Snowboarding Blog & Snowboard Reviews » Questions

Detune Your Snowboard: What, Why, and How?

Rami — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:15:37 +0000

Lightly trace the edges with the file until they become slightly dull. Feel the sharpness of the edge by pressing your finger down on it. Practice on the edges at the tip and tail of your board to find the right amount of dullness.Every year I’ll tune my snowboard a month or two before the season starts mostly out of anticipation for the season itself.

Personally, I’m a freerider, so a tuned board is crucial. And I’m sure a lot of our readers have tuned their board at one point or another. But have you ever detuned a board? Why would you even want to do that? Sounds like something stupid to do. Believe it or not (you better believe it), there are some cases that detuning a board is a good idea.

What does Detuning a Snowboard Mean?

Detuning a board is more about reshaping your edges than dulling the edges, since most snowboard edges protrude from the board at 90 degrees. Though, the 90 degrees is what you want in general as it provides the best grip for carving into the snow. When hitting rails though, you’re usually moving much slower, not really carving, and worried about landing on your butt too often.

This is where detuning is plays its role. Instead of maintaining a 90 degree edge profile, you can detune your board so they protrude at a smaller angle, thus prevents you from catching as much edge.

When/Why Should I Detune my Snowboard?

Riding rails, boxes, bent trees…
If you’re a beginner and worried about catching too much edge.
When you’re in the mood to muck about/butter on the snow.

How do I Detune my Snowboard?

You can do it yourself or take it into your local snowboard shop. For beginners who just bought a brand new board, I urge you to take it into your local store and have them take care of it. If you have an older board and are comfortable detuning it yourself, here’s how:

You’ll need:

Course File – can be found at any hardware store.
Diamond Stone – used to polish your edges.
Clean Cloth

The steps:

Find the widest part of your board at the nose and tail (these are the contact points). It’s the section of edge that’s most likely to catch an edge.
Start an inch back from that point and use the course file to round out the edge toward your nose. Repeat with the tail end.
Now for a light detune of the entire edge. Divide your edges into 3-4 equal sections (including the contact point edges you just filed)
Place the file on your edge at about a 45 degree angle and make a pass over each of the sections. This will give each section a light detune.
Feel for the edge and do another pass over if you necessary.
Remove the edge shards with your clean cloth – this is important, so don’t forget to do it.
Polish your snowboard’s edges with the diamond stone to buff out all the micro burrs left behind.

Video

Tips

Files work in 1 direction so keep that in mind when filing your edges.
Dull your edges to about 88 degrees – anything more than that will be a waste and could damage your board.
East coast riders should be careful as to not over do it… with our snow conditions, we need our sharp edges.
Some boards come factory detuned so find out if your board is factory detuned or not before attempting to detune it.

In Search of Powder – Eating Properly on the Road

Mo — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:21:29 +0000

When you hit the road looking for that untouched powder, trips tend to be fueled by tons of junk food. Just a few days living off of fast food chains or gas station goodies can pretty much drain your energy levels before you even reach the slopes. Though a healthy option might be the last thing you crave on the road, it might just make your trip worthwhile to stay away from the junk and focus on getting your body what it needs. Below are a few tips on eating decently while you travel.

Decent Snacks You Should Consider

Energy Bars/Protein Bars – Although the ingredients in these bars are hardly understandable, an energy or protein bar will always be a better option for you than just a standard piece of chocolate. Before I hit the road I like to buy a new box of my favorite protein bars. They’re also great to take with you on the mountain.
Nuts – Check the ingredients, if you don’t find anything with “corn” in there you’re good to go. Nuts can be a great appetite-suppressor and are usually packed with protein and the complex carbs you need to keep you going. Stick with almonds and cashews where you can.
Green Tea – If you find yourself still eating some junk on your trip, that’s okay. Just have some green tea along with it. Apart from giving you a decent caffeine boost, the tea will help you digest a lot of the stuff you put in your stomach.
Beef Jerky – One of my favorite snacks while I’m on the road, jerky usually has more protein and less fat. These things are packed with salt though, so make sure you’re chugging water at the same time.

