# Flex Rating



## Cole323 (Feb 13, 2012)

As I look for boards, I always here about flex rating. The Burton Hero has one around 3-4. What is flex rating? Does it affect speed wobbles, snowboard pop, or something else? I like to ride blues and occasionally a black diamond and I'm not sure if a flex rating of 3-4 is too flexible? What is the flex rating you guys ride and how does it ride? Thanks


----------



## triumph.man (Feb 3, 2012)

The stiffer (10 being stiffest) the more stable at higher speeds.


----------



## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

Usually how soft versus how stiff it is, 1 being noodle, 10 being a 2x4; Bataleon is backwards. Wouldn't put too much stock in it from brand to brand or even at all but it gives you a general sense as to what the board is intended for. Usually indicates both how the board flexes longitudinally as well as torsionally since most boards are generally (not always) proportional flexing in both directions. Stiffer boards are better for hard charging, long arcing carves, blasting through chunder, taters and everything else where softer boards can be more playful, forgiving, better for specific things like jibbing or (if torsionally soft) tight maneuvering in trees/moguls.

It mostly boils down to preference, style and weight on what type of board you should get and shorter boards of the same exact year/make will tend to be a bit softer.


----------



## lo0p (Feb 26, 2011)

Edit: Nvm

f u 10 char


----------



## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

An old blog from our site. Hope it is helpful:

Trying to get an accurate idea of how a specific board will flex in comparison to others? Watch out! There is more marketing misinformation and straight out nonsense published about flexibility than about most other elements of snowboard fit. Finding the correct flex (stiffness and feel) is crucial, but it won't be found in a single number printed on a fit chart.

Let's clear one thing up straight off. There is no industry standard for flex. That is to say, what one company considers a "4" has no direct relation to another company's "4" or "Medium Soft", or "Less Harsh". That's correct, boards that carry the same number may (and usually do) have an entirely different feel.

OK, so that makes it tricky to compare one brand to another, but what about within a brand? Even here, big problems exist. Most brands are still putting a single flex rating on an entire model. That is to say, this year's Travis White pro model gets a flex rating of "2", but what? It's rated a 2 in both 149 cm and in 163 cm? Hey now, the chart says that those two sizes are rated for riders separated by 70 lbs, how can the flex rating be the same? Wait, you say, they are rating the overall flex of the model so it could be compared to other models of the same brand of a similar size. The problem there is that board designer’s change the flex of each model at different size breaks to achieve the feel that they are after for that specific model. In other words, the difference in flex between a 149 and a 154 in one model may be far greater than the flex difference between those same sizes in another model. Additionally, many times a rider will be deciding between two sizes of the same model. Does the 157 really have the same flex as the 159? If so, why are the weight ratings for those sizes so different?

The biggest confusing factor, however, comes from the improvements in flex control technologies that have evolved over the past decade. A board that is designed to have a buttery soft tip and tail with a firm mid section flexes far differently than a constant flex board designed for a similar rider size. It is not that it is necessarily more or less flexible, but that the flex characteristics are entirely different. To get around this issue, certain companies have switched from a flex rating to a feel rating. This is a step from bad to worse. There is simply no way to compare these complex relationships in a single number or term. It would be equal to comparing a tangerine to a pineapple using a fruitiness scale, rated 1 to 10.

What is the answer? The only way to figure out the flex component is to dig deeper. Getting the info on the core weight range that a model and size were developed for and understanding the flex characteristic of that model is the only way to get the correct flex for your needs.


----------

