Now that almost all the local areas are open and the Snowboard season is in full swing I thought it might be helpful to post up a few common questions and their answers that we get here in the shop.
Q: “I want / need a board up to here” (pointing to somewhere from under their chin to poking themselves in the eye).
A: Snowboards are NOT sized based on your height. Let me repeat that - Snowboards are NOT sized based on your height. The snowboard doesn’t have eyes and therefore has no idea how tall you are. ONE MORE TIME – Your height and the length of the snowboard have NOTHING to do with each other.
What does matter is how much you weigh (this determines how much force you can put on the board to make it flex) / What style of riding you plan on doing – from Catboarding or Heli powder only – to park jibbing / And where you plan or riding (Local inner city hils vs. big mountain). All three of these factors will help determine not only what length of board, but also what style of board you need.
Q: “I want my jacket (or pants) to fit like my street wear”(ie, tight).
A: While fashion and looking good on the hill are important – Function is way more important when snowboarding. When trying on Jacket and Pants – you need to make sure that it fits properly when you are riding. A few quick checks you can do while in the store are:
A) With jackets or pants – stand like you are in your bindings – and try and reach down like you would to adjust your bindings . . . if it’s to tight – go a size bigger.
B) With jackets – Do up the jacket – then put both hands up like you are trying to flag down your buddy on the hill to see if a landing is clear – or like if you were stuck in a tree well and needed help . . . if it rises up and would allow snow in – go bigger.
Don’t worry if the pants seem long – all snowboard pants are made longer than jeans. This is so when you bend and move they don’t get pulled up off your boot. Also remember that your boot will hold the pant up as it is way bigger than a pair of shoes.
Q: “I normally wear size 9 shoes – but I want a size 10 boot so I can fit 2 or 3 pairs of socks in.”
A: NO! You should get boots to fit so that with ONE (1) pair of good snowboard socks on – and when they are brand new – your toes just touch the end. The combination of the boots packing out, you strapping into a set of bindings, and then bending your knees to ride – should make them fit properly.
Also, ALWAYS wear new boots around the house for several hours before riding in them. This allows them to mold to your feet before you ride in them. That way if issues arise with the fit – we can take them back and get you a better fitting pair – – but once you ride in them – they are all yours.
Q: “This jacket seems thin, should i just wear my hoodie under it?”
A: While wearing a cotton hoodie (and T-shirt) under your shell jacket may be fine for “daily life” use – nothing will make you colder while riding than cotton. Cotton traps perspiration next to your skin and that is what will make you colder than anything. Good “First Layer” underwear made of either synthetic or wool materials that are designed to wick the moisture away from your skin are the place to start. Follow that up with a good fleece or heavier insulating layer and you will be good to ride all day long, no matter what the temperature.
Q: “I want / goggles with a dark mirrored lens”
A: When choosing a goggle lens – it is important to get one that is suited to the conditions you plan to ride in. Dark or heavy mirrored lenses are great for bright sunny days (or checking out members of the opposite sex in the lift line) – but they are useless on dark / overcast / flat / lowlight / snowing conditions. In those conditions you are going to want something that allows more light to reach your eye. Orange / Rose / Yellow based lenses work the best for the “crappy light” conditions. Many goggles now come with a spare lens – and for those that don’t we stock a large range of lenses for the goggles we sell.
Q: “How ofter should I wax my board”
A: Depends on how fast you want to go! The majority of the wax put on during a hot wax is worn off after a day or two of riding. The main reason for getting your board waxed (aside from going fast) – is to keep the base from drying out. If you see a “white film or fur” that you can scratch with your finger nail appear on your base – then your board is drying out and it needs to be waxed. Personally i wax my board after 2 or 3 days of riding. If I am on a longer trip I bring along some rub on wax – so that I can still beat my friends to the powder.
These are just a few of the many, many comments / questions that we get here in the shop. Hopefully they will help you to be able to get the right gear, and have a FUN time riding.
PLEASE stop by the store and ask us anything about snowboarding – we are here to help.