2011 Gear Guide

  • BUYING TIPS
  • CAMBER DEFINED
  • BOARD TERMS

GET THE RIGHT GEAR FOR YOU

Whether in a shop or on the Internet, sifting through the mass of new snowboarding gear can be daunting—but buying a proper setup is not. Just ask yourself what type of riding you do (or want to do), and follow this simple advice for buying your new kit.

Common Rule: Stiffer (generally more expensive) boards, boots, and bindings are very responsive and supportive—making them ideal for fast, aggressive riding or freeriding. On the other hand, softer gear is more forgiving—better suited for learning the basics, jibbing, and stretching out grabs. There's also plenty of gear that sits right in the middle and does it all.

BOOTS +

Start here. Boots are the most crucial part of your setup—it's very important to buy a pair that fits well. Try them on at a local shop and avoid the Internet gamble. A new pair of boots should fit snug (without pressure points)— holding your heel firmly in place while your toes are just a hair away from touching the end. Remember: boots generally pack out a quarter to a half size, so start with your normal shoe size or smaller. Using comfort as your guide, go with the boots that feel the best.

BINDINGS +

When shopping for bindings, pay attention to compatibility and size. Make sure they fit your boot and also fit on your board. Burton boards and bindings have differing mounting systems, so double check before you buy.

BOARD +

Pick your snowboard by your weight, riding style, and budget. Most manufacturers provide sizing recommendations, including weight ranges and suggestions according to the flex of the board. The length and shape of a board is more related to riding style—smaller for freestyle riding, larger for freeriding. Keep in mind that alternative camber boards should be ridden two to eight centimeters smaller than a regular camber snowboard. Freestyle-board decks usually have a twin shape, while all-mountain or freeride boards generally have a directional shape.

NAVIGATE THE CAMBER JUNGLE

Never has the snowboard been offered in so many different shapes, accompanied by so many confusing names. These new board shapes give you options and excel in specific conditions and certain riding styles. Whatever your fancy, take a minute to consider the attributes of each, right here.

REGULAR CAMBER +

The tried and true OG. Built with a continuous, arcing shape from contact point to contact point, creating a springy, reactive platform.

Popular models: Forum Conflict, Rome Agent, Salomon Official

Best for: A dependable ride that excels in speed, stability, pop, carving, and response.

Weaknesses: Lack of forgiveness, edge hooks, more work to keep the tips up in pow.

ZERO CAMBER +

Zero camber is the middleman. Sitting right between a cambered and rockered shape, these offer a completely flat profile.

Popular models: K2 Slayblade, Ride DH2, Nitro Rook

Best for: A consistent flex with subtle benefits of both camber and rocker—not too aggressive, not too loose.

Weaknesses: A dead zone between the feet, sluggish at initiating turns.

REVERSE CAMBER +

Reverse Camber (Rockered) boards have an up-lifted shape. It can be as subtle as a small rise toward the tips, or a drastic V-shape throughout the length of the board.

Popular models: Signal Park Rocker, Capita Horrorscope FK, Gnu Park Pickle

Best for: Easy jibbing, powder float, playfulness, and learning the basics.

Weaknesses: Instability, unpredictability, and looped-out landings.

CAMBER HYBRID +

These boards utilize elements of both camber and rocker throughout, in an attempt to capture the best of both designs.

Popular models: Lib Tech T. Rice C2 BTX, Burton Easy Livin Flying V, Never Summer Evo

Best for: Variable conditions and terrain, one board quiver.

Weaknesses: Disrupted flex patterns, weird balance points on boardslides, subtle instability.

SHAPES

TWIN: A 100-percent symmetrical snowboard that rides identical in either direction. The nose and tail are the same shape, and the stance and flex are centered.

DIRECTIONAL: A board where the stance and flex pattern (or both) are set back from center. Typically featuring a slightly longer nose than tail; they're designed to ride best forward, but can be ridden switch, too.

DIRECTIONAL TWIN: Combining elements of both the directional and twin shapes, they may have a twin flex pattern but a directional shape or core, or vice versa.

WIDE BOARDS

W (Wide): These boards are built wider across the waist to accommodate a bigger boot size. The extra width eliminates toe and heel drag. Wides are recommended for riders with size eleven or larger boots.

MW (Mid-Wide): Mid-wides are built slightly wider for riders with size ten to eleven boots and mellow stance angles, or riders simply looking for a little extra float in a board.

CAMBER

REGULAR: These boards are built with simple, traditional camber. Laying flat with the base down, the profile of the board arcs to its high point at the waist of the snowboard.

ALTERNATIVE: These boards are constructed with some sort of variation on traditional camber. These variations include but aren't limited to reverse camber, rocker, flat, concave, or any possible combination of these.

LENGTH

Board length is the overall measure of a snowboard from nose to tail. Length is measured in centimeters.

WIDTH

Board width is the distance across your snowboard at the waist or middle point. Width is also measured in centimeters.

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    2011 GOOD WOOD BOARD TEST

    Twelve years of testing has led us here, to the largest and most trusted board test in snowboarding. The 2011 Good Wood results present the top performing boards for both park and all-mountain versatility, split into two price categories for men and women. The Good Wood testing process began with 450 snowboards, and throughout the rigors of the week, these winners led the way, resulting in a stack of 40 tried-and-true "best" boards. With these results as your guide, you can easily sift through the mass of snowboards and find the perfect one for you.

    METHOD

    Our test crew of eighteen riders took to the slopes of Breckenridge, colorado, for a full week of heavy slashing, jumping, jibbing, and overall shredding of the Peak 8 terrain parks and local freeride runs. Within that weeklong window of testing, they rode ice, hardpack, slush, and even a little pow. Boards were scored on fifteen criteria through it all, including high-speed stability, pop, flex, basic carving, and more. When all was said and done, the boards listed here performed the best. More information on the Good Wood Board Test

    MEN'S UNDER $399

    MEN'S OVER $400

    WOMEN'S UNDER $399

    WOMEN'S OVER $400