How to Choose the Perfect Snowboard Size

When you are in the market for a snowboard, you want to find the perfect size and shape for your riding style. There are five considerations when choosing the right snowboard:

Riding Style

Foot Size

Weight

Height

Budget

A good rule of thumb when beginning to evaluate snowboard sizes is to start with an average size for your self. The best way to do this is to find the length of a snowboard that hits between your chin and nose height. Hold a snowboard length-wise or vertically directly in front of you and parallel to your body with the tail rested on the floor. The nose of the board should not be taller than your nose or shorter than your chin. This is an average board size for you. Anything taller is faster and great for powder but harder to ride, and anything shorter will be slower and easier to ride.

Riding style will be the number one factor in making a decision on buying a snowboard. The first board I bought was what I thought I wanted because the hot snowboarder bro from the shop told me it was the best board for me. I was a total beginner and had no idea what I was looking at. I trusted the shop kid and really liked the look of the board. Thinking back, that kid had no idea what he was talking about or was trying to make a quick sell on anything I'd bite on. The board in question was a Burton Balance, a total pipe board with insane side cut. This was not a beginner board and I hated riding it. It was stiff and too responsive. To this day, I don't enjoy riding the board. Know your riding level and terrain you want and like to ride. This will save you frustration and money.

Once you are honest about your ability level and riding style, you can start to narrow down options for snowboards as well as lengths. If you are a big mountain, powder rider, then a longer board will be better for you. If you're a jibber then a shorter board will be easier to spin and ride park with.

I used to ride a 159cm as my powder board but bought a 156 sick stick. The downside with downsizing, is that your boots need to be small enough to fit these shorter boards. Most shorter boards, being 156cm and shorter, will only fit up to a men's 9 boot. Which addresses our second characteristic on the above list. Boot size next to riding style is the most important characteristic to take into consideration. If you have a giant foot, then you are limited to boards that are wide enough to accommodate your snowboard boot.

Back in the day, choosing a snowboard was heavily dependent on one's height and weight, but these characteristics are somewhat irrelevant now. Snowboard manufacturers have been able to build boards that are strong and shaped for smaller lengths. This technology was perpetuated with the launch of Lib Tech Snowboard's reverse camber boards. The banana shape or rocker snowboards allowed for taller people to ride shorter, smaller size snowboards. There are powder boards that you can size down with because of their shape, like the Salomon Sick Stick.

Let's not forget about budget. Being able to afford the perfect size snowboard is just as important as having it fit yo ass. Most likely the board that you really really want is out of budget. In this case, shop around different brands. The snowboard market is highly competitive and snowboard manufacturers are producing many sizes and styles at multiple price points. Some brands are definitely more expensive than others. If you cannot accept any other board than your chosen one, then save that scrilla or see if the shop has a payment plan. Also check ebay or craigslist for the past year board. This can save you a bunch of money. If you are fortunate to not have money issues, then ring it up and get stoked to shred.

Also remember: most snowboards are shipped with factory wax on the base. It's best to ride the board once and ride off the wax before waxing it up with your favorite snowboard wax.