Ok. So thers is snow on the ground these days and I am going to take a few quiet days away from the blog. I hope all of you do the same, disconnect and spend some time with your families!
If you’re new to the sport of snowboarding, you’ll most likely be aware that snowboarding is actually made up of two distinct forms of the sport; the freestyle and freeride. In the freestyle variety of the sport, snowboarders ride on the surface of a ski slope while staying above the centerline of the ski run. However, in the freeride variation of the sport, snowboarders actually ride in a bowl shape, or like a bowling ball or similar object. The difference between the two snowboarding variations is that freeride snowboarding requires riders to keep their board up and away from other riders on the slope while freestyle snowboarding allows snowboarders to keep their board near the edge of the slope. Snowboarding in this form is referred to as “free ride.”
When learning how to snowboard, it’s important to have an idea of what type of snowboarding you want to get into with or without snowboard bindings. For example, many snowboard beginners and intermediate snowboarders choose to start out with the freeride type of snowboarding. Free ride snowboarding can be done by just about any snowboarder who knows how to ride a snowboard! There are four common snowboard materials used in snowboards in order to give riders the ability to have as much control as possible when riding the snowboard. These are:
Nordisk (also known as Nordisk Pure): This snowboard deck is usually made with carbon fiber, which makes it stiffer and more maneuverable than regular snowboards. In addition, the deck is also designed with aluminum spindles, which help to make the snowboard stable and resistant to extreme temperature changes. It is the most common type of snowboard because it is extremely versatile and is easy to use.
Nocx: This is a highly flexible plastic snowboard deck. It is very lightweight and very maneuverable, but it doesn’t have the same stiffness that the Nordisk has. The Nocx tends to be the cheapest snowboard available. In addition, it is the heaviest snowboard available in the market. Most of the Nocx boards are used by beginners because they tend to be easier to learn on.
Sigma: This type of snowboard deck is composed of graphite, which is a more dense material than regular snowboard decks. It is also less expensive than the Nocx. and less rigid than the Nordisk. This type of snowboard deck is the most commonly used among intermediate and advanced snowboarders because it is easy to ride, very light, and can be controlled by the average sized skis.
The four main types of snowboard construction and their respective uses are discussed in more detail in the sidebar below. In the end, it is essential that snowboarders have an understanding of what snowboarding is all about before trying to select the best type of snowboard for them. It’s best to know how to ride a snowboard before deciding on one because different types of snowboards use various types of snowboarding maneuvers in order to give riders the highest amount of control possible.
Above image was pulled from the Ralf Bohnenkamp Tumblr site (Which is absolutely amazing and you should go check it out), but I am unable to find the original photo source. If you know who this photo was taken by, please let me know.