# 'beginner' vs 'advanced' board?



## Shady (Jan 23, 2010)

So... I'm looking at getting a new board, but I'm not sure about what models I should consider.

I've been really thinking about getting an omatic boron, but I think I saw somewhere on here that it was a 'beginner' board. 

before I go to far let me say a couple things, I'm a big guy @ 270 size 15 foot, so I need a long and wide board. I was looking at the 162W version of the boron...

anyways, I have been snowboarding for about 2 seasons and I've been on a old k2 fatbob and I'm looking to upgrade, but trying to save money too.

I'm really confused as to what set of feature or board characteristics one would consider 'advanced'. I don't want a board that is so 'advanced' that I won't be able to ride it. but I also don't want a board that is too 'beginner' and will leave me wanting more after a day of riding. Since I need a pretty wide board, this limits my choices even more so. I'm just looking for an all mountain board with a teensy bit of park. 

cliff notes: wtf are 'advanced' features? should I get the omatic boron?


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## crazyface (Mar 1, 2008)

a more beginner board is usually a park oriented board because they are softer and easier to carve. an advanced board is more towards freeride/allmountain and is stiffer and better at speed. idk about the omatic boron but if it is a park board it will be better suited for park riding.


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## Shady (Jan 23, 2010)

ah, ok. Thanks. The board I have is pretty stiff, I'm actually hoping to get something with a bit more flex. :thumbsup:


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## music_man185 (Jan 4, 2010)

i dont mean to thread jack, but i've been wondering this same thing. i like to consider myself somewhat intermediate in terms of snowboarding. i'm not a newbie. i feel somewhat comfortable on a board, but i'm not an expert by any means. however, i just dont get all the snowboard jargon. i'm looking to get a new board, and i read all the technologies and features, i know what some mean, but my question is will i even notice a difference? i'm pulling my hair out trying to find the perfect board. i'm afraid of getting a board that wont fit my needs, but at the same time, will a rider on the lower side of intermediate even feel/tell a difference? 

i guess what i'm trying to say is that as long as i get an all mountain board thats the right size for me, will i not be able to ride as good if i get reverse camber instead of a rocker or will i have a terrible time turning if i get a board with a 7 stiffnes rating instead of a 3, etc??


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## Camor (Jan 28, 2010)

Back when I first started snowboarding, I never understand the difference between a beginner vs advanced board. Now 10 years later, the difference for me is much clearer. Beginner boards are simply more forgiving. If a board is forgiving, its a great beginner board. Any board that's selling as a "park" oriented board is pretty good for beginners because the board is forgiving. It can be advertised as an advance park board (such as NS Evo), but it still good for beginners (though I want to cry when I see such a beautiful board on a noob... seriously my heart breaks).

An all mountain board tends to be much less forgiving. Its specific use (or what a rider expect out of it) is a smooth ride down the mountain in any condition. There's a whole less play in the board, and the rider needs to be in control of the board. Which makes it more of an "advance" board.

Here are some key terms that I believe makes a bigger difference then other tech jumbo.

1. Stiffness. The stiffer the board the less forgiving it is. (it doesn't matter what scale the company uses. out of 5, out of 9, out of 10 whatever. A stiffer board is a stiffer board.).
2. Aggressive side cut. This effect how the board grabs the snow when its on edge. If you know how to engage it properly, it can be your best friend. If you have no idea, it will take you out. Meaning, if the board has a very aggressive side cut, its not very beginner friendly.
3. General shape of snowboard: Camber, Reverse-Camber, Banana etc. The traditional shape of a snowboard is camber which is more catchy = less forgiving. A R-camber or banana is less catching. I'm not going to go into how they ride, just a general rule of thumb.

The other "tech jargons" tend to have something to do with weight (lighter being better), base (faster being better), construction (indestructible being the best of course), stability (the dampness. its like absorbing shocks in a car. Usually more damp the board the stiffer it is), pop/energy of a board (it can be achieve through fiberglass or whatever "tech" the company choose to use), and edge grip (how well the board edge engages the snow/slush/ice like maganatraction or whatever "tech" the company choose to use). Those are just selling points and frankly, without actually trying them yourself, you can't tell if the company is full of crap or its working as advertised. Also, one board may be great for your friend but crappy for you.

Having said all that there are no real beginner boards. There's only beginner riders. Some company advertise "beginner" boards, but all they really want to say is this board is cheaper. Maybe its not as well made, bad construction etc. After all its for "beginner". A good company as an example is Never Summer (I'm a die hard fan for 10 years, though I owned few other brands here and there, I just love NS.). There's no board on their web site that's marketed for beginners. Does it mean that no beginner should buy NS? hell no.

What you want to look for is a board from a reputable company and a board that's well made. I would stay away from the extremes, not too stiff but not too soft either. Also look at how you want to grow with the board. If you want to just mess around and play in the snow, get more park oriented board. If you want to slay the whole mountain, get more of an all mountain board. But again, middle ground is good.

I personally learned snowboarding on a NS Premier. Which is stiff as hell and not forgiving at all. But I love it. I cannot get lazy with the board. I have to snowboard the right way if i don't want to eat snow. It was that simple, and it was that painful. But the board made me grow. The first year on the board I was playing catch up literally... the board was much much faster then me haha.

Anyways i side tracked. So let me summarize. If you can't turn, you CAN'T turn. It doesn't matter what board your riding. Just make sure the board is meant for your size. Get the right length for your height AND weight, and get the right width for your boot size. That's the most important IMO.


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## music_man185 (Jan 4, 2010)

thanks for taking the time to post. it cleared a lot of things up. right now i'm on a old school sims board with some old k2 bindings. my board is pretty stiff, but i've learned to turn pretty well with it. i can't really carve all that well though. the board i'm looking at now is the k2 anagram. they market it as a all mountain freestyle, so i'm guessing its about a 5 on stiffness. it has a "catch free rocker" base. since it is freestyle all mountain, how well do you think it will perform in powder?


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2010)

crazyface said:


> a more beginner board is usually a park oriented board because they are softer and easier to carve.


do you really mean easier to carve or just easier to turn?

related reading: What is carving?

great answer, camor.

alasdair


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## Shady (Jan 23, 2010)

wow, great post Camore, thanks! I've heard nothing but good about NS, but they are pretty pricey, maybe next season 

also, 'carving' I don't think I've ever done lol! I've only learned to do 'skidded' turns because my board feels so stiff and not much camber. *shrug*


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