3:: There is no best level of stiffness for a board! At least five times a day we hear, "the guy at mountain told me that I want a soft board." This is the part that we were discussing above that relates to weight. Snowboards react to pressure that is applied to that hourglass shape (sidecut) that they have. This shape, when flexed, creates an arc on the snow. You are planning on turning on that arc. If you can't flex the sidecut into the snow (because the board is too stiff for you) you simply can't turn well, or not at all. If the board is too soft for your weight, it will constantly be overflexing, and "twisting off" of the edge that you are relying on to carve. In this scenario you will have a terrible time on hardpack and ice, because the "effective edge" (amount of edge that should be in contact with the snow) will be twisted out of shape, and not doing it's job. Softer flexing boards tend to be better for lighter riders, while stiffer boards are needed for the big boys. Only for extreme freestyle, or extreme race applications, should this rule be broken (and in those instances, a second board will be needed for all mountain riding).

4:: Wide boards are usually the wrong answer... "You have size 11 feet so you need a wide board." True, if you want to ride the slowest, least maneuverable board you could buy. Remember, wide rides can fix your "toe drag" problem in an instance. But, you will end up with three worse problems to take it's place. Namely, lack of speed, sluggish heel/toe response, and more "lateral flex" (the tendency that all boards have to twist off of an edge). Toe drag is only one problem, and it is livable, with many good workarounds such as: appropriate forward binding angles, well designed boots and bindings, and good binding adjustment. It is important to note that your toes and heels (with boots on) must hang over the edge of your board at least one half inch. This is necessary for leverage over the edge, to make the board carve correctly. Many believe that the only benefit to wide boards, is for pure park and freestyle riding, at close to zero degree stance angles, with huge feet. One final note: there is a very good reason why wide board sales are in decline, and used wide boards are the most common trade ins on the market today.

5:: Definition of board types: Freestyle, park, and halfpipe: These boards are generally the shortest boards that a given rider will select from his/her range. The stubby shapes and shallow sidecuts are optimized for trick riding on "flatland" or manmade "terrain parks", halfpipes and natural formations. These generally softer boards are designed to get instantly on edge, but lack a lot of carving potential when they get there. These are one trick ponies, and are not usually the only board for the riders who buy them. Freeride, all mountain, and freestyle/freeride boards: This is the catch all category in snowboarding. It refers to boards that do everything pretty well. They can be taken into the halfpipe, or ridden at mach one speeds. They are not designed to win halfpipe events, or compete with race boards on the course. Slalom/Race boards: These specialty boards are easily identified by only having one raised tip (the nose) and a flat tail. They do one thing exceptionally well. They go fast in hardpack conditions. They are not optimal for other types of riding. Big Mountain: A term sometimes used for the biggest possible freeride board that a given user would choose. This is the one you take heli-boarding to Valdez.

6:: Sidecut: As noted above when discussing freestyle boards, sidecut greatly determines the type of turn that a board "wants" to do. The deeper the sidecut, the more aggressively the board wants to turn. Some boards have symmetrical sidecuts while others have progressive sidecuts. This effects the feel of the board through a turn. Progressive sidecut boards tend to flare out at the tail and are designed to "kick" the rider out of a turn, while symmetrical boards are smoother when riding "fakie" or "switch" (backwards).

7:: Directional or twin: All boards today, outside of race boards and the occasional concept board, are really twins. This means that both tip and tail are raised from the snow, and that the board can be ridden switch. The distinction then, should really be between "pure twins" and "directional twins". A pure twin is a board that is shaped identically on each side of it's center point, and has the same flex pattern in it's nose and tail. A directional twin will either have a longer nose than tail, or a softer nose than tail (and many times both). This is a game of nuance and will make less difference to the ride than other features. Here is a summary of the effects of these properties: Longer noses tend to ride up better over powder, but spin slower due to added rotational weight. Softer noses will also help in powder, but are a little unstable when riding switch.

