Board size

A snowHead

I have a snowboard which is 163 long. I am an intermediate boarder at best and have been boarding for over 15 years now. Once a year. I have a snowboard which I feel is quite firm and inflexible. I am no expert but sometimes I just feel like it won’t turn, especially when it’s icy. Probably a lack of confidence too, but I do recall a time I borrowed a smaller board and how much easier it was to turn. Here’s my dilemma. I have been given a nitro 159cm board, old ish, but prob no older than my “true freedom 163” which I think was a uk brand many years ago. The nitro is 1cm narrower than my 163cm one, and my boots are a uk12. It seems like there’s a bit more flex in it. Do I give it a go? I would rather not take 2 snowboards on my next trip as it’ll be heavy in the bag as it is. Sorry I haven’t searched for an answer but am just someone who goes most years with the kit I’ve had since 2008….!

A snowHead

Ps I am 13 stone and 6ft 4 if it makes any difference!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Don’t think the nitro is wide enough, it’s 26cm wide vs the true one being 28cm. I think too much overhang with my boots. Bare feet are over 1cm over hanging both toe and heel so from what I’ve read the true one is prob a better fit, just compromising on the flex

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With a UK12 you should probably be on a wide board.

As far as sizes go, look up the size chart on line for your boards - try the manufacturers website. It should tell you what length will suit your weight. Height is a devicive question, some say it makes a difference, some say not.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

As Rogg says.
You need a wide board. Length is more weight based than height based & each manufacturer will recommend something different.
Why not rent next time with the ability to swap/try different size boards until you find your sweetspot?
Downsizing does usually mean it is easier to turn, but if you are struggling to turn, have you tried adjusting your stance or technique in how you are initiating your turns.

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Thanks for the tips, good shout re renting a board to try some out. I’ve always gone with a pretty neutral stance, just using the middle 4 of the 8 holes if that makes sense for front and rear feet. Angles I think I go with plus 15 degrees at front and maybe negative 3 degrees for back foot. I think you’re both right, I defo need a wide board so won’t be swapping to a narrower one as I can tell my feet will over hang way too much, with the boots on the board there must be almost an inch maybe even 1.5 inches if not more front and back protruding

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

While I do agree with the above and also favour a wide board with only UK10.5, I would add that trying as many boards as possible is the key to learning what you do and don't like. As you own that one, while you probably will have more boot overhang than you'd want it'll still be ridable and a day or two on it would teach you what you do and don't like about it. Lack of width and boot drag may be one of those things, but there will be plenty other info to gain from it. You could take both your boards in one board bag on the airplane, for enhanced data collection opportunities.

You can always still rent one after a day or two on it, and the direct comparison to what you were riding the day before as opposed to fallible last-trip memory, will be useful info.

That said, you can get the same experience from going back to the rental shop every day trying a new board until you find your joy-plank so ya know... Many routes to the same place. Just making the point that riding a board that's not ideal doesn't make for an un-fun day, and you'll learn a lot that you can apply to picking your next board.

After all it is free

@Kton2002,

Technique is also worth looking into.
People can forget what they was taught & end up trying to get on tip toes to turn instead of trying to get the knees forward over the shins by bending the knees more.

The lenght is only part of the bigger picture as you can have a 159cm with the same effective edge lenght as 164cm.

Its the flex pattern that suits the individual physically thats very important both longitudinally and torsionally flex are very different points.

If you cant flex/bend your True Freedom 163cm when riding it on edge.... you wont carve it on edge and will be mainly or continually slarving or sliding/slithering about sideways
So you either "physically train your legs for the sport at hand" or get a "softer flexing board."

Boot and binding flex patterns matter with stiff boards too you obviously need firmer hard goods to bend flex stiff boards
The lenght is actually another secondary point to a boards flex pattern its more about the rider is able to bend what you ride .

