 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey guys and gals. Don't worry I'm not looking for definitive answers just a view on people's opinions. I'll give as much info as I can but basically I'm looking to buy my first board having been Snowboarding four times now, heading off another two times this season and hoping to get much more in the coming years.
Where I'm a bit confused is that I've been looking at the online size guides but then back at old pictures with all the hire boards I've had.
I'm 6ft tall, and weigh 90kg (14st 1lb or 197lbs) and wear size UK11 boots. I would say I'm a low intermediate in that my first two trips I was solely on Blues, and on my last two trips I was blues and a few reds and then mostly reds. Happy off piste and relatively comfortable/weirdly really enjoy moguls!
Looking back at pics I've always seemed to have either 155 or 156 boards two have been wide and two normal, but all of the size guides online say that for my height and weight I should definitely be 160+?
Have I been being given shorter boards as they're easier to turn and therefore better for beginners or should I look to get a longer board? It's a tough one because I don't know what I'm missing as never used a longer board? Any advice would be really appreciated as I was all set to buy myself a 155 Wide board but now I'm not so sure.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@S@mm084, what boards are you looking at and what have you ridden before? Overall length is just one measurement that can be used. I would say that at 90kg I would expect you to be towards the longer end of the range. I weigh 76Kg and my boards are 144, 156, 156 and 162 long but I sit in the correct weight range for each.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Extra length is a revelation - so they say 
I'm a bit bigger at 6'5 and 95kgs, similar size boots. For years I had hire boards ranging from 161 - 164, basically the biggest board in the hire shop. I eventually checked some manufacturere guidelines, and then the next time I hired I enquired if the had anything bigger and a staff member leant me an old board of his, a 168W. That trip I felt so much more comfortable at speed on the piste, better control, better grip, smoother ride, all lovely.
The following time I was back on a 163. Definitely not as comfortable at speed, but fine, and I felt I could feel it turning a little quicker in the air.
So yes, it makes a difference, and if you are too one end of the size spectrum the chances are you've never been given quite the right size hire kit as they will have little or no options at the extremes of range.
Equally, just as stiffer and softer boards have different uses, length is suited to different applications. This year I'd like to go cruising and carving, but if I end up with something a bit shorter, then I'll go play and spend my time spinning instead.
It makes a difference, but not huge. Many of the manufacturers have multiple size guides to suit park / piste etc boards by type.
Think about what sort of riding you want to do, and if you've not decided yet, get something in the middle. If you can test 2 or 3 sizes of the same board somewhere, then that would be your perfect option!
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Because it's my first ever purchase I didn't want to go too crazy so some of the boards I was looking at were the Salomon Sight, Salomon Craft, or the Yes Basic. The board I probably got on with the best was the Rossignol EXP which was 155 wide but every "online guide" just seems crazy to have a board that short 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Online size calculators are useless as they assume that all boards are designed to be ridden at the same length for a given weight/ ability, which as above is not the case. Use the manufacturer's size guide for the specific board.
I like to pick the most obvious size, then also try one size up or down if it's not obviously in the sweet spot. A board should behave differently depending on how hard you push it. It has to be progressive, not binary, and it has to be responsive enough so you don't have to stamp on it. As a learner, you'll be finn taking the manufacturer's recommendation.
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@S@mm084, so in regards to the Yes Basic, you are within the guide range for 3 sizes;
159W, 161, 163W
This is where you'd need to ride them to determine which suits you better I'm afraid. But as a guide, if you want to jump around, want more maneuvrebility and not so much speed go with the shorter one, otherwise if you want more float in pow, faster speeds with more stability go bigger. Other snowboards may be easier to choose from as in less size choices.
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Thanks ever so much for the responses everyone. Really helpful. I popped along to the local shop in Norwich and they were super helpful in there as well. It was just really good to have the opinions from here before I went in and made a fool out of myself.
I've narrowed it down to the Salomon Huck Knife and the Jones Mountain Twin. Both need to decide on whether 155W or 158W is what I want. Bit more fun and manoeuvrability to mess about with or a touch more stability. I'm not gonna lie, I'm edging towards the fun and manoeuvrability so most probably the 155W Huck Knife.
The guy in the shop was also very much a "stay away from online guides, the manufacturers guides are a bit better but ultimately you've been riding and progressing on a shorter board so stick with it for an all mountain board. If you then decide you want more get a second board for off piste powder etc."