8:: All boards are not the same: There are many different constructions of snowboards. You want to be sure to buy one of the better construction methods. Wood is good. Vertically laminated, wood core, cap construction snowboards are the state of the art in the industry today. The wood lasts, and the cap (the structural wrapper that covers the wood from edge to edge) helps to stiffen the product, keeping the edges firmly planted in snow or ice. Sidewall or sandwich boards are good as well, although usually considered a small step down from their capped brothers. This is older ski technology. The boards, instead of having a top and bottom like the capped boards, have a top, bottom and two laid in "sidewalls". This adds weight and can leave an opportunity for lateral flex to creep into the picture. Foam core boards used to all be considered inferior (and for a long time they were). The foam inside did little to reduce twist, and didn't give the same confident ride as good old wood. Some hybrid boards with composites of foams, metals, and thermoplastics, have made headway in the marketplace, but have not received the widespread rider support of wood yet. Reaction injection molded boards (RIM), and all foam boards, make up the lowest end of the marketplace. Be careful of the former, as they are sometimes the ones that most aggressively state "WOOD CORE", knowing well that the wood is just a wafer floating in foam or resin, only there for bragging rights in advertisement, and not capable of any potential gain except weight gain.

10:: Manufacturers: It is very likely that the company whose name is on the board, did not manufacture the board. Snowboarding is an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) marketplace. Many companies pay other manufacturers to produce some or all of their boards for them. In many instances one board company will have boards produced for them by many factories. You would be surprised at how many different brands have their boards pressed in the same factories. That being said, it becomes much more crucial to determine what construction method was used (see number 8) than what brand label is on the top-sheet.

Bindings For My Snowboard, What To Know...

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Materials: Bindings have advanced more in recent years than either boots or boards, and these improvements have added new enjoyment into the sport for many long time participants. Along with these improvements have come many misconceptions. First off, there is no magic material for constructing the perfect binding. That being said, lets review some of those materials that are commonly used.

Aluminum Alloy: Portions of many bindings are made from aluminum, and the notion exists, "aluminum is more substantial than plastic. It will last longer, and weigh less". This can be very misleading. 1:: Aluminum is a horrible base (and disk) material for snowboard bindings. A snowboard must flex evenly to perform well. Any bindings restrict this even flex a bit, as they present two hard, static plates which must be screwed firmly to the board. Aluminum is an extremely rigid material. This leads to the board flexing, and the bindings remaining rigid. At best this leads to a "kinked" flex pattern to the board. At worst it leads to board damage or binding damage. Remember, if the board flexes hard enough (landing jumps, wipeouts, etc:: and the bindings remain rigid, something must give. In short, stay away from aluminum as a binding base material (most, but not all manufacturers do). 2:: As a material for the heel cup (the portion of the binding that connects the base to the highback) aluminum is great! It adds stiffness where it useful for edging control, and provides a surface which remains cold and slippery for easy boot access. 3:: As a ratchet material aluminum is a preference choice, but not a clear winner over plastic, as advertised. Aluminum is stiff, precise, and the ratchet teeth don't wear as quickly as plastic. On the other hand, aluminum ices up quicker than plastic, and the mechanisms tend to develop mechanical slop with extended use.

Plastic: It must be noted that to this point we have used the term plastic as though all plastics are one product. We have done so to simplify the above discussion of aluminum, but this is far from the truth. Plastic, Nylon, Polycarbonate, Thermoplastic, Glass injected plastic, Carbon Fiber, etc. are all plastics that are used in snowboard bindings. The notion that plastic is cheap or inferior (the "plastic toy" concept) is absolutely wrong in many cases. 1:: Most high end bindings today use some form of plastic base. This is an excellent base (and disk) choice, as it will flex and twist naturally to match the board's flexible nature. This improves performance, and reduces potential damage. 2:: The stiffer plastics (Polycarbonate for one) make exceptional heel cups, and certainly rival aluminum in this department as well. 3:: As ratchets, the hardest plastics are excellent as they resist gathering ice, and tend to be less sloppy with time than their aluminum counterparts. Plastic ratchet teeth do tend to wear quicker than aluminum. Special note: Older plastic bindings were in many cases inferior products that were indeed made from cheap toy-like plastic. They should not be confused with the newer breed of high end, precision "plastic" bindings.

