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How to Buy a Snowboard
By K.Gasperini
Buying a board should be something you consider after you've taken a few
lessons. There are several types of boards for different types of
snowboarding, including halfpipe and snow park riding, carving groomed runs,
backcountry powder, and racing. Your first board should be something that
matches what you like to do best. If you're not sure, then consider an
all-mountain board. Here are some tips for finding that perfect ride.
1) Used boards should be a consideration. Just because a board is used, it
may still be the perfect fit for you. Some people exchange boards at their
local shop simply because they've improved and are looking for a ride that's
more challenging. Used boards can be re-tuned and are considerably cheaper,
so don't overlook the used boards rack.
2) Women's signature boards or women-inspired pro models from Burton, Sims,
Salomon, and K2 for example all cater to women's specific needs. Most of
these boards are all-mountain and high performance, but are made to take you
through that learning curve without hindering your performance. Ask the
salesperson about the women-inspired boards they may have in their line.
3) Stand the board up on its end. You want a board that comes up to about
your chin. Any longer and it may be too much for you. Any shorter and you may
be exchanging your board by next season.
4) While it's on end, lift it up with one hand and feel the weight of your
board. Can you lift it with one hand? Some boards are considerably heavier
than others, i.e. Burton compared with Salomon. While the new Burton Feelgood
board may be a little heavier than a K2 Luna board, there are other factors
to consider such as your weight and height and the terrain you're thinking of
riding. Tell the salesperson about these things and let them help you.
5) Lay the board on the ground and stand sideways across its width similar to
your snowboard stance. Remember to bring your snowboard boots for this test.
But if you forget them, don't forget to consider that your boots may extend
longer than your Sketchers. You want to make sure you won't have any
"toe-drag" or "heel-drag." You don't want your boot scrapping the snow when
going into a toeside turn or heelside turn. Make sure the board is wide
enough. On the other hand, most boards, especially if they are not
women-inspired models, will be too wide. You want a half-inch to an inch of
room on either end of your foot to the board's edge. More than that and it
will take more effort to effectively carve your board.
Taking Care of Your Board
Your board is your baby so don't abuse it. Some tips:
1) Don't leave your board in your car on worse, on top of it over night. OK,
so it's just a wooden plank with bindings, but the cold air and road slush,
salts, etc. can ruin the base of your board and shorten the life of your
topsheet graphics, which would truly suck. Take the time to take your board
inside at night. Obviously, this will also help keep theft at bay.
2) Get your board professionally tuned by an automatic grinder to start. It
usually costs about $10 for $15 for a grind and it can make your board slick
and smooth. In the future, you can wax your board yourself and tune the
edges, but it's nice to treat your base with a proper tune to start.
3) Waxing can be tricky, so ask how to wax your board from a local snowboard
shop or rental facility before doing it by yourself. Wax with an iron you
never plan on using again for clothes. Drip small amounts of wax from your
wax stick (which you can get from any ski or snowboard shop) by tapping the
stick along your low-to-medium-heated iron, letting droplets sprinkle the
entire bottom of your board, tip to tail.
4) Make sure your iron isn't too hot-set on low to medium without the starch
button on and methodically and smoothly run your iron along the entire base
of the board and in big smooth strokes.
5) When it's dried, using a snowboard scraper (again, procured from any ski
or snowboard shop), scrap off all the excess wax in big smooth strokes. This
takes some muscle, but don't be afraid to scrap hard. Basically, the wax has
seeped into the pores of the base which is where it will stay.
6) Using a snowboard or ski file, you can check your edges for random burrs
that may have developed after riding, hitting debris such as rocks or bushes.
Lightly run your fingers along the edges of your board and feel for
burrs-then lightly file that area smooth.
7) Filing your edges for the first time takes a keen eye-best to do it with a
professional tuner to start. On the one hand, you want sharp edges for snappy
turns, more control on icy or hardpacked surfaces, etc. On the other hand, if
your edges are too sharp, you'll snag on your turns and fall and will need to
"de-tune" your board-which basically means making your edges more blunt.
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