# good board for a short person?



## unrachel (Jul 24, 2010)

Hey guys,
So I'm definitely a beginner at snowboarding, but I'm thinking about investing in my own board.
The thing is, I'm about 5'0 and under 100lbs, so it looks like the only options for me are kids' boards.
I like the looks of the forum mini youngblood, but I don't know too much about snowboards and would like a second opinion. Are there any other recommendations?
Thanks!


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## Milo303 (Apr 6, 2009)

There's girl on here named lilfoot i think and she can help you I'm sure

I'm pretty sure Capita makes boards tiny enough for you, and YES! also has the asian board which may fit you.

Never Summer may even have a stick small enough for you


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## unrachel (Jul 24, 2010)

Thanks! I checked out all three, and it seems like Capita is the only one that makes ones small enough.
They were a little pricier than I was looking for, but I'm open to buying used so I'll keep my eyes open.
I appreciate the tip-off


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## lilfoot1598 (Mar 7, 2009)

Put your money down and back away from the kids' boards. Slowly, so nobody gets hurt. Seriously. 

There are PLENTY of boards out there for those of small stature. At 100 pounds, you should be looking for boards between in the high 130's to low 140's range. I am 4 feet, 11 and three-quarters inches tall and weigh about 105. I find boards in the 141-144 range to be most comfortable for all-mountain riding, but everyone's different.

Park boards are offered in shorter lengths, so those will be your go-to boards, most likely.

I can't recommend children's gear at all, even though it is appealing because it's cheaper. It's cheaper because the quality is crap compared to adult boards. Children's gear is simply not made to support the strength and weight of an adult rider. 

Are you female or male? I can recommend quite a few boards if you are female, the boys will have to chime in if you are male.

For me, shoe size was the biggest hurdle to riding well. I have tiny feet (size 4) and find most boards to be too wide, which makes turning much more difficult, especially if it's stiff. So always check your foot size against the waist of your board. Small feet will require softer boards.


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## unrachel (Jul 24, 2010)

I would like to "put the money down and back away," I just really couldn't find any higher end boards my size. I measured myself and to hit between my chin and nose the board would need to be around 129-136 cm.
I am a female, but I tend to shy away from women's boards mainly because I can't stand the graphics. Which brings me to another question: assuming I did find a men's board in a suitable size for me, would it be a mistake to get it? From what I can tell the main differences are flex and width, but I'm very new to all of this.

And snowolf, I'll check those boards out and get back to you :]

Thanks you guys, I really appreciate the help


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## Milo303 (Apr 6, 2009)

You would be better off finding a chick board.... The graphics are covered with snow a lot of the time, and they don't make the board run any better or worse.

And the rule of landing between the nose and chin rule is old school these days and isn't an affective rule. Using your weight and what you intend to ride most is the way to judge what length you want to get.

Basically get a girls board in the low 140's if you can


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## unrachel (Jul 24, 2010)

Okay, so after poking around a little more I think I'm liking the atomic tika and the lamar whisper, both in 139. Any opinions?

And milo, sorry if I sounded stupid, like I said I am new to all of this and before now the chin rule was the only one I had heard. Assuming I'm planning on riding all mountain, how do I size a board based on height and weight? Until I came here, everything I'd heard said that anything in the 140's would be too big for me. 
Also, sorry if I'm going off topic with this, I'm just trying to learn


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## lilfoot1598 (Mar 7, 2009)

No men's boards for you. They would all be too long. There are plenty of women's boards out there with decent graphics, you just have to look around. With your height, skill level, and budget, you may not have much of a choice. Troll ebay and check all the big online retailers, or buy from a cheaper brand.

A lot of salespeople will tell you the chin rule, but they are wrong. In general, a snowboard doesn't care how tall you are, it cares about how much pressure you are putting on it. There is no real way to "measure" your correct length. Get something in the high 130's if you want to try park or are particularly timid, and go longer if you want to ride all-mountain. As I said, I weigh just a little more than you and I ride a 141 and a 143. We could go shorter, but we'd start to lose stability.

Some suitable boards. I have starred some favorites:
Atomic Tika 139
Gnu B-street 141
Capita Space Metal Fantasy 143*
K2 Luna or Lunatique 138, 142*
Rome Vinyl 143*
Ride Compact 143
Never Summer Pandora 140, 143
Burton Troop 141
Burton Lux 139, 143
Atomic Fallen Angel 141

Boards from companies like 5151, Liquid, LTD, and Lamar are generally inferior in quality to the boards listed above. That being said, they may be more within your budget and will suit a beginner just fine. If you purchase a cheaper board, it's probably something you'll want to replace in a few years as you progress. A decent board would probably start at around $300. Consider buying used to get a better quality board on a budget. I bought my Capita Space Metal Fantasy used from a private seller for less than $150 and it's a great board in great condition.


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## hondarider17 (Dec 7, 2008)

For 2011 i think? they made a Capita horrorscope Fk called spacemetal for womens. Smallest board it comes in is a 143, might wanna check that out!


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## unrachel (Jul 24, 2010)

I definitely would consider myself a timid snowboarder, and I am far from athletic so I guess that's why I'm leaning towards a board in the smaller range.