Stuff You Should Get Rid Of

Pop – Soft drinks are usually packed with enough sugar to feed a third world country. Stay away from these while you’re on the road cause after the sugar rush you’ll just be left feeling tired.
Packaged Brownies/Muffins – Too much calories and not enough nutritional value in these things usually. This is exactly the kind of stuff you shouldn’t be putting in your body when you’re probably already dehydrated, sleep-deprived, and cranky.
Flavored Coffee – Sure it’s yummy and might make you feel good but the syrups in these things are just packed with sugar. Coffee also keeps you from eating, which you should be doing.
Hot Dogs – If I sat here and told you how these things are made, you would probably never eat another one in your life. Although they might be yummy homemade, the ones you find in the gas station are just brutal for your health.
Weird “Sales” - Think twice before you eat anything on sale. Chances are it’s been sitting there forever and nothing can ruin a road trip like eating something that’s bad and getting sick.

Ski and Snowboarding Goggles: Buying Guide

Rami — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:34:12 +0000

Ask and ye shall receive. Or something along those lines. I’ve gotten quite a few emails asking about ski and snowboarding goggles (say goggles 50 times…), what to get, what to look for, etc… So I put together this handy buying guide to help you find a good pair of snow goggles.

Generally speaking, your choice of goggles is pretty straight forward. Regardless of your riding style, how low hanging your snow pants are, or how funky your head gear is, goggles are goggles. Things to watch out for in snow goggles are:

Fit
Frame Features
Lens Features
Lens Colors Explained
Tips
Recommended Brands

Fit

Just like snowboarding boots, fit is very important. In fact, so important, brands have created ‘racial’ fit types for e.g. the ‘Asian Fit’.
Make sure there are no uncomfortable pressure points from the goggle outline pressing against your face. Generally speaking, good quality goggles use better designed foam lining that eliminate these pressure points.
Make sure there are no gaps between your skin and the goggle foam outline. Good goggles have air vents designed into them for a reason.
If you wear a helmet, make sure you try on the ski/snowboarding goggles with your helmet on. I didn’t do this with my first goggle purchase and ended up with goggles too big to fit with my helmet on – money down the drain.
Same goes for riders and skiers who need to wear prescription glasses under the goggles. Though, I highly recommend contact lenses or prescription snow goggles. It’s just so much more comfortable that way.

Frame Features

Good goggles have well designed foam outline made from good quality foam (Yes, there’s good foam and there’s bad foam!) The test: 1. Press on the foam outline with your thumb, hold for 5-7 seconds, and release. If the foam reverts back to its original shape in 2-3 seconds, then that’s good foam. If your thumb’s outline doesn’t disappear quick enough, then that’s bad quality foam.
Make sure your goggles have well designed and enough vents. These are foam covered air portals, to let air flow through the skiing goggle to keep them fog-free. Generally speaking, the more expensive a goggle is, the better their ventilation system is.

Lens Features

Double lenses prevent fogging and create a thermal barrier to keep you warm.
Cylindrical double lenses provide good optics for a reasonable price.
Spherical double lenses provide superior optics and fog-free vision.
Polycarbonate lens material is generally the most durable.
Look for an anti-scratch/anti-fog coating on the lenses.
Make sure the lenses provide 100% UV and blue light protection.

Note: Look at the packaging to tell which of the above the goggles have.

Lens Colors Explained

Clear lenses are best for extremely stormy conditions or for riding at night.
Lemon/yellow lenses are best for stormy conditions and overcast days since they increase contrast and brighten up the landscape.
Vermillon/pink lenses increase contrast in most conditions. This lens with a silver mirror is ideal for most riding conditions.
Citrus/orange lenses also increase contrast and are great for bright days. Choose an option with a mirror to get a darker lens for the brightest conditions.
Purple lenses are good in low-light conditions such as overcast and snowy days, because they bring out shadows and contours in flat light.
Modulator or photochromic lenses change from a light pink/orange to a dark pink/orange depending upon the light conditions. They are a very light, high-contrast color for stormy weather and dark enough for the brightest days.
Polarized lenses can cut the glare that reflects from snow or ice.

Tips

The better quality goggles are more expensive and a good pair will run you anywhere between $100-150. But it’s a good investment. You’ll just regret getting cheaper goggles, as you’ll just pay more in the long run having to replace them more frequently.
If you do a lot of park riding, considering investing in a cheaper goggles so you don’t worry too much about them getting knocked around.
Always store your goggles in their protective pouch.
Clean the outside of your goggle lenses with fresh water and a soft cloth
Never wipe the inside of your goggle lenses; it can damage the anti-fog coating. If you get snow/ice on the inside, shake them out, put them back on and keep riding. As you ride, the lenses will air-dry.
To keep your goggles from fogging, keep them on your face. Removing them while waiting in line for example can cause them to fog up, but don’t worry about that too much if the line is too long.
If you’re goggles do fog up, just keep them on, and ride. The ventilation system will clear them up in seconds.
Goggles with replacement lenses provide the benefit of being able to replace damaged lenses without having to pay for a whole new goggle.

