Snowboard Wax

The first thing to consider when determining your snowboard stance setup is which way round you prefer to stand; left or right foot first? The terminology for this is goofy or regular. Regular being left foot forward and goofy being right foot forward. Think of it as like begin left or right handed; everyone has a natural lean towards one or the other.

Interestingly your left or right foot preference can change from one board sport to another. If you skateboard, surf or do some other board sport you may already have an idea as to your preference but it could well be different for snowboarding. So far with every board sport I have tried I found the regular stance to always be the most comfortable position. However, many of you (including some big profile pro riders such as Gian Simmen & Jussi Oksanen) will prefer to ride one way snowboarding and the other way with different board sports.. strange but true! Jussi Oksanen for example snowboards with a regular stance but skateboards with a goofy stance.

How to determine your snowboard stance of being either regular or goofy can be a bit tricky until you actually start riding and even then, when in the early learning stages, it can be hard to tell until you have progressed a bit so you can get a clearer idea as to which snowboard stance you are more comfortable with. However, there are a few tricks you can do before then to help you decide which snowboard stance you are:

• Run over a non-grip floor such as kitchen tiles or lino in your sicks and then try to stop quickly and slide. You foot that automatically gets put out in front is likely be the same foot you want at the front of your snowboard.
• Ask someone to give you a gentle(!) shove forward when you are not expecting it. The foot you use to catch yourself to stop you falling over will the foot you’ll likely want in front when snowboarding.
• Get a friend to throw a ball to you but have them throw it short so you have to step forward to catch the ball before it hits the ground. Again the foot you put forward here is likely the foot you should put at the front when snowboarding.
• When you ride down a hill on a bike stand up on your pedals so they are level (horizontal with the ground) and note which foot you put in front. This is the front foot you should try first when snowboarding.

I hope these help clarify which snowboard stance, goofy or regular, you are. In the next setting up snowboard stance section parts we will be going in to closer detail about precise stance positioning and how to setup your snowboard bindings properly.

Getting your technique right is the first step towards more advanced riding. Freestyler riders need to have good edge control in order to carve up the side of an icy halfpipe just as much as racer needs it to grip on a slalom course. Re-learning snowboarding basics is a wise move even if you feel like you are beyond it as the key to good snowboarding and style is to perfect your technique.

During my first snowboarding season, which was in Whistler - Canada , towards the end of the first half of the season I began to feel very competent on my snowboard and thought it might be a good idea to try out achieving a CASI (Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors) Level 1 snowboard instructor certificate. I had no intention of teaching snowboarding but just wanted to give it a shot. Well, to cut a long story short I had never learnt so much on snowboarding before! Because it was a level 1 instructors course it meant going right back to basics. It was like starting all over again and to be honest it was tough! I had to completely scruitinize my technique and have it ripped apart by others. But after the week long instructors course I felt my snowboarding had improved dramatically and I now knew that I still had a long way to go. My point is that no matter how good you think you are always remember the snowboarding basics as these are what everything else is built upon and without properly honing your basic snowboarding skills you will just be limiting your self further on. It may be hard to force yourself to take a step back every now and then but it will pay off.

I will be adding some fantastic ‘Learn to snowboard‘ type tutorials and lessons here which you can use as a beginner to get to grips with the snowboarding basics and as a more advanced rider you can use to hone your technique. Many of these snowboarding guides and techniques will come straight from my CASI Instructors course notes so consider yourselves lucky I’m not charging!

Whether you service your snowboard yourself or get a shop to do it, it is something you really should be doing for two very important reasons:

1. Snowboard Protection

   Waxing your board will seal any gaps that may exist between the rails and the base of your snowboard which in turn will prevent water from entering the snowboards core.

   Regular servicing means that damage can be spotted and put right before it gets any worse and possibly becoming unrepairable.

2. Snowboard Performance

   A correctly repaired, structured and waxed base will make a snowboard so much easier to use, giving less resistance in turns and providing a much faster ride.

   Sharp edges on your snowboard will give you increased control, precise turning and better edge grip, all making the snowboard easier and safer to ride.

