anyone into snowboarding here? need abit of info

hi there, im looking into getting into snowboarding but unsure what i need, i know i need bindings a board and boots, but as ive seen you can get all different types of binding such as freestyle, park all mountain, the park bindings look way cooler than all the others, would park ones still work on all mountain?

you would be better matching the gear you buy to the type of riding you think your going to be doing. yes they will all work, but you wouldnt want to take an all mountain board on a half pipe. horses for courses and all that.
 if you are just starting out best look for an all round beginners set up, to start with you will spend a lot of time on your ar*e anyway, unless your doing a season it will take a few holidays before you can tell the difference between boards.
if your learning buy a really good pair of gloves your hands are in the snow a lot, also wrist guards a good idea, dont know if your planning to go this season but really good idea is get some of the basics learnt on one of the indoor slopes here before you go away that way you get more out of a holiday and your not spending all your time on the nursery slopes.

ah nice one, i can ski pretty well and i use to skateboard alot and still do from time to time. i know what t expect as i did the snowbombing festival in austria last year and skiid, but boarding has always appeald to me more and i planning on going back out to austria in april to snowbombing again but as a boarder this time, cheers for the reply buddy, really helped

stroutsy said

ah nice one, i can ski pretty well and i use to skateboard alot and still do from time to time. i know what t expect as i did the snowbombing festival in austria last year and skiid, but boarding has always appeald to me more and i planning on going back out to austria in april to snowbombing again but as a boarder this time, cheers for the reply buddy, really helped

Hi mate, I too did snowbombing this year and already booked for next year
If you're just starting out you definately want a medium flex all mountain board. Also v-rocker/banana boards are much easier to learn on than normal camber boards.. Although this year the majority are now rocker/banana anyway.
If you're boot size is uk 11 or higher make sure you get a wide board or your toes/heals will be hanging over the edges. The length of your board wants to be about from the floor to your chin. For bindings now many are all mountain/freestyle so are good for everything.
Best bet is to call a shop and ask for advice, you will get the best recco for your needs/budget.
I've bought stuff from http://www.boardwise.com/ and also spoke to them on the blower when I was after a specific board and they seem very helpful and clued up.

ah sweet!, had the best time of my life there, we did the roadtrip down to from maidstone, was insane, did you do the roadtrip? cheers for that man, ill give it a look, not looking to spend to much cos i need to get money together for sb 2012. 2nd hand stuff most probs. gna try and find a board and bindings together then buy new boots.

i used to skateboard as a teenager and found it quite easy to transfer over, I was going down the hard slopes by the 3rd day, I went nowhere near the rails though.. good luck.

Nah I live in barcelona so would have had to drive a long way just to get to one of the meet/stopover points! was very tempted though! I was at the parade with ma fake tash when you arrived though haha.

haha yeah i dont wanna do rails cheers bud, oh right nice, the drive was great. haha i dont spose you saw someone out the top of a purple volvo with a horse head on did you at the parade?, if so that was me, was shown on the website and tv alot to lol.

The most important part of snowboarding is comfy boots, the rest as a beginner isnt that important, if your feet hurt youll start to wither. Buy what fits your foot best, not on price. my ones cost £190 but feel sooooooo comfy. but my brother got his last season ones for £110 (1/2 price)

I started off on a 162 nitro punisher and found it superb in canada but crap in italy as it was to long, i now run a K2 154 which is better for the packed snow that the alps have and has plenty of pop.

Also bindings are a mixed bag, i use flow's.( older version of these Surfdome - BrandAlley) there not everyones taste but i love the ease of them and have never had any issues with them (unlike my mate whose burtons broke 1/2 way up a mountain)

Ah K2s are my favourite board and yet I still have my old reliable Burton Custom and a Rome something.

If you're learning, bum pads and knee pads UNDER your ski pants. They will stop the bruises which are actually more painful on the second day when you're falling on the already-bruised spots.

I also had Flows when I learnt. Much easier for getting in and out of at the top of the hill, but they can be restrictive as you progress, unless you get the really expensive ones. APO and some other brands now do similar bindings that release and snap in just as easily, but with a more traditional feel.

My current bindings are Burton P1s which have a toe cup ('cap strap') instead of a toe strap. I find this really comfy compared with Flow or my Ride bindings (which are crap, by the way - I won't buy another pair).

Having transitioned from skiing to snowboarding, I remember that the flat bits of piste (which are oh so easy on skis) are incredibly difficult when you're learning how to snowboard.  Try to keep on one of your edges to prevent unexpected edge-catches when riding the flats.

I'd advise against Rossignol boards due to construction problems (a few friends have had them delaminate and although Rossi have been good at replacement boards, it's not worth the hassle).

You'll probably want fairly soft boots and bindings and board to start off with, and as said previously, reverse camber is the way forward (also great for off-piste). Having said that, you won't outgrow stiffer equipment as quickly, but learning the basics will take longer.

also, boa vs laces on your boots is a personal choice. Boa used to break when it first came out, but things seem to have improved a lot, and I'm hoping to get some boa boots with my next pair. Lacing up on cold days can really hurt your cold fingers whereas boa is very comfy for hands in gloves. Not sure how easy they are with mitts.

And remember, your old board can always become your rockhopper board when you progress to a stiffer one or a poppier one if you get into the park.

Enjoy!

ah nice one, i really like rossignol boards though thats a bummer, i found some burton moto boots with a weird but very fast lacing system, i tried on some burton rulers the other day but are way out my budget zone, cheers for all tht info pal. i was thinking of going for some union or rome bindings as they have pretty good ratings but will have to see what comes along, atm boots are a priority and i need to get new ones as youve said comfy boots are key. cheers pal

(Palette).

My other half has the Burton speed lacing system and he loves it. You're right about boots being the priority. Get them right and you're pretty much set. The Moto boots are pretty soft, so great for learning and for tricks. Not as good off-piste, but that's down the track (hah, get it?). And remember to get the right safety equipment and avalanche knowledge before heading off-piste.

haha yeah thanks for the info moto boots are also good value for money in my opinion haha, id love to try of piste, ive done it skiing but found it difficult in powder as when i can to a stop to wait for friends not realising id put my pole in to balance and end up just falling over where it would sink in, would love to try it on a board though. ive heard the alps have had a lot of snow recently

It's dumping down. I'm at just 900 metres and there's close to a metre of soft, fluffy snow. Looking forward to first lifts and a bluebird day tomorrow morning. :O)

Boarding is muuuuch easier off-piste than skiing in my opinion. Less work for the legs, but still a pain to get up again when you fall over.

ahhh would be great if you could get some pictures and put them up on here of the snow .

Also DON'T buy a board just coz it looks cool, you won't tell what it is when it's covered in ice and snow!

yeah ill always read reviews before buying a board if it suits entry level, flex rating, all mountain etc.

Didn't take my camera out today, but I saw a guy who was ELBOW DEEP in pow! It was the fine stuff that flies up in your face whether you're turning or just flatlining. One of the deepest days of pow I've experienced! It's all good in the alps right now.

(The most I got was waist-deep.)

thats awesome, just bought a board yesterday, rossignol contrast, brand new but someone owned it before and its never been usd for £110 bargain