boards
Board DirectoryClick on the red arrow to see further features from the boards.
SIDEWALL SANDWICH CONSTRUCTION
Individual components are laid into a form and are agglutinated into one under high pressure at high temperatures. A synthetic sidewall (ABS) is laid around the core (wood). Laminates made of fiberglass and, where applicable, other reinforcement materials (Carbon / kevlar, etc.) are bonded to the upper and lower sides of the core unit. The laminates on the upper surface of the board are covered by a protective synthetic layer (topsheet), on the underside of the board by the base. This construction results in boards with a stable form and exactly definable flex and torsion properties.
FULLCAP CONSTRUCTION
The individual laminates are laid on top of the core. They reach all the way down to the steel edge; there is no separate synthetic sidewall like in the sandwich construction. Cap constructions are less complicated to produce, however also do not achieve the performance of a sidewall (sandwich) construction.
GOOFY – right foot in front
REGULAR – left foot in front
It’s easy to find out which foot you’ve got in front. Which foot would you kick a ball with? Which foot do you have in front on a skateboard? In 99% of the cases, that’s going to be the one you’ve got in front on a snowboard.
FREESTYLE
Freestyle boards curve up at the front (nose) and back (tail) and are ridden with soft boots. The bindings position (setback) is almost in the middle of the board – this allows you to ride forwards and backwards (switch).
FREERIDE
These boards also curve up at the front (nose) and the back (tail) and are also ridden with soft boots. The bindings position (setback) is a bit further back to give the board more buoyancy in powder. for an optimal feeling and stability in the deep stuff, these boards are somewhat longer and wider.
ALL MOUNTAIN
These all-rounders are a well-balanced mix of freestyle and freeride. An especially good choice for beginners.
ALPIN
boards only curve up in the front at the nose, are narrower, and have a greater sidecut. These boards are ridden with hard boots and plate bindings. They are at home on spacious, groomed runs and slalom courses. These boards are unsuitable for deep snow, powder, or the funpark. Alpine boards are ideally ridden on the edge (carving).
The effective center of your board is in the middle between it‘s contact points (where the nose and tail start touching the ground).
Your „setback“ defines how many centimeters to the back of the effective board center your stance is.
HEAD boards offer information about setback printed on them. Generally there is no need to deviate from the suggested setback. If you still want to customize, here are some clues:
Some park and pipe riders like to center their bindings on the board for switch riding and landing. This means sliding both your front and back binding slightly to the front of your suggested stance (approx. 1.5 cm).
Powder-poisoned freeriders may increase their setback, moving back on the board by up to 5 centimeters or 2 inches to get more float. Remember that moving back too far will jeopardize your board’s handling on hardpack.
ELLIPTICAL SIDECUT
On all expert freeride-oriented boards. A more shallow sidecut towards the tail makes the board more stable on straights with tons of bite in turns.
RADIAL SIDECUT
On all high-end freestyle boards. Radial sidecut provides agility and flows smoothly in the pipe, even going switch.
MULTIRADIAL SIDECUT
Gets more shallow towards the tail. Easy turn initiation and solid all-round performance.
INGREDIENTS:
Snowboard tuning rack (vise)
Polishing stone ( + water)
Gummy stone
Edge sharpener/raw file
Pros: angle iron, file
fine file
Repair candle (P-Tex stick)
Cleaning cloth
Mom’s iron (no vapor!)
wax
wax scraper
Nylon brush
GOLDEN RULE:
Your base should be dry.
GOLDEN RULE II:
Start doing your edges,
then fix the base, then wax it.
1. EDGE REPAIR
Before you start tuning your edges, make sure to get rid of scratches, rust and burrs (you want to go fast, right?).
Important: Put your board in a vise. Anything else is masochism. To get rid of rust, use the gummy stone.
To get rid of scratches and burrs, use a polishing stone with enough water (so the steel dust washes away).
2. EDGE TUNING
Edge tuning is a science. If your board is almost new, you might want to entrust it to your local board clinic. Here’s our tips for do-it-yourselfers:
AMATEUR
Get an edge sharpener and adjust the angle (allround: 89°, speed: 87°, freeriding: 88°/89°, pipe: 89°). Pulling the sharpener towards you from nose to tail, try to get the entire edge covered with a single movement. Usually, four draws should be enough, after all, you want to keep some edges on that board.
Hint: Never push or pull the leading edge of the scraper always push the leading edge of the scraper away from you with the leading edge
PRO
Pros discern between side edge and base edge. Always start with the base edge, then put your board on it’s side. A tuned base edge has the advantage that your edge slightly reclines from your base (0,5 to 3°), making your board faster with less risk of catching your edge. freestylers will go for a solid 2° of recline while speed nuts will stick to around 0,5° for bite and quick edge-to-edge action.
3. DE-TUNING EDGES
So now that you finally have sharp edges, it’s time to de tune them... but only in the tip and tail areas. de-tuning means you drag a fine file lightly along the part of the edge within 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) from your boards widest points towards the centre. The further back you de-tune, the more forgiving your board becomes. Experts also recommend to use a soft stone, the only place the edges are filed are on the non-contact points. de-tuning or “softening” with a soft stone or sandpaper will make the transition much smother.
4. CLEANING YOUR BASE
Before you start working on the base, make sure it’s free of dirt and old wax. Either use liquid base-cleaner. Or wax your board with high temperature wax, and scrape it off right away (this way the old wax and dirt comes out of your base’s pores). Or simply use a cleaning towel (if you’re pressed for time, that is)
5. BASE REPAIR
first, get rid of the burrs around your scratches using a sharp knife. Then light a repair candle (P-Tex stick) and let the P-Tex drop into the scratches. You can eliminate the carbon from the p-tex by holding the lit candle closer to the board and not allowing the flame to go yellow. depending how bad your base looks, you may consider roughing up the wounds with sandpaper to increase the adhesion of the P Tex. Make sure to let the P-Tex cool for about two hours. Then scrape off excess P-Tex with your knife and/or sandpaper.
6. WAXING
Heat up your iron. Press the bar of wax against it and let the liquid wax drip on your base until your board looks like a dalmatian. If there is smoke or vapour, it means your iron is too hot. Then cruise across your base with the iron (no pressure needed) and evenly distribute the wax to create a film. If necessary, add more wax. Let cool for at least an hour before scraping.
7. SCRAPING
Only when the base has cooled, use your scraper to remove excess wax. Always move from nose to tail. Most scrapers have a little recess to scrape your edges too. Then grab your nylon or steel brush and brush your base to reveal it’s structure. Again, go from nose to tail.
Bit of truth:
when the base glides on snow, friction makes the snow melt. Essentially you’re riding on water. To prevent suction, bases are ground with a structure. And this structure actually helps your board glide.
Now there’s tons of different types of wax to
choose from. Here’s a hint:
- If the weather channel is not on your watch list, go for universal wax ( 32° > 12° f)
- On the coldest day of the year ( 20° > 0° f)
- Any old winter day ( 26° > 20° f)
- Summer Camp ( 32° > 26° f)
Bit of truth: The more often you hot-wax
your base, the faster it gets, because it
will absorb more and more wax.