There are more then 10 steps involved in a professional snowboard service and many of these steps will require specialist machinery. However, it is possible for you to carry out a number of the simpler steps at home and still get great results giving your snowboard a new lease of life every time you service it! Not to mention the pride it will give you when you look at your perfectly waxed base and beautifully sharpened edges!!

All you will need are some tools, a little knowledge and the ability to read some of the great snowboard maintenance articles soon the posted here at SnowboardWax!

Buying secondhand snowboard gear is an effective way to obtain all the snowboard kit you need if you are wanting to get into snowboarding on the cheap. But you must be careful with what you buy and so try to take someone experienced with you who knows what to look for if you are new to the sport.

How To Buy Secondhand Snowboard Gear:

Buying secondhand snowboard boots
Do not even consider buying secondhand snowboard boots. If they have only been warn a couple of times you may get away with it but how are you going to be sure they have only been worn a couple of times unless you are buying them off a trust worthy mate. To be honest, even then I would not recommend buying a secondhand pair of snowboard boots. Besides the previous users lovely foot-rot and the rancid smell(!), secondhand snowboard boots that have been worn heavily will have moulded to the shape of the previous users feet and will therefore have lost a lot of their support.

Buying secondhand snowboard bindings
Considering that snowboard bindings are pretty cheap to start with buying secondhand snowboard bindings is fairly pointless. Never the less, if you manage to find a good bargain here are a few things to look out for:

• Tears or splits in the plastic straps, especially around the attaching bolt.
• Torn padding on the heal-strap.
• Broken springs on the ratchet clips.
• Badly worn or chewed teeth. These can usually be replaced quite easily but sometimes it can be a pain finding the right fit.
• Cracks in the baseplate or disc.

Buying a secondhand snowboard
Again snowboard prices are constantly coming down all the time and there are some great board & bindings combo deals around so you should try to look at new snowboards in the deals sections as well. Plus your snowboard kit will be under warranty. If you are still adamant about buying a secondhand snowboard then be sure to follow this advice:

• Look for gaps down the rails between the steel edges and the p-tex, or the sidewall and the topsheet. Water can enter through these gaps causing irreversible damage to the core.
• Examine around the nose and tail for obvious prangs.
• Check the base for any light patches that may suggest p-tex delamination.
• Stand the snowboard up straight and look down the rails (edges) for any kinks, lumps or bends.
• Flex the whole length of the snowboard to check for any cracks.
• Remove the bindings or any stickers to see if they are covering up any cracks or damaged areas.

Most snowboarders shouldn’t try to rip you off but as always when buying secondhand snowboard gear or anything secondhand for that matter, always always be super thorough.

This is a quick guide to help answer the first common snowboarding question: what size snowboard do i need?

People will usually ask: what length snowboard do I need? however, an often missed question, but just as crucial is the question: what width snowboard do I need? The length AND width are both very important with regards to finding and buying the right size snowboard for yourself.

When you become a more advanced snowboarder the right size snowboard also depends on the style of riding you intend on doing; tricks in the park, racing or back country powder riding for example.

Determine What Size Snowboard Do I Need: Length

Snowboard length is shown in centimeters and is often shortened to the last two digits only. For example, a Burton S-Series 62 Snowboard measures 162cm long (tip to tail). A small kid’s snowboard can be only 100cm in length whereas a long racing snowboard or power snowboard can reach 190cm in length and sometimes even longer!

To start determining the answer to your question: what size snowboard do i need?… begin by measuring the snowboards length against your height. When standing the snowboard up straight, a board that reaches somewhere around your collar bones and chin is a short board. Shorter snowboards are much easier to maneuver and throw about so they are good for learning on and lend themselves very well to tricks & freestyle riding in snowboard parks and half-pipes.

A snowboard that is of a medium length will reach between your chin and nose when stood on it’s tip or tail. This is a suitable length snowboard for intermediate to advanced snowboarders. These riders may take on a variety of terrains including steeps and snowboard parks.

What would be considered a long sized snowboard would reach from your eye level to anywhere within a few inches above your head. A long snowboards purpose would be for deep powder riding (snowboards should also be very wide for this too), big mountain terrain riding and high speed race carving.