Design: As with many sports that have, "come of age", snowboarding is no longer brand new, and the gear is no longer experimental guesswork. Certain standards in equipment have been proven successful by trial and error (largely at the consumers expense), and are now reflected in the majority of the products you will find. This is true of highback (the portion of the binding that connects to the heel-cup and supports the boot back) height. For many years this height varied radically with terms such as low-back, mid-back and high-back being prevalent. It turns out however, that there is a very small range of heights that work for binding backs. You will find that the vast majority of current binding backs vary by less than an inch (a negligible difference). Some manufacturers still offer multiple back heights, but this amounts to no more than a stab at creative marketing to increase product interest. After all, with the products available becoming so homogenized, the companies have to keep working to create a market edge. Sized bindings are equally tricky. Some companies offer bindings in multiple sizes while others offer adjustable models. This gets very tricky, so follow closely. In the case of MOST "sized" bindings, the actual binding structure is identical between sizes, and the bindings are simply pre-adjusted to Small, Medium or Large positions. These bindings should simply be considered adjustable bindings. Other bindings are sold as adjustable, and will have a size range that they can be adjusted for (i.e. 5-14). A very few manufacturers produce 2 or 3 actual binding sizes per model. Please do not assume, however, that this is necessarily advantageous. It is important to remember that the bindings will need to be a good match with the boots your are using. Hopefully the following example will illustrate the problem: A size 5 women's boot by one manufacturer this year had a wider exterior width than a men's 14 by another maker. Trying to put the "small" women's boots into small sized bindings would result in a poor fit. The bottom line is, email us to assure compatibility between products.

Board Compatibility: For the last five years of snowboard production, there have been only two standards for board insert patterns (the pre-threaded inserts that are laminated into a snowboard during construction to be used for mounting the bindings). The most common is the standard 4 hole pattern. The "4 holes" refers to the design in which each binding uses 4 screws in a square pattern to mount to the board. Burton (a major manufacturer) promotes the only other mounting pattern, which uses 3 screws in a triangular pattern. Burton bindings require an adapter 4 hole disk to mount to boards with a 4 hole pattern. All other bindings will require a special disk to mount to Burton boards (a very few bindings use disks that have been designed to fit both insert types). Despite manufacturer claims, there is no notable benefit to either system. Note: Prior to five years ago, many insert patterns existed. Some older model boards may not be compatible with any current bindings. If you are trying to fit bindings on an older board and are unsure, please email.

Adjustment, Stance, and Mounting: It is important to note that your bindings do not come "ready to ride" from the manufacturer. They will not ship mounted to the board, as it will require your presence and personal input to mount them correctly. They will need to be adjusted to fit your boots and mounted properly on your board. Although we understand that many (if not most) riders choose to do these adjustments and mount their bindings themselves, we must suggest that you have this work done by a certified professional.

How Do I Get The Right Snowboard Boots?

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As in many industries, there is an abundance of misinformation in the snowboard world. The following tips come from years of experience in the industry, and are designed to cut through some of the tech talk and misleading jargon. If you would like us to find you the perfect boot for your needs, please e-mail the following information: Weight, US (Nike) Shoe size, Preferred style of riding, Ability level, Areas at which you most typically ride.

1:: Your boots should be snug. The most common complaint about boots is that they are too loose, not to tight. The junction between rider and board begins with the boot, as it is in the most direct contact with the rider. When fitting boots, use the following method: A. Slip into the boot. B. Kick your heel back against the ground several times to drive it back into the boot's heel pocket. C. Lace the boot tightly, as though you were going to ride. NOTE: This is where most sizing mistakes are made. A snowboard boot is shaped like an upside down "7". The back has a good degree of forward lean. Thus, when you drop into the boot, your heel may be resting up to an inch away from the back of the boot, and your toes may be jammed into the front of the boot. Until the boot is tightly laced, you will not know if it is a proper fit. D. Your toes should now have firm pressure against the front of the boot. As this is the crux of sizing, let's discuss firm pressure: When you flex your knee forward hard, the pressure should lighten, or cease, as your toes pull back. At no time should you feel numbness or lose circulation. Your toes will be in contact with the end of the boot, unlike in a properly fit street or athletic shoe (snowboard boots are designed to fit more snugly than your other shoes). When you have achieved this combination of firm pressure and no circulation loss, you have found the correct size!

2:: Don't strangle your feet with to many socks. Adding socks will not usually add warmth. In many cases it will insure that your feet are cold. Consider: Martina goes to her local snowboard shop in her street shoes and socks, and uses the above method to pick her boots. Now it's the weekend and it's 10 degrees on the hill, and she's preparing to ride. She reasons, "It's cold out, I'm going to wear two pairs of boarding socks". Martina is in for a frigid day. There is no room in her boots (originally fit with a thin set of street socks), for two sets of snowboard socks. The extra volume inside the boots will cut off her circulation, freeze her feet, and send her to the lodge while her friends are out ripping. Most good snowboard boots are quite warm. Wear one good set of snowboard socks when you try on your boots. Wear those socks, or ones of similar thickness when you go riding.