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| S@mm084 wrote: |
| If you then decide you want more get a second board for off piste powder etc." |
You never said you might get a second board. So then the Huck Knife would work as a freestyle ride but its poor in pow and off piste (according to reviews) so a second board may be a must. The MT is a great all rounder and would work well as a one hit wonder!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Gainz wrote: |
| S@mm084 wrote: |
| If you then decide you want more get a second board for off piste powder etc." |
You never said you might get a second board. So then the Huck Knife would work as a freestyle ride but its poor in pow and off piste (according to reviews) so a second board may be a must. The MT is a great all rounder and would work well as a one hit wonder! |
I never dreamed I would contemplate getting a second board if I'm honest but that would be a few years down the line when I've progressed. Thanks for the feedback on the Huck Knife. I had been led to believe it was OK in powder and off piste so now I'm probably leaning towards the Jones. Good God this is difficult. Hahaha.
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If you tell the shop you are a beginner, then they will give you a slightly shorter board, so you go slower & control better.
If you are just going to be charging around the mountain, then the Jones is fine, so is the yes basic (but you may outgrow it quite quick), You could also look at the Rossignol One LF which is a great board for the money & can usually find them around £250-£300.
You could always rent for one more trip & get a board more suited to your weight.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@S@mm084
If I was recommending for you then 158-162cm (approx 1200mm effective edge) with a 258-263mm ish waist.
Pow
More float due to more surface area. Pow is priority. People only ride park and piste because they can't ride pow every day of their lives.
Piste
If you're 6' then your stance is probably going to be wider than mine. So your feet will be closer to the tips. On a 155 - that gonna feel pretty unstable compared to something around 160. Your hips/centre of gravity will be higher than mine too - as will your chances of tomahawking with not much nose for support. Also if you have to use the widest holes on your insert packs for your normal stance (i.e 22.5 - 23in) - it will effect the way your board flexes. It will feel more chuckable for sure but at the expense of the lovely flow of the board center flexing when you turn.
My opinion and preference obviously.... Is there a fridge nearby you can have a go of a longer board?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Might be worth a look at a jones frontier/explorer instead of the mountain twin as more of an all rounder.
Not much in it, I’ve had both, but the explorer would be a bit easier to ride in powder with a more directional shape and flex. They are both great though you can’t really go wrong with either.
The 2020 ones are crazy cheap here in Nz currently. Could have picked one up for about 250 of your pounds this week with a full range of sizes to choose from. Lot of board for that money. Shipping might sting a bit though.
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I'm 200 pounds, have 152cm k2 bottle rocket for park, 162cm ride timeless for carving/pow. I'm in a weight range for both. All depends in a board specifics and purpose. But if it's not a volume shifted board - you need 158-162 cm deck.
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You know it makes sense.
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Well thank you everybody!
I took the plunge and have invested in a 158 Wide Jones Frontier. Really appreciate everyone's comments to help give me some idea to take into the shop. Can't wait to try it out next month
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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You are one inch taller than me and 7kg heavier.
I have two boards, a stiff 159 cambered board for piste hooning and a 161 rocker board for off piste powder days. Both are the right size for my weight.
I think your 158 wide will be pretty much perfect!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@S@mm084, you are aware that you're outside the recommended weight range for that size board?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| S@mm084 wrote: |
I'm 6ft tall, and weigh 90kg (14st 1lb or 197lbs) and wear size UK11 boots.
Looking back at pics I've always seemed to have either 155 or 156 boards two have been wide and two normal, but all of the size guides online say that for my height and weight I should definitely be 160+? |
I'm pretty much exactly your height and weight.
I've never regularly ridden a board under 158, as I've progressed over the years that's settled mostly around 159-161, depending on terrain.
Sometimes I think something floaty around 156, for powder in the trees, might be an easier deal, that's the only time I've ever considered going to a shorter board, but there's only so many you can take on a trip.
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I'm 6'1" 95kg US 12 feet. 164w frontier, 160 Hovercraft, 168w Rossi XV. and have a strong preference for longer boards, but have had plenty of similar boards around the 158/159w mark, and all fine for mucking around on, just not so great at warp 9.
Would think the 158w frontier would be great for what you want to use it for and skill level, but might be worth setting the bindings back in deeper snow but I think you can go +/- 15% on the weight recommendations most of the time without it being too much of a drama.
I spent a day on my my daughter's 143 slush slasher and loved it.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks hang11. That's exactly what the guy in the shop said. This length is gonna be great for working on my freestyle, carving around and cruising but if I really want to bomb then go a little longer. I'm not gonna lie, at the moment the idea of bombing it down at warp 9 is the furthest from my mind so fingers crossed I've made the right decision. The guy in the shop certainly didn't think I needed to go any longer at this stage.
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some of the new designs make boards ride a bit shorter - I quite like long boards but went from my stiff all mountain 163 to a GNU Riders Choice 157 twin tip and didn’t notice any issues in the soft stuff or on the piste, and it simply rides fantastic ... new technology seems to have removed the idea that your board needs to be up your to nose.
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