Snowboard / Buy or rent?

For the first days the simplest way is to rent a snowboard and tell the rental company that you are still a beginner.  If you can, try not to rent a budget version. Some of these are in a questionable condition and will only make learning more difficult for you.

If you want to buy your own snowboard, it's easiest to go for well established brands. I have a hard time with the very cheap in-house brands from certain stores. I'm aware that snowboarding is an expensive sport, but I wouldn't skimp on the snowboard itself. If you're unlucky, these super-cheap snowboards will even make it harder for you to learn or, in the worst case, you'll compensate for the board's weaknesses with a bad riding style. Second-hand boards can also be a good option, although you should make sure that they have not been stored in the basements for the last hundred years. A good approach is to simply choose a board in the store, then you have a name with which you can search for previous year's models.

The easiest way to get advice is to visit a specialized store and if you're lucky, you might even be able to get yourself a previous year's model at a good price. Sometimes you can also buy rental boards at the end of the season at a reasonable price.

Characteristics for your first snowboard

• Type: All-Mountain
• Profile: Classic Camber or Hybrid Flat to Rocker
• Flex: 3-5
• Size. The size must be selected according to the snowboard model chosen. Up to the chin is usually not a bad starting point.
• Width: Check the manufacturer's recommendation. As a basic rule, you can say that with a boot size around 44, you should choose a wide version.

Type

An all-mountain board is best suited for beginners. Other snowboard types such as freestyle, tree/jib or freeride boards are less suitable.

Flex

The flex is a value between 1 and 10, which indicates how soft or hard the board is. A value of 1 means very soft and 10 means very hard. As a soft board is somewhat easier to control, you should choose a flex value between 3 and 5. Note that all manufacturers classify their snowboards differently, so it is best to compare the flex yourself by pushing the snowboard through.

Size

The size or length of the snowboard has a big influence on how it rides. Basically, the bigger the board, the more stable it is and the smaller it is, the easier it will be to turn. Most manufacturers have a recommendation with which you can choose the size of snowboard based on your height and weight. If you don't have this at hand or are buying a second-hand board, it's best to make sure that the snowboard is about as tall as up to your chin.

Width

The more wide a snowboard is, the more stable it is, but the more difficult it will be to change the edge. Choose a snowboard that is only as wide as it needs to be based on your boot size. Again, the easiest way to do this is to rely on the manufacturer's instructions. If the wide version is recommended based on your shoe size, you should take this to heart, as otherwise your toes or heels will get stuck in the snow.

Profile

The profile refers to how the snowboard touches the snow. There are basically three main profiles and various hybrid versions.

Classic Camber

• + High stability at high speeds
• + Good grip on the edge ideal for carving
• + Good pop for jumping
• - Not forgiving, higher risk of catching an edge
• - Turns are more difficult

Classic Rocker

• + Very easy to turn
• + Very forgiving
• + Ideal float in powder
• - Poor stability

Classic Flat Zero

• + Compromise solution between camber and rocker, i.e. medium stability and average forgiveness.
• + Good for rails

In addition to these variants, there are also various hybrid variants which are offered under a wide variety of names. They try to combine the different worlds.