What size Snowboard?
What is the right size Snowboard for me?
Choosing the best size snowboard is a personal preference that is mostly dependent on riding style. A question that many people can find confusing. Ask three people and get three different answers! The reality is actually quite simple, if you know the right things to consider.
The team at Ballistyx uses three key metrics to help customers narrow down the selection.
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Weight
Weight is the most important factor when deciding what length snowboard you should purchase. A snowboard doesn’t know how tall you are but it does know your weight. A riders weight directly affects the flex of the snowboard and therefore the performance of the board. All snowboards will have a recommended rider weight range, consult the manufacturers recommendations and narrow down which size best suits your riding.
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Boot Size
Your boot size is a huge determining factor when it comes to board selection. If the board is shorter it will have a more narrow waist width and vice versa. If the waist width of the board is too narrow you risk hitting either your toes or heels on the snow when you turn, this can cause a rider to skip out and lose edge control. Choose a length of board that has an appropriate waist width for your boot size. You can find more details of board width in our guide; <Do I need a wide board - A Guide>
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Height
Contrary to popular belief, a board doesn’t always need to be between your sternum and nose, in reality you can ride any length board that you like. (Take a look at Austin Sweetin proving this theory here) If you took our advice in step one you will have noticed that your weight probably puts you within the recommended rider weight range for more than one size in most models of board. This is when riding style and the location that you are going to ride the board. Riding style basically equates to whether you prefer a shorter board that is easier to spin and throw around or a longer board that will float more in deeper snow and be more stable at high speeds. As a rule of thumb park boards are usually ridden a bit shorter and freeride boards are normally ridden a little longer. At Ballistyx we also recommend that you consider a slightly longer board for overseas riding, the reasons are easy; The snow is usually deeper, so the extra length is going to mean extra float on the deeper days. The mountains are bigger, the piste wider and the runs longer than in Australia, you are going to be able to ride faster so the extra stability at speed will be your friend.
This guide is for regular snowboards and it doesn’t touch on volume shifted boards. If you would like some help deciphering short, wide snowboards then click here for our explainer: What is a Volume Shifted Snowboard?