If you or one of your kids is interested in snowboarding, you’ll be overwhelmed at first by the number of snowboards on the market.  This Snowboarding Guide will help by explaining the 3 main types of snowboards.  That will  narrow your search considerably.  After we explain the features of the different snowboards, we’ll list  some of the top-selling models of that type.  Our goal is to make your entrance into snowboarding as easy as possible.

Snowboard Types

All Mountain or Freeride

These are the most popular snowboards on the hill because they are the most versatile.  They have the same essential style and ride characteristics that quality snowboards have had since the beginning.  Their rather generic shape means that they work well on downhill and do a very good job in the park and the halfpipe.  The tip of all mountain snowboards is different from the tail – they are meant to be ridden in one direction.  All mountain snowboards are short, easy to maneuver and easy to learn to ride.

This is the best type of snowboard for a beginner and prices range from under $100 for cheaper models to over $600 for new, top of the line models.  You can find good new and used snowboards in this category.

Some of the best Freeride / All Mountain snowboards are: Sim’s Men’s Rules Freeride, DC HKD Devon Walsh Pro Model, Sim’s Women’s Heiress, GNU Carbon Credit BTX, Salomon The Man’s Board, Burton Barracuda, Ride Antic, Palmer Burn, Ride DH2, and Rossignol Krypto Magtek.

Freestyle Snowboards

If your snowboarding will include obstacles, tricks and showing off, consider a Freestyle board.  They are light, compact and very responsive.  These snowboards are designed for terrain parks, the halfpipe when you’re doing spins, grabs, getting air, or riding fakie. The twin tip means you can ride it frontwards or backwards without turning the board around, also known as fakie riding.

The best Freestyle snowboards include: Burton Verdict, Ride Agenda, Ride Women’s Rapture, Salomon Drift Magnum, K2 Vavavoom, Atomic Axum, Gnu Street Series BTX.

Race Snowboards

Also called Carving or Alpine boards, these are designed for serious downhill snowboarding.  They are racing boards with a longer, sleeker design.  Race snowboards are capable of faster speeds due to their narrow build and they are great for carving turns at speed. You’ll find symmetrical and symmetrical designs but they all tend to have a scooped nose.  These are not trick boards and due to their limitation to racing and downhill, they are not versatile or a good choice for a beginner unless you absolutely know that’s what you want to do.  If you’re a converted downhill skier who wants to experience snowboarding, these are worth a look.

The top Alpine / Carving / Racing snowboards include: GNY Billygoat, Arbor A-Frame, Technine Split-T Splatter Gold, Burton E63, Burton Factory Prime Goofy.

Summary

If you’re not sure what type of snowboarding you’ll enjoy the most, consider starting out with a Freeride/All Mountain board.  If you’re sure you want to ride in parks and master tricks on the halfpipe, then Freestyle snowboards are best.  Downhill skiers who want to try it sideways on one board instead of two should consider Carving snowboards as the closest thing to downhill or slalom.  Look for the right snowboards and the right price and you’ll be ready to hit the snow this season.