If you are heavy for your height you can stick by these rules as well but you should also look at snowboards with a stiffer flex. So to the opposite effect of this if you are a light person aim for boards that have a softer flax. Keep in mind that this is a general set of guidelines to help get you going and individual preferences and riding styles may, and eventually probably will, sway your decisions as to what size board you prefer.

Determine What Size Snowboard Do I Need: Width

As previously mentioned snowboard length size can be determined with both the guidelines and some personal preference. With snowboard width size your options are less flexible as it is directly linked to the size of your feet. Snowboarders who’s feet are small require narrow snowboards and at the other end snowboarders with bigger feet need to use wider snowboards. Many manufacturers actually make snowboards specifically for individuals with larger feet. If you do have big feet be careful when choosing your snowboards bindings as some can add even more length to surface area your feet take up and if it is already an issue you want to minimise this as much as possible, not make it worse.

Again as with the length, the width of a snowboard is displayed in centimeters and you’ll find this information within the snowboards specifications as waist width. A snowboards specifications is usually found on the sales tag, manufacturers catalog, the brands website or even occasionally on the snowboard itself (usually between the two binding areas). To figure out the correct snowboard width, lay the board out flat and stand on it. Either strap-in to your bindings or just stand in them whilst making sure your stance is exactly the same as when you normally ride. This is crucial because if you increase the angle of your feet in your stance then less of your snowboards width is going to be taken up by your feet.

When you are strapped in on your snowboard and are in your riding position check to see how much ‘over-hang’ you get from your toes and heals. Your boots need to be either aligned with or a little over the snowboards edges. If you find your heels & toes are not coming close to the snowboards edge you will be unable to put proper pressure on your edges when making a turn plus your edge to edge control will suffer. If you find your toes and heels are hanging over the edges of your snowboard to much they will then be likely to ‘catch’ the ground during a turn causing you to loose your edge in the snow. This is called toe-drag. You want to aim for less than 1inch over-hang.

That concludes this guide for finding the right size snowboard. You should now be able to answer your question: what size snowboard do i need?

Admittedly, snowboard boots and how great they are is totally down to the individual. What one person likes the other may hate. But one thing we can all agree on is that finding the right snowboard boots is massively important. I actually consider snowboard boots the most important part of all the snowboard gear. If your boots suck, it doesn’t matter how great your board or bindings are your riding will be greatly effected.

When I started snowboarding I rode for the first year with a pair of Salomon’s and I experienced massive pain over the bridge of my feet for almost the entire time. I have a tendency to do my bindings super tight and thought that this pain was just something everyone gets and was a result of my over-the-top attitude about heal-lift and thus having super tight bindings. Plus as these boots got older and more packed out the pain inflicted on my feet just got worse. I knew many people who had Salomon snowboard boots without any pain. So I decided it was time to get some new snowboard boots to see if this pain was really necessary. I went through countless shops trying loads of different makes pissing off all the shop attendants and came to the conclusion that a new pair of ThiryTwo’s would do the trick. Basically they seemed the most comfortable in the shop. Buying a snowboard boots is actually a bit of a gamble because you can never really tell if they are for you until you have ridden in them for a while and of course as soon as you use them that’s it, no going back. You can’t return them all sweated up!

Anyway, to cut a long story short after riding in the ThirtyTwo’s for about a week to break them in and get used to the new feeling I was amazed,.. I no longer got that pain over the bridge of my feet. Of course I still cut of the circulation with my over tight bindings(!) but I could now ride pain free which opened up my snowboarding completely. I was able to push myself so much more than before simply because I was now not being punished with enormous amounts of pain for every twist and turn.

One thing to note here is that whenever you get a new pair of snowboard boots don’t expect to like them at the start. Every time you ride with a new pair of snowboard boots there is a grace period where your new boots need to get softened up, mould to your feet and pack out a little. This will take a week or two depending on how often you get to ride. Initially they will feel super weird and stiff, I thought I had totally made the wrong choice with my first pair of new boots and was totally gutted, however just give them a bit of time and chances are if you properly tested them out in the shop you should be ok. The test your snowboard boots in the shop there are a few things you can do.