3:: Growth room is not a good option. When buying for kids, getting a size or two too large seems reasonable, but can be disastrous. If your kids have extra room for growth, they will slip back and forth inside their boots, sacrificing control over the board. When they lean forward to initiate a toe side turn, very little will happen, outside of their feet sliding in their boots and their heel's lifting. This is both discouraging and dangerous. Some of this room may be eaten up by extra socks, but this also is an imperfect solution, as the layers tend to slide on each other and not truly correct the problem. For the cost conscious (and who isn't), take heart, although this may mean buying new boots each season, boards and bindings can usually be sized to last many years.

4:: There is no consistency in boot sizing from one brand to another (and sometimes within brands). Most major companies have their boots produced in factories in one or more foreign countries. This being the case, most of the US sizes that boots are labeled with, are actually approximated conversions from one of five foreign sizing standards. To further exaggerate the problem, the companies use different lasts (templates around which the boots are created) which also vary in size. The best way to figure out what size will fit, is to e-mail us using the link above, and we will find the appropriate relative size in the best model for your needs.

5:: Boots stretch. Remember to factor in the reality that boots are made primarily of fabrics and leather, and will most certainly stretch or "break in" with use. A boot which felt fairly snug in the shop may be too loose, or "sloppy", after a couple of weeks on the slopes. Err on the side of snugness.

6:: Mechanical step-in Boots/Bindings are a low performance option. Here we continue our crusade against traditional step in boots/bindings. Problems: A. They are not easier to get into in many snow conditions. There is a mechanical engagement system (usually metal) which needs to be free of snow to function. As such, riders find themselves sitting in the snow scraping out their bindings with their keys whenever the snow gets sticky (or slushy, or too cold, etc::. B. If they are not easier to get into, then there is no reason to use them, as they lack in every other category (read on). C. The boots are heavy (as they contain part of the mechanical engagement system), less comfortable (as many have the forward lean adjustment and reinforcement, usually associated with the back of the binding, built into the back of the boot), and colder (as extra metal or reinforcement, replacing padding and insulation, reduces warmth). D. THE KILLER: To deal with the problem of snow or ice build up in the mechanism, a certain degree of "mechanical slop" has to be factored into the design of each style of mechanical step in. The less slop, the harder to get into. The more slop, the less the precision of your riding. It is unacceptable for the most expensive boots/bindings (step- ins) available to be a lower performance option than their less expensive alternatives (traditional strap ins). If you are looking for easy entry (non mechanical step-in), high performance bindings, go with the Flow system.


Wakeboard Sizing...

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First and foremost, no one design element makes for a good board. Boards only work well when the elements of design are well integrated. For instance, were a friend to tell you, "you need a wide board, 'cuz that's good for boosting big air", they would be doing you no favor. There are plenty of wide boards that are not good for aerials, and there are others that are not good for anything! Many times, when an industry finds a "hot niche", the manufacturers race to produce that style of gear. It does not always add up to good performance. Elements, such as our timely example of width, must combine with other factors, such as edge shape and rocker, to provide a great combination.

Do not buy a board by "size". This tip is related to the first. Centimeter "size", is a poor barometer of a board's overall character. The length is the only variable measured by this. To put a finer point on it, a 138cm in one board, may be perfect for you, while the identical length in another board may be completely inappropriate. Factors such as width and wetted surface area make as much, if not more difference than length. A friend telling you, "buy a 142cm" is doing you a disservice. They probably mean well, and are advising you towards a board that they have had a positive experience with, but many expensive board purchase mistakes are made in this manner.

Here are some guidelines for what effect the individual design elements might have:

Rocker: The curvy "banana shaped" profile of your board. Rocker generally may be viewed on a scale from "loose feeling" to "stable feeling." The more exaggerated the arc, the looser the board feels. Conversely flatter boards tend to be more stable. A great deal of rocker tends to slow a board down, while a flat profile tends to be faster. Some boards use a "constant rocker" and others somewhat of a "kinked" or "flat spot" rocker line. The latter tries to incorporate the best speed/maneuverability qualities of both rocker designs.

