Snowboard guide

With our help you will find the ideal equipment.

If you still have doubts about which equipment is best suited to your needs, read through our Summary, where we provide all the necessary information on snowboard options.

Snowboard

Undeniably, the snowboard is the most important element of snowboarding. Choosing a snowboard special attention must be paid to such questions as for what kind of activities and by whom the snowboard is intended to be used, what kind of characteristics it has, and, whether it will meet your all expectations and enable you to progress rapidly.
 
INTENDED USE OF THE SNOWBOARD - the intended use of a snowboard determines its performance under particular conditions and during particular maneuvers. The snowboard was invented by Jake Burton, owner of the Burton brand. The best snowboards are those of: Burton, Drake, Ride, DC, Lib Tech, Gnu.

All Mountain - is the most versatile category of snowboards, invented and constructed for beginners and intermediates. These boards are suitable for both on slope and off slope riding, they are characterized by a high forgiveness and allow you to make quick progress without much consideration being given to where and how you happen to fancy to ride that moment.

Freestyle - are usually soft boards, twin-tip-shaped, to make riding switch equally easy and pleasant. These boards are suitable for snow parks and soft dedicates terraces, unfortunately, the nose tends to dive in the soft powder snow. You can keep it from diving by shifting the bindings towards the tail.

Freeride - these snowboards have been designed for riding in all conditions, especially for fast riding on dedicated slopes as well as off slope on untouched powder snow. They are directional board, with inserts setback, thus easier to manage. The elongated nose makes riding on powder snow easier. They have a better edge grip at high speeds.

Jibbing - generally shorter, twin-tip-shaped boards, normally with edges raised by several notches, which makes sliding on handrails and stone walls easier, the reinforced construction prevents deformations when you fall, jibsticks are not intended for high speed riding – they have been created to provide fun, which job they do just right.

Buttering - relatively soft, twin-shaped boards, with a generally reduced length. The ideal type for people who enjoy riding for fun, following the natural shape of the slope. All kind of flat tricks, rotations, pressure flips and rolling – are the very essence of this style.

 

SNOWBOARD SHAPES - the shape of a snowboard determines board's performance when riding switch, as well as when riding on deep powder snow.

Twin Tip – symmetrical board, the nose and the tail are the same length, the center of gravity is balanced, this shape is generally applied to freestyle and jibbing boards.

Directional – directional boards, asymmetric, the center of gravity is setback, this shape is generally applied in freeriding boards

"WIDE" - wider snowboard deck, designed for people with a big shoe size (above 45), they have a wider waist which ensure that your toes do not extend outside the edge.

 

SNOWBOARD CONSTRUCTION - is one of the most important factors affecting the properties of a board, mainly its responsiveness.

Camber - a traditional construction, enjoying for years an unflagging popularity, it helps to maintain stability at high speeds, ensures a better edge grip and a better control, but it requires a higher level of skills from a rider. It give a big pop to the board and is very versatile.

Clasic Rocker - the so called banana, it curves upwards towards the nose and tail, it provides for greater freedom in riding and a better maneuverability, easy turning and it prevents indentations. Although it does not allow to ride as dynamically as with the Camber construction, it is more manageable and ensures the maximum on fun of riding.

V-Rocker - just as the Classic Rocker it curves upwards towards the nose and tail, however the curving angle is different – in this case the most intensive curving falls on the section between the bindings. It turns like a Classic Rocker and is manageable like a Flat.
powder rocker.

Powder Rocker - the distinctive characteristics of this profile is a strongly curved-up and elongated in comparison to tail, such a deck does not dive in the deep powder snow and runs over depressions with an amazing easiness.

Flat - is a flat construction combining advantages of Camber and Rocker, very versatile, the flat profile makes the edge adhere to snow on its entire length in any situation.

Hybrid - is a construction based on combining the profiles listed above in different sections of the deck and to a various degree. It is a complex challenge for advanced riders.

 

TYPE OF SLIDING BASE - determines the speed of the snowboard, the better the sliding base, the faster and more fluently you can increase your speed.

Extruded - this base is the easiest to repair and does not require a frequent, complex greasing. But, as is so often the case, every rose has a thorn and this type of sliding base is the slowest one.

Sintered - is a much better material. It requires more care and a more regular greasing. It is somewhat faster than the extruded base.

Electra (sintered graphite) - the fastest base of all. When greased it gains speed with a cosmic smoothness, but if you fail to grease it regularly, it will lose its riding qualities.

