 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Im considering buying my first snowboard but dont really know where to start, I want something cheap and have found these Heli boards online for around about £80. Has anyone any experience of them?
http://www.heli-boards.com/start.htm
I've only done a week on snow and a couple at snodomes but picked it up quite quickly and think its time for one of my own. I wanted to buy one last season but after bidding on several on Ebay I realised I wasnt even sure what size to get and ended up buying 3 new sets of skis instead as I know where I am with those, Im about 6'1" probably about 12 stone and looking for something to mess about on rather than big mountain type things so I think I want something a bit shorter and softer, would that be right?
Anyway any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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medlington, what size feet do you have?
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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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Uk 9's maybe 9.5 depending on the brand
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Had a look at their site, personally, i'd give them a miss. Not a lot of info on their construction, plus their site looks like it hasn't been updated in ages (last news '06!).
Have a look at Raven snowboards on eBay. They've had a decent few reviews on other forums as low-cost beginner setups, and £130 or so will get you a board and bindings.
For your size, you can look at pretty much anything between a 155 and 160, standard width.
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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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I'd go second-hand at that price. Have a look on ebay, etc. there's loads around.
At your height/weight, you want something around about 160cm (a little over for piste/charging/powder, a little under for park/messing-around).
With your foot size, you should avoid anything "wide".
Burton tend to draw bit of a premium on ebay, but are still worth looking at, also pretty much anything from the likes of Nitro, Salomon, LibTech, Rome (or a dozen other brands!).
Go for something twin-shaped (i.e. identical nose and tail) for the kind of riding you're looking at. Avoid any of the fat nose / small tail powder-specific sticks around.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yep, secondhand.
Decent make, don't get to tied up in brands/specifics, as stevomcd says 'bout 160ish, maybe 157/158. Even have a punt at a 'bargain' stick that needs a tune (~ £20-40).
You don't mention boots, in many ways bit more important than the board, at your stage in the curve.
Good luck.
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go for boots bro, forget board for now.
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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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Thanks for the info guys,
Im intending to get boots, bindings and board before I go away this year so i dont have to rent anything.
Not really clued up on snowboard boots though, I know with ski boots theres loads of technology like vacuum fitting and heat shrinking etc to make the inners fit perfectly but Ive not really seen anything like this for snowboard boots. Whats the main difference between the cheaper ones to the expensive ones?
Is it better to spend more money on good bindings rather than boots? or are boots the most important bit like with skiing?
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medlington, Boots should be item 1 on your setup list, like the skiers. Boots don't usually have the same kind of tech that you see in a skiboot, and you don't normally have the problems with fit (unless you have 'weird' feet) thanks to be boots being soft. Though most mid to high range boots will feature some sort of self moulding liner or footbed which'll mould to you during use or if you warm the boots up and wear them for a while.
Flex is the defining factor, normally rated 1-10, 1 being softest and 10 being stiffist. You'll get more feedback and aggressive turning out of a stiffer boot, but equally you'll be able to use the flex of a softer boot if you plan on working through the park. Go for a lower-mid end boot with a mid range flex for starters.
Theres quite a varity of lacing/tightening systems in snowboard boots, from regular laces, through various speed-lacing options, to BOA (a wire/ratchet system) try a few in store and see what suits you. Personally, I like the BOA because I can quickly tighten my boots up a notch or 2 if I want to without having to re-lace.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Good boots before binding IMO. Go to a shop if you can and try some on to see what you're dealing with. Lacing systems can be very personal - standard laces, Boa, speed laces... there are loads of types that dictate the fit. Uncomfortable/badly fitted boots can ruin your shredding.
It is a nice feeling to have your own kit, especially when it's brand spanking and not some chewed-up rental stick that looks more like a gangplank than a snowboard!! But like most sports, cutting corners on cost can often mean more spending in the future to make up for the shortfalls. Saying that, there are some really good boards at the cheaper end of the scale - the Raven ones as mentioned before seem to have a few followers - although you could buy a good board from a few seasons back from a major brand.... Magic Toast is selling Stepchild Terry Kidwell 07/08 models for £140 and absolute-snow are selling Ftwo boards for £140 also
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