FREERIDE SNOWBOARDS

How to find your Freeride Snowboard online at Sport Conrad

Freeriding - that sounds like adventure, powder snow and endless freedom. But it's only really fun if you have the right snowboard under your feet. To make your decision easier and to buy the right board for your needs, we have put together a few decision-making tips.

Special features of the freeride board

If you want to plow through powder, then you need appropriate buoyancy to avoid sinking into deep snow. That means the front of your board, the nose, needs more contact surface. For this to work well, the nose is longer than the tail. The nose is also wider and more curved. In addition, the bindings are shifted more to the rear. This guarantees surfing over deep snow.

A freeride board is longer compared to all mountain boards or freestyle boards and often comes with a directional shape.

Note: A freedride board is usually stiffer than other boards in order to be able to ride faster with it. But that makes them less forgiving, which means you should be an experienced rider.

So it depends on the following details:

• the right length and size of your board
• the right shape
• the right flex
• the profile of the board
• the setback

Length and size of your freeride board

To determine the right length for your board, it depends on your height and weight. The taller and heavier you are, the longer your snowboard should be.

If you have a shoe size of 44 or more, you should get a wide board so that the width is sufficient.

More length also means more surface area and therefore more floatation. A freeride board should therefore be a little longer. Thanks to the longer edge, you will also have more control.

Of course, exceptions prove the rule: There are also freeride boards that are short, but very wide. This also guarantees you good floatation.

The right shape for freeriding

You can choose between different shapes for your freeride board, the following are particularly suitable for powder riding:

Directional Shape
The nose is wider than the tail and slightly bent up. This gives you more float in powder.

Directional Twin
can also be found for freeriding. Here the board is cut identically front and back, but the nose is slightly longer for better lift.

Directional Tapered
This shape gives you maximum floatation in powder. The board tapers in the direction of the tail. The larger footprint in the nose area gives your board more lift.

The right flex

A stiffer board offers better edge hold on the mountain. Freeride boards are among the stiffest boards. Their flex is usually between 7 and 10, with 10 being the stiffest. This makes your board more responsive and stable at high speeds. This is important, because in freeriding the turns must sit, especially on steeper slopes.

The profile of the snowboard

The profile or preload tells you which parts of your board are resting in the snow, so you know which board is right for you. Here are some pros and cons of the different profiles for freeriding:

Camber
The classic! The nose and tail rest on the ground, the lift is not quite as great. But the edge grip is very good. This means your ride is easy to control and carving is a dream!

Rocker/Reverse Camber
For deep snow riding you can choose Rocker or Reverse Camber. Here, the middle section of the snowboard lies on snow, while the nose and tail are in the air. Disadvantage: This profile is not quite as grippy and ensures less stability.

Powder Rocker
The name says it all! This profile has an extended rocker in the nose area of the board to glide better through deep powder. The Powder Rocker profile is often combined with a Directional or Tapered Shape. Fun in deep powder? Anytime!

Hybrid Rocker
With this preload, the nose, tail, and middle of the snowboard rest on the ground. That means there's air under your bindings, which gives you plenty of float for surfing powder. The board is also maneuverable. In addition, the edges grip well and it rides stably.

Hybridcamber
Here there are two larger contact surfaces at the nose and tail, but there is air in the middle. This means: more speed, more maneuverability, more lift. But the profile is best suited for freestyle.

3D Base
The edges of this snowboard are slightly bent up in the nose and tail area. This gives you a larger base surface for improved floatation in deep snow. The board turns well and still lands comfortably on hard snow.

The Setback

Set-what? Setback describes the position of the binding. Specifically, it means that the binding is shifted more to the rear on the board. So the weight comes more easily on the back foot and the nose has more buoyancy. The greater the setback, the more powder performance.

Accessories for freeriding

So now that you know what board you want to buy, you can then take care of the accessories: Bindings, boots and other equipment.

As with the board, it is important that your bindings and boots support you properly when freeriding, so you should also look for stiff models here. You can find a more detailed explanation of snowboard bindings here, and how to buy a boot here.

Wearing a snowboard helmet and snowboard goggles should be a matter of course. Of course you also need suitable clothing and good gloves.

When you go off-piste, you must always have your avalanche equipment with you - avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe. An avalanche airbag is also a good investment. Emergency equipment, such as a first aid kit and a bivy sack, should also be with you at all times.

Freeride Boards online at Sport Conrad

There are unisex boards, but also specific men's or women's boards: In our online store there is a wide selection for all riders. Of course we have top brands like Burton, Capita, LibTech or Nitro in the store. You're spoiled for choice - but soon it's off to the powder!