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As the winter season is slowly approaching, many of us already started planning our winter holidays and vacations – from spending some time with our loved ones to choosing fun winter activities in the snow. Talking about snow winter activities, snowboarding is the option a lot of people go for. But while we’re at snowboarding, have in mind that choosing the right snowboarding gear can elevate your experience to a whole new level and make you feel like a snowboarding pro. Keep in mind that men’s and women’s snowboard gear is not the same, especially the snowboard. Women’s snowboards are smaller and tailored towards women’s bodies. That’s why I packed a couple of tips for choosing the right women’s snowboard.
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Choose Your Type
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To get the most of your snowboarding experience, it’s crucial to choose the right snowboard depending on your skills, preferences and the terrain you’re going to snowboard on. You can choose between the following couple of snowboard types:
All-mountain Snowboards
All-mountain women’s snowboards are the “universal” type which is mostly intended for beginners. Their versatility makes it possible to ride them on different terrains and condition s- from floating on powder surfaces without difficulties to carving different pistes and learning some tricks. All-mountain snowboards are also very well balanced, so if you’re a beginner learning how to control your new snowboard, it’s recommended you start with an all-mountain snowboard and upgrade it once you figure out your favourite snowboarding style.
Freeride Snowboards
If you’re an adrenaline lover who can’t wait to hit the ungroomed snow, take some gnarly lines and push your limits to the maximum, then the best option is to take a pick from the huge range of womens freeride snowboards on the market. These snowboards are specially designed for riding in difficult snow terrains. They feature a directional shape to enable riding optimally in one direction or downhill. They’re also longer and have a stiffer flex than other snowboards for women to increase your edge-hold, stability, and your control over the board when riding fast.
Also, have in mind that the freeriding snowboards are also intended for riding in powder, and riding them in any other conditions will make your flotation and the overall riding much harder.
Freestyle Snowboards
Unlike the womens freeride snowboards, the ones for freestyle are shorter in length, asymmetrical in shape and more flexible, since they’re specially designed for riding rails and performing tricks. They also have a centred stance for balancing, which makes the tougher landings more “tolerant” and also perfect for beginner riders. But even if you’ve recently started to learn the art of snowboarding, have in mind that this board can’t replace the freeriding one, since getting off snow pistes can be extremely hard with the freestyle snowboard.
Alpine Snowboard
The alpine snowboards are specially designed to be narrower since they’re intended for riding and carving downhill. This makes them great for clean edge turns and controlling your board at high speeds. If you decide to go for an alpine ladies snowboard, have in mind that they’re not suitable for freestyling and performing tricks since unlike the freestyle and all-mountain boards, they have a single shovel on the tip which is intended for riding only in one direction.
Choosing Snowboards for Women
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When choosing the perfect snowboard to hit the trails, besides the perfect type to accompany your snowboarding style, there are a couple of things you should look for.
Measure the Length
Not all snowboards are intended for everybody, since their length is often determined by your weight and height. At this point, you should know that the weight distribution on your board has a great impact on how your snowboard feels while you’re riding, and choosing the inappropriate one can ruin your entire snowboarding experience. So, have in mind that if the snowboard is too long for you, it will be hard to apply enough pressure which leads to less control on it. If it’s too short, on the other hand, you won’t feel stable at all. The same goes for your height since it’s very well known that a taller rider weights more than a shorter one with the same build.
If you’re wondering how to determine the right length, the best point to start from is the traditional method of measuring – stand next to the board, and choose the one which comes up to between the top of your chin and the tip of your nose.
Consider the Width
Your snowboard’s width should always be sized to fit your snowboarding boots in a way to allow you to modulate pressure with your ankles and manoeuvre the board with ease. Even though women’s snowboards always have narrower waist widths to match the female body anatomy and their smaller feet, know that a too-wide board will hit the snow every time you turn and will make you fall. On the other hand, if your board is too narrow, you’ll end up dragging your toes and heels which will make you lose control.
The snowboard widths usually range from 235 up to 265 mm, and to choose the right one for you it’s always best to follow your manufacturer’s sizing chart.
Snowboard’s Profile Plays a Crucial Role
If you “inspect” different snowboards closely, you’re going to notice that each of them is differently shaped and curved. Some of them rise at the middle, while the others are completely flat. For this purpose, we can make a difference between the following categories:
- A camber profile means your snowboard has a slightly uplifted midsection to create an edge hold which gives you the ability to have great control at high speeds and stability while you’re turning.
- A rocker profile means your snowboard has a flat midsection that curves up on the edges and reminds of the vintage rocking chairs. Rocker snowboards offer great balance over the board and less edge contact with the snow which makes your motions appear and feel lighter and quicker.
Don’t forget to miss checking anything on this list when choosing from the many ladies snowboards out there, since only picking the right one that fits your preferences and your body will allow you to have fun while performing like a real pro!