Here are some snowboard boots buying tips:

• Check for pressure points that may become a big problem when the boot starts to pack out after a few weeks of riding
• Ask the shop assistant if you can strap your foot with the boot on in a set of bindings so you can get an idea for how the boot will feel when you are strapped in on your own board. Make sure you strap in tight to test for bunching or unwanted pressure points.
• This can be a bit tricky to get but try lifting your heel in the snowboard boots without pushing down on the ball of your foot. This is to test for heal lift in the snowboard boots.
• Make sure you wear the same socks as you would when snowboarding so you can get the right fit with the proper socks on. I’ve seen many people trying on snowboard boots with regular short socks and that just isn’t making the decision any easier. If you don’t have your own snowboard socks the shop should have some you can use.
• Buy your snowboard boots at a size that seems just on the edge of being to small. When you stand up straight your toes should be slightly pushing against the front end of the boot. I know this goes against normal rules but this is important if you want your snowboard boots to still fit well after a few weeks when they have packed out and loosened up a bit.
• Make sure you try out as many different manufacturer boot types as possible, it can take a long time but you will not regret it when out on the mountain!
• It’s often tempting to go with the big brand names or the snowboard boots with the cup holder (in other words lots of gizmo’s!) but ignore all that and go with your gut feeling. What feels right. I had no idea who ThirtyTwo were when I bought them, I was hoping to get Burton or Forum snowboard boots, but when I tried them all on it was clear the ThrityTwo’s were the boot for me and I was completely right. I haven’t looked back since.
• One last thing you should do is when you have finally bought a pair of snowboard boots take them home and before you use them strap them in on your board using the usual setup of angles and stance that you ride with and check to see how much toe and heel overhang you get. Too much toe or heal overhang may be an issue for turning when you are out riding. Some snowboard boots have a tendency to be rather large and can be a problem if your feet are already big and your snowboards width is small. Your previous boots may have worked fine with your existing snowboard but your new boots may be to large. If this turns out to be the case you want to make sure you have checked for this before you use your new snowboard boots rather than have a pair of non-returnable snowboard boots and then need to buy a whole new snowboard, and a wide foot snowboard at that!

That’s it for choosing the right snowboard boots. I can’t stress enough how important this is. If you’re somebody who just uses rental equipment and is looking to get your own snowboard gear. I would highly suggest you get your snowboard boots first and as soon as you can. You will immediately notice a huge difference in your riding ability with your own boots. Your snowboard boots need to be able to mould to your feet only and ‘become’ yours. You will progress better with snowboard boots you know and that fit properly. You should never buy secondhand boots for the same reasons, not even if they have only been worn a couple of times.

Seeing as we are Snowboard Wax and this is our first real post we thought it would be fitting to talk about the Burton Hot Stick Snowboard Wax Iron.

I have used this snowboard wax iron myself for two seasons running and it has yet to fail on me. It is a little pricey when compared with some the competition but as with most of Burton products you get a quality build that will last you. The Burton snowboard iron is very simple to operate just like most wax irons. There is a simple heat gauge dial with an indicator light so you know if the wax iron is up to temperature yet. The heat gauge has 3 stages to work with although you can vary the dial in between these set temperatures.

The handle of the iron is made up of a soft plastic that is very pleasing to touch and never gets to hot to handle (no pun intended!). When resting the ironing you can be sure the Burton wax iron sits firm on its cool flat underside and does not look like it’s going to fall over any minute on its hot surface.

The power cord could be a little longer but to be honest it really is a good enough length for most. The Burton iron is a tad large but this makes using it a pleasure. You get the usual Burton style giving you, dare I say it, an aesthetically pleasing wax iron!! Never thought I’d say that about an iron.

Well to sum up the Burton Hot Stick Snowboard Wax Iron, if you are prepared to spend that little bit extra you will get your self a well built and well designed snowboard iron that will last as long as you need it to.

Here are some of the main features of the Burton Hot Stick Snowboard Wax Iron:

• High-powered
• Portable
• Square shape for even waxing coverage
• Easy-to-read three-temperature control
• Flat sole plate heating element and housing
• Ergonomic design and performance
• Soft touch handle

This is our first post to Snowboard Wax and so would just like to say a big HI to everyone out there interested in snowboarding and everything related.

With the 2005/2006 winter season just around the corner there is going to be so much new and exciting stuff to explore over the following months. I can’t wait to get started.