Im not sure but isnt that True Freedom board very old and a budget brand so hard to imagine its a firm stick but it could be ?
Some boards around 2003-2006 had a very firm flex that riders today would never deal with .
Rossinol Jones was a beast and Nitro Shoguns were very firm sticks but others were very firm too.
These firm flex boards can ride the snowboarder rather than the rider riding the board

Its not hard to find a used wide board that would suit your weight and frame not knowing all about flex and lenghts etc
A older used burton with missions or cartels will work fine such as a wide supermodel or even softer wide bullet that will cost little .
Other wide models exist too like the Burton Floater or spend more on a later wide model .

Most burton boards flex patterns are alrounders so will work fine at 13 stone ...the later supermodels had 10mm of taper so in 159 to 63 range are worth a look
Shorter lenghts suit for messing about, longer lenghts for getting round a glacier or big euro resort with a turn of speed .
At 6ft4in and 13 stone you are fine on any burton from 156 to 168 but 159 to-163 may be where you find a good alrounder
Burton didnt make many stiff soft boards

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@Kton2002, had the same issues, got a softer board and have never looked back - so much better. I totally agree on the early 2000s being an outlier for boards being v firm/too firm. Who knows why... My Ride Concept 2007 was incredibly stiff (by far the hardest board to ride I've had - from 8 or 9 over 25 years). It was def riding me, not the other way around as should have been the case.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Bespoke brand boards costing alot ....often with a race background can have a very reasonable longitudinal flex.
But ....
The Torsional flex will be firm for carving and holding a edge with straighter sidecuts and some setback and taper .
This isnt what the op needs to worry about though as they are quite expensive.

Burton is a real world std type example they know how to make boards for the masses of joe averages doing 10 days a season which is rider world wide average per season .
They know how much you ride and how little to no training you do and how c ra p you are so design and sell suitable flexing boards for such riders

Doing 7 -10 days per season is why riders will never train for the sport as its no more than a annual holiday jolly.
So they will 99.99% buy into SALES marketing and/or often junk rather than do two months increasing flexibility .
Many only ride two hours on piste per day during a 6-7 day trip.

The market sells bandaids and crutches always has and will .
If you look at what hardgoods riders use doing months or seasons every season if they pay for it ...those hardgoods will be a real good sign of all round reliability but can be specific for piste or powder use of course because they run quivers .

A wide Burton used or new with missions/cartels is just a good std safe working option its knowing which models to buy used or either listening to a salesman if buying new .

snow reports

Thanks so much for all this info, it has really helped me. You’re right the true snowboard is from 2007/8 so is very old. It does seem to flex fine when I push down on it but I’ve no idea really what I’m comparing it to. I’d say the nitro one is similar so maybe it’s not about flex at all, more me and my bad technique I expect !! I do find me feet hurt a bit after a day or even a few hours, I think I do need to learn to do more with my knees

If your feet hurt its possible....

People will say footpain is your bootfit ie tell you to buy to more equipment and get lessons its like a mantra .

Do not fail to look at the tool in the boots ie yourself the physically unflexible rider.....which can be for all sorts of reasons or past injuries etc

Footpain is very very often a physical lack of flexion in the lower leg chain thats needed to snowboard well.
This is very common but can also be a combination of ones physical lack of flexion and also bad bootfit as most people will oversize boots. About 80% do this at least .
The two issues are super common and a salesman can smell it ie. see you coming thru the door ...and blame the boots so they then sell you another oversized pair.

Again this lack of lower leg flexion is part of a very specific training need for the sport at hand in the first instance ... not equipment or lessons thats secondary .
People get lessons every season for a 7 day trip/week over 20 yrs yet they are still useless decades later .
No other sport works like this all have specific training needs taking months .

You gotta put some training time in ..you cant buy into it a physical training need like you can with equipment and lessons
Ultimately your only going to get out what you put in .

You know it makes sense.

You might need a wider board based on your height, weight, and boot size. Renting different boards could help you find the right fit. Also, work on improving your technique and flexibility, which might help with the issues you're having.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I suffered from terrible foot pain mainly because I was over tightening the bindings to compensate for badly fitting boots. The boot should hold your foot, and the binding should hold the boot.

Help!!

Board size

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