 

FLEX - snowboard hardness, mostly indicated on a scale from 1 to 10,where: 1 – very soft snowboard, 10 – very hard snowboard. The stiffness hugely affects stability and controllability of a board, put simply – soft snowboards "forgive mistakes ", they are easy to handle, but they do not allow very precise and dynamic turns. Hard snowboards ensure high controllability, a strong edge grip and they have some great energy, which you can recuperate when turning, but they require a higher level of skills from the rider and they do not provide for a big freedom of movement.

 

Snowboard bindings

Snowboard bindings should be suited for a particular type of snowboard. We recommend soft bindings to soft boards, and, analogically, hard bindings to hard boards. When choosing your ideal bindings you should pay attention to a number of issues. Brands offering best snowboard bindings are: Burton, Drake, Ride, Union.

BASE PLATE - is a plate on which the highback and straps are mounted, the base plate is rotatably mounted on the snowboard. The base plate can be made of aluminum and plastic – the former are definitely stiffer, base plates made partially of aluminum and partially of composite are a good solution. When choosing your bindings you should pay attention to the cushioning offered by a particular solution. The base plate can be provided with a thin layer of a foam material or a gum layer on the surface, by which it adheres to the board – this ensures a better adherence to the board without making it become stiffer. The upper surface of the base plate should be entirely coated with a foam shock absorber. It is advisable for a base plate to have an adjustable accelerator and a cushioning under the heel.

HI-BACK - is responsible for the lateral support of the shoe and its angle towards the base plate plays an important role during riding in your normal stance and when cornering on the back edge. When selecting the right solution attention must be paid to the highback profiling (whether it adheres the shoe well) and if the right angle can be adjusted. The highback angle determines the position of the rider during riding (knees bent).

STRAPS - straps are strips equipped with pumps with which a shoe can be fixed to the bindings. In the vast majority of bindings there are two straps – of which each is provided with a cushion enabling a better fitting of the bindings to shoes. When choosing your binding pay attention to the material pumps are made of, whether the cushions are soft and appropriately profiled, as well as whether the straps are adjustable within a sufficient range, preferably on both sides. An increasingly popular solution is a front strap in a form of a toe cap (mounted on the tip of the shoe).

EST - is a system applied by Burton, where bindings are mounted with 2 screws and a special profile placed in the core of the snowboard. Thanks to the EST solution the rider can smoothly adjust angles and spaces of bindings, and the board is not unnecessarily made stiffer beneath the bindings. EST bindings are compatible with boards with a profile instead of inserts (i.e. The Channel system).

FLEX - as it is in the case of snowboards, the hardness is responsible for the precision of control and the responsiveness of the board. We recommend soft solutions for beginners.

Snowboard Shoes
 

Shoes are the element, which determines to the most extent the comfort and pleasure of riding. Uncomfortable shoes, which do not hold well the heel, may counteract the benefits of the best equipment and prevent the rider from making rapid progress. How to choose snowboard shoes as to ensure the maximum on comfort and to satisfy all our expectations? Brands producing best snowboard shoes are: ThirtyTwo, Burton, Northwave, DC.

SIZE - size is the most important thing – one must always give priority to the length if the insert given in cm. Such information is always provided on each size table all shoes are provided with. A perfectly matching size can be defined as a shoe size, where in a tight shoe the distance from the toes to the shoe tip is about 0.5cm.

INTERNAL INSERT - is the most important factor when it comes to the comfort of a particular pair of shoes and its foot fitting. When choosing shoes one must consider such elements supporting the ankle and heel hold as: cushioning around ankles, a special material on the heel, special straps around the ankles, an extended system of internal lacing. When the insert is provided with cushioning beneath the heel, this will considerable decrease the level of vibrations transmitted on the rider during riding. Best inserts are thermoformable, which means, they will, under the effect of heat, perfectly fit your feet.

SOLE  - the sole is responsible for the cushioning, adjustment of the shoes to the bindings and its adherence when walking on snow. Technologically advanced soles perfectly do this job.

LACING SYSTEMS - there are a number of lacing systems and each rider must decide on their own, which one will suit best their needs.

1. Traditional system - a classical system based on laces and hooks in the upper part of the shoe, are reliable and brilliant in its simplicity.
2. Quick lacing system - many companies have their quick lacing systems, which make lacing possible by making one move or by twisting one dial. Some systems allow to adjust the grip separately for the upper and lower part of the shoe. Female riders appreciate this sort of lacing very much, in view to the small effort they must do in order to lace the shoes tightly.

