With the snow sports season right around the corner, one thought on every snowboarder’s mind is what gear they need. So, what should they get?
You need to understand that if your gear is not broken, outdated or just not what you need, you shouldn’t be upgrading. However, for beginners, you should make sure to get the right stuff before you start so you don’t need to upgrade in one season. So first, you should know what kind of gear you need: park all-mountain or back country gear. Park will be lighter weight, with less water-resistant tech and fewer layers so you can do all your movements in minimal snow. All mountain gear will set you up for some park and some deep powder with some warm layers and water repelling gear and mid-range weight. Powder gear will be heavy, tech-filled and very warm to protect you from the elements.
There are many different kinds of boards: powder, park and all-mountain. So, what do you need? Overall, all-mountain boards are going to be less niche, so you will be able to go on different terrains like deep snow the park and groomers; they will also be in that mid to stiff flex range. Park boards are going to be a true twin with no difference in the tail and nose and be very flexible. Powder boards are going to be a directional shape with a cut-out in the back to keep you afloat in deep snow, and they will also be very stiff. An up-to-par park board would be the Salomon Huck Knife. A good all-mountain board would be Burton’s custom snowboard. An exceptional powder board would be the Burton family tree short-stopped board.
Now for jackets and outerwear. Most people tend to get pants and jackets with Goretex tech in them because it is the most waterproof material available. But some park snowboarders like more baggy style things so they go for different brands. So a good Park pant would be ninety rolls park-pant and a good all mountain or powder pant would be Burton’s (ak) bibs.
For boots and bindings you want to pick something based on the stiffness and board feel you get with them. There are not specified ones for different kinds of snowboarding, so a superb boot would be Burton ruler. A good binding would be Clews quick-release binding that allows you to strap in very fast.
For accessories like goggles, helmets and gloves there is no difference between them besides aesthetics, so pick what you would like. Some excellent goggles would be Anon m4s, a helmet would be Anon Rodan MIPS and for gloves, you can just get some good old Kincos.
Overall, just make sure you stay in your price range, get good gear that keeps you dry and remember to have fun!
