Freeriding

If you are a skier, enjoy the peace of the outdoors, enjoy powder snow, enjoy a little trick riding or just like to enjoy the slopes then this is the style for you. Freeriding style of snowboarding is a generic style of snowboarding that is adaptable to almost any terrain and situation. This is a large part of why it is the most popular style of snowboarding. Freeriding derived from surfing where the goal is to simply enjoy the ride, the hill and leave a clean line behind you in the snow.

Freeride snowboards are an excellent choice for beginners as they are maneuverable enough for beginners and yet stiff enough for fast turning in hard snow. Freeride snowboards are versatile due to their unique design. A freeride snowboard has a directional shape meaning that it's tail is different from it's nose. The tail is usually narrower, shorter and flatter than the tip of the snowboard. Also the bindings on the snowboard are slightly further back thus rising higher and making powder snowboarding easier.

While the design of the snowboard defines its ideal purpose, the snowboard must fit the rider. There are several factors that are fairly important to consider when shopping for a snowboard. The things to consider are your weight, height, gender and hardware.

Weight is possibly the most important thing to consider as it effects the performance of your snowboard and this is especially true for a generic freeride snowboard. A snowboard works much like a ship in that the surface tension keeps it floating on top of the snow. As we may all recall from high school, the lighter the load the lower the required surface area and vise versa. This means that a heavier person needs a longer snowboard while a litter person needs a shorter snowboard.

The one exception to this rule may well be height. Many old school snowboarders believe that height is more important than weight but physics proves this wrong. A taller than average person can use their height as a lever to move the snowboard. On the flip side of the coin, a shorter rider may require a smaller snowboard than their weight would indicate in order to be able to properly control it.

Since weight and height make a difference in the selection of your snowboard it only stands to reason sex also makes difference. Men and women have different centers of gravities, different sizes of feet and different ways of moving. This all means that the ideal snowboard for a man and women of the same height and weight will not be the same.

The gear you select is also very important. Other than the usual winter outerwear your boots are you most important choice. To some degree your choice in boots depends upon your preference but normally you will want a softer boot with a medium ankle height. This allows you the freedom you need to slalom through powder and the firmness you need to carve the lip of a snow bowl. Remember that your feet may swell up to half a boot size during the day.

After gathering all of your equipment together you are ready for any experience. With a freeride snowboard you have the ability to ride the back country with your friends, enjoy the slopes with skiers or pull some stunning tricks to impress those around you. Snowboarding is a rewarding and enriching experience that you are now set to enjoy for life.

Latest snowboarding articles

» 360 airs a killer move with vast possibilities
Because of the vast number of possible variations of 360 airs it is reasonable to call a 360 air the most important and noticeable trick for snowboarding.

» Bonking - The snowboarders "high five"
Bonking is on of those strange little things that people do for the fun of it or to make a person jump.

» Variations to add to aerial movements
Two common last minute movements to add to your routine are Late Spins and Reverts.

» How to wheelie like a pro on a snowboard
Wheelies are an old trick that goes back at least as far as roller skating does and most likely much further.

» Layback slides and slashes
Layback slides and slashes are an extreme maneuver that originated with surfing. When surfing, a surfer would literally lay back on a wave and ride it before rising to stand again.

» Nose & tail rolls
How do you switch from riding Fakie to riding regular? Many times when landing we end up riding Fakie and you may wish to revert back to riding regular.

» Snowboarding at night
Nighttime snowboarding is another aspect of snowboarding that is unlike any other that you may have tried so far.

» Skidded turns and beyond
For many beginners, learning to turn on a snowboard can be rather challenging and unnerving.

» The key to stopping is sideslipping
Sideslipping is one of the most important skills that you can learn while on the slopes.

» Lift lines: The bane of snowboarding and all other activities
As is true with almost everything else that we do on a daily basis, a line must be entered and waited out. Of course the lifts on a hill are no different.

» Snowboarding helmets
We all know that not everyone uses their head as much as they should but this is no reason to not protect it.

» Snowboarding jackets
Winter jackets have changed a lot over the years as technology has improved. The best solution used to be those big, puffy, down filled jackets.

» Snowboarding boots
The boots that you wear when snowboarding will make a huge difference with your ability to control your snowboard and your comfort on the hill.

» The base trick for all other tricks, snowboards flex
The flex of a snowboard is a non-quantifiable factor that determines the performance of your snowboard.

» The sexy shape of a snowboard
Everyone knows that an hourglass figure turns heads. Not as many people know that the same figure is also behind the design of modern snowboards.

» The costs of snowboarding
As with any other recreational activity there is always a startup cost and it is the startup cost that is the killer.

» Alpine snowboarding
Alpine snowboarding is for those of you who are a little more extreme about speed than most.

» Freeriding
If you are a skier, enjoy the peace of the outdoors, enjoy powder snow, enjoy a little trick riding or just like to enjoy the slopes then this is the style for you.