Edge design: The shape of your board's edges, whether sharp or rounded, has a profound impact on the tracking capabilities of the board. The sharper the rail (another term for the board's edge), the more aggressively the board will "bite" into the water. This results in improved acceleration, and overall speed. The downside of this, is the tendency for sharp rails to be "catchy". Remember, a sharp rail is always sharp, and is less forgiving than it's rounded counterpart. Beginners and flat water tricksters are well advised to look for boards with more "buttery" (rounder) rails. To confuse matters even more, many manufacturers are producing boards with combination edges, that combine elements of both designs, in an attempt to achieve the best of both worlds.

Bottom design: This refers to the often debated features that affect the wetted surface area of the board. Channels running lengthwise down the bottom of the board serve two functions. They provide additional traction against slipping sideways, and they accelerate the water flow beneath the surface, adding to overall speed. Boards with heavy contouring also tend to be a little less forgiving for surface tricks and wake slides. Dimples, also referred to as phasers, speed bumps, etc., are designed to break up laminar flow, or downward suction on the board from the water's surface. If you think of a dinner plate being set on a wet table, and the suction that is created, the principle is the same. The dimples break up the suction and, in theory, accelerate the board. In reality this does very little to effect performance positively or negatively. It is technology that was borrowed from the surfing industry, which largely dropped the concept about 20 years ago.

Width: A board's width affects it's speed, stability, and pop off the wake. Increased width can add stability, but detracts from a board's speed. The greater the wetted surface area of a board, the more drag it produces. Drag is the factor which can most easily reduce speed. Width can also help get extra air by providing a broader surface to smack to wake. This will only be true, however, if the overall speed is still good. If you are interested in getting big air from a wide board, make sure it has sharp rails and strong channels to help speed it up.

Length: As with width, length is less important than overall wetted surface area. Remember, the only portion of your board which can profoundly affect your ride, is the portion in contact with the water. Much of a board's length, depending on it's rocker line, may be out of the water. This portion has little to do with the board's feel. Length is one of the most looked at, and most misunderstood elements, in board purchasing.

Weight: Boards have become pretty darn light over the last few years. In general, light weight means a livelier feel underfoot, and quicker rotation in the air. This has traditionally come at the expense of durability. Recently, the gap between heavy and light has been greatly reduced by better manufacturing techniques. Many experienced riders are choosing the most durable boards, and saving the extra half pound by eating a few less waffles.

Wake Boot/Bindings Sizing Tips...

Questions? ebay@boardstar.com

1:: Snug is what you are after. The most common mistake in fitting wakeboard bindings is buying them too large. Your bindings are your sole attachment to the board. Controlling your new ride with loose fitting bindings is like typing with winter gloves on. The wakeboard binding should not be thought of as an accessory. It is equal in importance to the board. Often we hear, "my bindings are to tight...I need lubricant to get into them". The truth is, you will need lubricant to get into a binding that fits correctly. Do not try to enter your bindings dry, it should not work.

2:: Performance bindings are designed to fit 2-3 shoe sizes only. Typically: Small = 4-7, Medium = 7-9, Large = 9-11, X L = 11-13, XXL = 13-15. This is the overall range of the binding, but you may need to individualize the straps for a precise fit. Many riders choose to make this adjustment themselves, but it can be tricky to get the bindings back together, so consider letting your pro shop make the adjustments if needed.

3:: Adjustable and Sandal style bindings are a good option for new riders, but sacrifice the snug fit mentioned above. If you need to get everyone on the boat into one binding, then these are the answer. If you are want to improve rapidly and are seeking out maximum performance, then look for a more secure model. Aerial and invert maneuvers are no fun on adjustables.

4:: Many riders choose to have their own set of bindings. You may be able to share a high performance board between a group of friends within 60 lbs of each other. This same group may choose to individually own bindings to optimize performance. Remember, bindings may easily be swapped out on the boat between rides.

5:: Bindings which are too loose can be equally dangerous as those which are too tight. Coming out prematurely, or unexpectedly, can be more dangerous than staying in.

6:: Expect to pull. You will have to pull hard to enter a good set of bindings. Do not let this deter you. It is part of the sport, and will result in a superior ride.

7:: Always read any labeling or information provided by the manufacturer. All bindings are designed and fit differently. The manufacturer's advice should be taken as the last word on the fit of their product.

8:: Snug is what you are after. The most common mistake in fitting wakeboard bindings is buying them too large. Your bindings are your sole attachment to the board. Controlling your new ride with loose fitting bindings is like typing with winter gloves on. The wakeboard binding should not be thought of as an accessory. It is equal in importance to the board.

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