BOA - this system is based on a net of steel cables which are tightened by twisting the BOA dial. It does not involve a great effort to lace your shoes, and loosening them will take you … one second. Ideal solution for Ladies, to whom tightening very well could be a problem.

FLEX - as in the case of boards and binding, the hardness of shoes affect the precision of controlling. The shoes Flex should ne suited for the particular snowboard and bindings.

Goggles

One cannot imagine riding in difficult conditions without protecting their eyes with goggles. Ice crystals penetrating your eyeballs, the wind blowing tears out of your eyes or the sun blinding you – all of them are not very appreciated by winter sports enthusiasts. What one must pay attention to when choosing the right pair of goggles? Best goggles are offered by: Dragon, Oakley, Anon and Spy.

LENS - the lens is the most important part of goggles and it is responsible for the vision quality. Branded goggles have lenses made of best materials which guarantee a distortion-free image and additionally they protect eyes against the harmful UV radiation. The lens consists of two layers, coated with scratch protections. Advanced ventilation systems prevent from fogging. Riders can choose between goggles with a very wide angle of view, an intensive sun light reflecting coat, polarizing filters which absorb the light reflexes of snow and ice. The color of the lens is chosen according to the weather conditions, such as degree of cloudiness, time of day (day/night).

FRAME - it is best when it is made of some soft low-temperature resistant material. Such goggles will not break nor deform when exposed to extreme conditions. Light materials ensure a high comfort all day long.

STRAP - a wide, smoothly adjustable strap will ensure a good adherence of the goggles to the rider's head as well as prevent from falling in the event of a fall.

Super Anti Fog is a system preventing the lenses from fogging. A double lens, special ventilation channels and coat preventing vapor condensation on the lens, allow for excellent visibility in any conditions.

 

Outwear

Once you have your new snowboard, bindings, shoes and goggles, it is time to equip yourself with some appropriate snowboard wear, without which the pleasure of riding would be limited, to say the least.

Two important material parametersto be considered, when choosing your outerwear:

Waterproof  - a parameter indicating a water column of how many mm a particular material is able to resist to without soaking water, the higher this value the better. A waterproof of 10 000mm means, that under laboratory conditions a particular material will not soak water when exposed to the pressure of a 10 m water column).

Breathability - a parameter indicating the number of gram of vapor on one square meter a particular material is able to dissipate during 24 hours, also here applies: the higher this value the better (breathability of 10 000g/m2/24h means that 1 square meter of the given material under laboratory conditions is able to pass through 10kg of water vapor within 24h).

GORE-TEX® - Best parameters are found in the still unbeatable in terms of quality GORE-TEX® manufactured by the American company Gore. The core of GORE-TEX® fabric is extremely thin, permanently water and wind resistant, breathable membrane. It contains over 1,4 billion microscopic pores on 1 cm2. GORE-TEX® is also used in their best product by: Burton, ThirtyTwo, 686, O'neill, Volcom, DC. Burton, ThirtyTwo, Volcom, DC.

 

We will help you find equipment perfect for you

If you still have some doubts about what kind of snowboard equipment to buy, or you have heard some contradictory opinions on one and the same snowboard model, or if you would just like to consult some expert – WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU! :)

In order to help you to make a choice, we need to know the following facts about you:
- weight, height, shoe size
- riding style, level of skills

On the basis of your size we choose: width and length of the snowboard.
On the basis of your style we choose: the type of the snowboard (camber or rocker) and its stiffness (flex).

Ourselves we are passionate snowboarders with a long-time experience and any opportunity to share our know-how is a source of pure pleasure for us. We will be extremely happy to explain to you the main concepts and let you explore in-depth any topic you choose, in order to make you have a clear image and find your own place in the enormous world of snowboard.

So if you are considering asking some questions (about snowboard but not only), we are looking forward to receiving a call or a mail from you. We will pull out all the stops in order to provide you with some reliable and useful information, thanks to which your choice of the equipment will be like a shot in the bull's eye!

How to get in touch with us:
e-mail: info@super-shop.com
phone: +48 12 635 98 61

From Monday to Friday 8:00 am - 04:00 pm CET – we are at your disposal.

Look on the bright slope of life!
SUPER-SHOP Team