Of boards and weight ranges...

Big D · March 27, 2012

So you save your money and you buy a new board based on your personal research, word of mouth and the info from the board company. If you're really lucky you get to try the board you want prior to buying. But which board do you buy if you are a bit bigger than the average rider?

We have all seen/heard/read the recommended rider weight ranges on boards or websites, "Board A Model 1 is recommended for riders from 160-190lbs, and Board A Model 2 is recommended for riders from 190-220lbs." So what about the bigger riders, the ones that go 6'-6", 280lbs? Are these knuckle dragging, camber crushing gorillas going to be stuck with chatter and washing out because they are overpowering these boards? Should big riders seriously consider going to a custom shop where the scientist/craftsmen will allegedly use their magic and create a board truly specific for their size and weight? A board that even King Kong can rip on at speed.

In the store sure model 2 is a bit longer than model 1 but is there really a difference in materials? Are they using additional layers and thicker cores or a mix of both? Perhaps only a micrometer carrying buyer can tell the difference. To assist those of use without the tools or knowledge I submit the following.

In summary when you purchase a board, whether it is a custom or an off the rack, how is the rider weight difference compensated for and is the board really manufactured differently? Now I recognize that getting a clear and concise answer may be difficult as this gets into the mystical magic of board building. An area that builders tend to be a bit secretive about, ha ha, and with good reason as it is the inner workings that determine the winners from the losers.

Thoughts, expertise and wisdom sought...

D

Puddy Tat · March 27, 2012

I thought I read on here somewhere that Bruce or Sean had posted that the materials and relative stiffness of boards for really heavy riders didn't exactly scale linearly. His post seemed to indicate that it tapered off that is to say that a guy 250lbs doesn't want a board 2.5 times as stiff as a guy who was a 100 lbs. Or something to that effect.

Dave

snowboardfast · March 27, 2012

Simply talk to sean at donek snowboards and he will build a custom board for you at no extra charge. He will consider all parameters-your height, weight, foot size type of riding you do and can reccomend types of boards for you.

Big D · March 27, 2012

Puddy Tat / Snowboardfast, yes I think you are correct and I know Sean is a true renaissance man when it comes to his craft. Which is exactly why I bought a custom board from him last year. I was recently in conversation on this topic and wanted to reach out and see what others thought as you gotta wonder what other builders are doing/or not doing.

Mike T · March 27, 2012

"Yes". All the small manufacturers who build made-to-order boards can customize the flex for a given rider weight. They may accomplish that trick in different ways. I'm a middle-of-the-road 175 and still find a well-dialed flex to be one of the most important considerations when choosing boards.

Donek · March 27, 2012

I alter stiffness by changing the thickness of the board. Manufacturers who do not produce their own cores will alter stiffness by adding layers of glass or carbon. In general the concept is pretty straight forward, but the math or experiential aspect of how much to do it for a given rider takes a lot of practice. In my case, I try to gain as much knowledge as I can about a rider with regard to weight, height, typical riding conditions, experience level, aggressiveness, athleticism... and make the best guess I can. I know a lot of manufacturers put weight ranges on boards. This is something that I am hesitant to do because there are many more factors involved with such a decision. Hopefully that clarifies things for you. Let me know if you want more.

Edited March 27, 2012 by Donek

norm · March 28, 2012

So if you are not an average off-the-shelf person, then you probably are not 100% suited for an off-the-shelf board. The custom builders (Bruce, Sean...) are the ones that tailor to your needs. I would also suggest that it's not all about height and weight; it's also significantly influenced by your riding ability, so if your custom board builder hasnot/cannot see you ride personally, then send them a vid, so they can tune all those "magical" parameters to your needs. Be thankful that you are in a sport where the vendors actually care. A store will most probably not know what the boardbuilders do. Them's my 2 cents.

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Of boards and weight ranges...

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