How to Buy Women’s Snowboard Equipment
Women's Snowboards: Differences Make Riding More Fun With Less Effort
Women have been involved in snowboarding since the sport began, but now, their special gender needs have been taken seriously by snowboard manufacturers. Today, there are a whole bunch of boards, boots and bindings available for women of all riding abilities.
Women's boards are generally shorter in length, narrower, have more of a sidecut, have softer flex and graphics that might be more pleasing to women.
Why does a woman need a board made for her? Can't women and girls ride any board? Sure, but equipment designed specifically for a female body makes riding easier and more fun.
Women's feet are generally much smaller than men's. If you have a size 7 foot, and you get on a men's board, you're not going to have the sidecut, narrowness, or flex you need. To really get a board to carve well, you have to be able to get it up on edge. If there's too much board between the end of your tootsies and the snow, you're going to work harder to get the board up on edge for a turn.
A board's width is the most significant difference. Because women's feet are typically smaller compared to men's, women's boards need narrower waist widths (middle part). Heels and toes should be flush with the edges of the board. A narrower board allows a rider to put the maximum amount of pressure on the edges, making her turns stronger, cleaner and easier to execute.
Sidecut (the board's slightly hourglass shape) is related to width. Women's boards tend to have more sidecut, which allows for easier turning. The deeper the sidecut, the more a board can slice or carve, making it easier for a rider to make turns.
Length is the most obvious difference in women's boards. A board should reach between a rider's chest and chin. Steep mountains or deep powder require a longer, stiffer board. Gentler slopes and packed snow call for shorter, more flexible boards. Riding in snowboard parks or halfpipes means using a very short, very flexible, twin-tipped board.
A women's board needs to be softer, or have more flex, another factor that aids in turning the board. Choosing the correct flex is tied to a rider's weight. Since a woman who is 5-feet, 8-inches tall probably weighs less than a man of the same height, a softer flex will accommodate the weight differential.
Graphics on women's boards are geared more to women's tastes than what the boys ride. Although snowboard graphics and colors in general are becoming more unisex-looking, women's boards are often made with female-preferred colors such as violet blue, white and mint green.
Snowboard Boots & Bindings Designed For Women's Narrower Heels, Smaller Feet
Just as snowboards now are made specifically for women, so are boots and bindings.Women's snowboard boots are typically lighter and narrower than men's versions. If women want to rip on a board, they've got to keep their narrower heels firmly in place as they shift from heelside to toeside turns. Women-specific boots and bindings offer that snug fit. Also, shorter and wider ankle cuffs are designed for a woman's calf muscle, which attaches lower on the leg than men's calf muscles.
Bindings come in smaller sizes to accommodate women's smaller feet. A boot should not move once it's in the binding. Today's bindings offer complete adjustability from side to side, in the heelcup and the amount of forward lean.
Equipment compatibility is extremely important, so make sure boots and bindings all work together - before you leave the store. You can test equipment during special demo days at nearby mountains. Riding on a variety of boards, boots and bindings will help you make the most informed decision before you buy. Ask your local snowboard shop, mountain resort, or sporting goods store about demos.
This article is from Snowsports Industries of America’s web site Winter Feels Good