It just seems like there is a big jump from the kids' boards available and the women's boards, with very few in the upper 30s range to choose from.
I guess the Atomic tika fits best with what I want?
I really love capita boards, i'm just afraid 143 is going to be a little more than I'm up for handling. Then again, if it's the board I'm going to be learning on I don't suppose it will matter too much.


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## lilfoot1598 (Mar 7, 2009)

The Capita Space Metal Fantasy in 143 would be fine for you. It is a VERY soft board and very easy to ride. I own one and it's my go-to board for days when I want to mess around and butter down the mountain! I don't know much about the Tika, but if you're really concerned about size, that might be the way to go. 

I learned on a Ride Rapture 143 and it treated me very well (I was a VERY timid learner). Soft, forgiving, and a decent price. But the graphics suck. That's what stickers are for! 

Lots of ladies learn on the K2 Luna, which is now called the Lunatique. Very good board, and it comes in a 138.


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## unrachel (Jul 24, 2010)

I love the sound of easy to ride, I guess my biggest reservation more than size on the capita space metal fantasy is the reverse camber. I've never ridden one before, and I'm not sure how comfortable I am with the idea of spending a lot of money on something I've never tried out. From what I understand reverse camber is better for beginners and parks, and while I am a beginner I don't really plan on doing much freestyle stuff.

I also just finished looking at a bunch of k2s, it seemed like they had a large selection of shorter boards for women. But when I read the reviews, most people said they weren't very good beginner boards.

So I guess what it's coming down to is this: is it better to get a good beginner's board, or a board that will be hard to learn on that I can grow into?
or am I completely missing the point?


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## lilfoot1598 (Mar 7, 2009)

The reverse camber on the SMF is not as pronounced as it is on a lot of other boards, if that's any consolation. All in all, most people like reverse camber, but some can't stand it.

Reverse camber is not just for park and beginners, not by a long shot. In fact, some companies like Never Summer are making most of their boards with some sort of zero or reverse camber. 

I feel like my Gnu B-street, which has bananatraction, is more versatile because of the reverse camber ("banana"). Even though it's short, my board floats well in powder thanks to the reverse camber. It does make turning more "catch-free" and provides an overall looser feel on snow. I honestly don't notice how loose it is, now that I'm used to it. 

I'm not that great with tech, maybe some others can chime in with more advice about reverse camber.

In the end, it is important to get a board that makes snowboarding fun from the beginning. I learned on a board that was not a good fit and spent days cursing and falling and generally feeling terrible. Then I got a different board and was linking turns that same day. However, some boards that are designated as beginner boards are generally too unresponsive to be useful for a long time. After a few weeks on snow, many people complain that they felt the need to replace their beginner board. So the trick is to get something that is soft enough to learn on and make mistakes on, but that is high enough quality that you'll enjoy it for many seasons. All of the boards on the list I posted earlier fit that description. Fairly soft, yet still excellent. Even if you don't ride park, often park boards are great boards to learn on because they are pretty soft.

Oh, and K2 makes excellent boards for women. Which ones were you looking at?

I empathize with you - this is a tough decision, especially when you don't have the opportunity to demo a bunch of boards. Keep researching and asking questions!


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## unrachel (Jul 24, 2010)

well, you just made a very convincing argument for the capita. It is out of my budget, but i'm willing to spend a little more time on a rental while saving up for the right board.
As far as k2's go I was mainly looking at the moment or the fling because they were the shorter ones, but as I mentioned before most of the reviews said that they were not good boards for learning on which makes me a bit hesitant.


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## lilfoot1598 (Mar 7, 2009)

Hmm...yeah, the Fling might be a good board for you, but it may also be just a tad stiff for a beginner. 

Are you near a place where you can demo? 

Also, consider buying a gently used board from ebay or look around on the sierrasnowboard.com user forums.


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## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

With regards to the reverse camber for beginners issue, it's been a hot debate recently. Some people are all about it while others feel that will help lead to bad habbits while learning. There is a definite advantage to learning on something less likely to catch an edge because as any of us who learned on a cambered board know, you'll be doing that a lot in the begining. I personally feel that if it helps someone progress and feel more comfortable faster and gets them more stoked on riding rather than quitting after the first day because they feel their body is beat up than that's a good thing.


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## unrachel (Jul 24, 2010)

K2 Womens Moment Snowboard 142

Just came across this. I'm thinking I should pounce on it :] Opinions?


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## unrachel (Jul 24, 2010)

Snowboard 5150 Women's Amethyst

there is also this one which is slightly shorter, but I don't really know anything about 5150s.

EDIT: nevermind, just did my research. definitely won't be wanting the 5150.


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## lilfoot1598 (Mar 7, 2009)

The Moment is a beginner board, which you may outgrow a bit more quickly, but that's a great price. K2 makes excellent boards for women. I would probably go for it.


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## minisnow (Jan 26, 2013)

I'm 5.1 about 105 pounds and riding 138 K2 lunatique. Works perfect for me for all mountains and small park stuff. Would get even smaller board for park looking to buy Nikita 135 board. Hope this helps


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## BrendanMorgan (Jan 22, 2013)

ummmm.........?


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## steeler99 (Dec 30, 2012)

Im 5'1" and 110 lbs..I have a Ride Rapture 143 and love it for a beginner board. It comes in a 138cm and you can pick up a 2012 model real cheap (google search Ride Rapture). Btw, graphics are decent for 2012.


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