Snowboard sizing: size does matter!
Snowboard sizing is an important part of getting the right board for you. The wrong size board could make your board harder to control than it should be, hindering your improvement as a rider.
A board that is too long becomes difficult to manouvre, too short and it will become unstable to ride as your speed gets higher.
There used to be a couple of ways to carry out the task of snowboard sizing. The first and simplest method was to stand the board flat on the floor next to you and to measure where it comes to in relation to your height.
Being such a basic technique, this method does not take into acount factors such as your weight as a rider and also what type of snowboarding you plan to do the most.
This method is a bit out dated and as technology has progressed a far more accurate way of getting the right size board is now used.
A different approach
Over the last few years it has become more accepted to consider a riders weight along with the type of board they are buying to determine how long it should be. The thinking behind this is that boards now days are so different in terms of material and purpose that you cannot simply stand next to it to see if it is the right size.
Generally speaking at one end of the spectrum freestyle snowboards are supposed to be shorter to help with spin speed and technical control, and big-mountain powder boards are designed to be longer to aid with stability at speed and floatation over deeper snow.
Each board will differ
You should keep in mind that when you buy a new board it will probably have it's own size chart attached. This is placed there by the manufactureres showing what they consider to be a perfect length for that board depending on your weight and height. Look out for this chart whether buying in a shop or online. An online store will often have a size chart available for each board that they are selling.
This is very helpful considering all snowboards differ in design and the manufactureres will have tested their boards and will know what lengths are best for what riders.
Better safe than sorry
Just in case when you go to buy your new board you find it doesn't come with a sizing chart, you should take a look at the chart below to get some idea as to what length board you should ride depending on your height, weight and preffered riding style. It is not an exact science but it will put you in the right ball park.
Snowboard sizing chart
To read this chart look for the type of snowboard you are looking to buy in the left most column. Follow it through to find the length of board you need in cm's depending on you weight and height.
A note on big-mountain powder specific snowboards
Due to powder boards coming in many different shapes it is almost impossible to put their lenghts into a chart. If you are thinking of buying one of these boards or you are still unsure as to what size you require for any type of snowboard you should talk to your local shop assistant or email your online retailer...If you are going to improve as a rider you want to make sure you get the right size snowboard for you...they will be only to happy to help i'm sure.
Get in touch!
We hope this information on snowboard sizing has helped you out. If you have any questions and want to know more then please drop us an email through the Contact us page
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