricks.
- Longer Boards: More stable at high speeds, better for powder.
3. Board Width
- Ensure the board width suits your boot size to prevent toe and heel drag.
- Narrow Boards: Quicker edge-to-edge transitions.
- Wide Boards: More stable, better for riders with larger feet.
4. Camber Profile
- Camber: Traditional arch shape, provides precision and pop.
- Rocker: Reverse camber, easier to turn, better for powder and jibbing.
- Flat: Stable, with a good balance between camber and rocker benefits.
- Hybrid: A combination of camber and rocker, offers a versatile ride.
5. Flex
- Soft Flex: Easier to manoeuvre, forgiving, better for beginners and freestyle riders.
- Stiff Flex: More stable at high speeds, better for advanced riders and carving.
6. Shape
- Directional: Designed to ride in one direction, ideal for freeride.
- True Twin: Symmetrical shape, suitable for riding switch and freestyle.
- Directional Twin: Twin shape with a directional flex, versatile for all-mountain.
7. Construction Materials
- Core: Typically made from wood, it affects the board’s flex and durability.
- Base:
- Extruded: Low maintenance, durable, slower.
- Sintered: Faster, requires more maintenance, and is better for advanced riders.
- Laminates: Layers of fibreglass or carbon fibre that affect flex and responsiveness.
- Edges: Steel edges for grip and durability.
8. Bindings Compatibility
- Ensure the snowboard is compatible with your bindings. Standard mounting systems include 2×4, 4×4, and Channel systems.
9. Price and Brand
- Higher-end boards typically offer better materials and performance but come at a higher price.
- Consider reputable brands with good reviews to ensure quality.
10. Skill Level
- Beginners: Softer flex, rocker or hybrid profiles, forgiving shapes.
- Intermediate/Advanced: Stiffer flex, camber or hybrid profiles, specific shapes suited to riding style.
Heading into the shop (or online store) with a surface-level understanding of the above will help you select a snowboard that enhances your riding experience and matches your needs. If you’ve already got something and you’re wondering if it’ll do the job, check out our blog Snowboards That Instructors Should Avoid.
FAQ
By enrolling on a snowboard instructor course with one of the UK leading providers like the Winter Sports Company. Canada is the most affordable country to accomplish this by training and enhancing your riding and teaching skills to the introductory level 1 standard. You can achieve this through a snowboard internship if you have some existing riding skills which will combine your training, certification with a guaranteed seasonal job or a snowboard instructor course if you are a complete beginner. Either method will allow you to become a snowboard instructor.
Training to become a snowboard instructor involves targeted practice of snowboarding techniques at regular intervals, ideally under the guidance of a professional trainer. Taking a course with a provider like Winter Sports Company ensures your training follows a systematic approach designed to expedite your progress and prepare you for success. These training programs are curated to produce industry-ready professionals who succeed at certification courses and exceed as new employees in their snow school.
With the right guidance, individuals with basic athletic ability can become proficient snowboarders in a relatively short period. By enrolling in a training program through a provider like the Winter Sports Company, you’re setting yourself up for success in a supportive learning environment. Using effective methods such as CASI’s Quickride system, you can progress from a ‘never-ever’ to making connected turns in just a day. Mastering chairlift-accessed terrain is an attainable goal for most beginners in their first week of snowboarding. ‘Good’ snowboarding is a combination of movements that allow you to control your speed and direction with ease.