5 Recommended Snow Goggle Brands

Spy Optic – www.spyoptic.com
Anon (currently using) - www.anonoptics.com
Oakley (currently using) – www.oakley.com
Smith Optics – www.smithoptics.com
Bolle – www.bolle.com

What’s Easier/Harder on the Knees? Snowboarding or Skiing?

Rami — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:11:18 +0000

A lot of people keep asking this question so I figured I’d pipe in with my opinion. I first started to ski when I was eight years old and kept at it season after season for 9 years before I switched to snowboarding, so I have the kind of experience that many people don’t. Having been on skies since I was a kid, I can say that skiing does require more knee work than snowboarding. More importantly, your knees are more at risk of injury from skiing than snowboarding. Why?

Skiing requires more pivoting than snowboarding and all that pressure goes through your knees.
In snowboarding your knees are locked into a more defined ‘space’ than in skiing (binded to one ‘stick’ versus to two separate ‘sticks’).
Skiers tend to do more moguls than snowboarders and as probability would have it, skiers are more prone to mogul injuries than snowboarders.
Feet/leg stance of a snowboarder is usually wider than that of a skier therefore snowboarders bend at the knees more often than skiers thus helping them absorb the pressure to the knee joint more effectively.

If you have any doubts about your fitness level or if you’re new to snowboarding, you might find my snowboarding workout guide useful.

There you have it! Clearly snowboarding is the superior sport

Burton ICS Adapters: What and How?

Rami — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:54:16 +0000

Burton Bindings

Holy crap man… it’s like no one’s ever used the internet. People keep asking me “Rami, man, I’m thinking of buying one of those ICS boards or whatever, do I have to buy new bindings?” or “Dude, will my old Burton bindings work with the ICS boards?” For the 182,717th time, YES YOU CAN!

How? Burton, being the un-jerk of a company it is, made sure that anyone buying their new ICS snowboards didn’t have to shell out for new bindings as well. Since, we all know how much a good pair of bindings cost these days (read: an arm and 2 legs or just a kidney), that was a smart move by Jake Burton and crew. Burton made available ICS adapters for free, so either:

1. Get your lazy ass down to your local snowboard shop and ask them for the Burton ICS adapters. 99% they’ll have some in stock, and if not, they’ll most likely order some for you. If you’re buying the board from them, they’ll have to order it for you.

2. Call up Burton Snowboards on 1-800-881-3138 (Monday through Friday, 8AM-9PM EST / Saturday, 12PM-8PM EST) and they’ll hook you up with the adapters.

Buying Your First Snowboard: The Most Comprehensive Guide

Rami — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:12:39 +0000

Buying Your First Board

I’ll never forget the stark difference between riding my first board (an ’07 Burton Raven) compared to the first rentals I got. Even the so called high performance boards feel childish compared to a brand spanking new one.

Why buy your own snowboard?

1. Rentals suck!

2. Renting costs add up quickly! The average cost of a snowboard package (snowboard + boots + bindings) is roughly $500 and the average cost of high performance rentals (board + boots + bindings) is roughly $40. Do the math yourself.

3. Different riding/snowboarding styles means different snowboard requirements. Unfortunately, rentals shops usually only carry one style, which forces you to go with whatever they have.

How do you choose your first snowboard? A number of factors will affect which snowboard you’ll end up buying:

1. What’s your style?

Freestyle: Freestyle boards are built for parks and are aimed to riders who want to do tricks, pipes, rails and parks.
Freeride/All mountain: These boards are the most commonly used boards and are intended for all-purpose mountain riding. They are stiffer than freestyle boards and their shape makes them somewhat difficult to ride backwards. But this is the most ideal board for someone just started out.
Freecarve/Alpine (not for beginners): These boards are designed to go fast. They are generally longer/stiffer, much narrower and don’t look like your average snowboard. Designed for high speeds and quick turns, Alpine boards are not recommended as anyone’s first board.

Chances are if you’re just starting out, you’re going to want a freeride/all mountain board. For more information on the differences between freeride and freestyle, click here.

2. Stability/flexibility: There are 2 main shapes that you’ll need to keep in mind.

Camber snowboards, when laid flat down, will have an upward facing arc/bend in the center. It’s designed this way so you don’t catch an edge (it’s when the side of your board digs into the snow forcing you to fall over) and provides more stability. This shape is also the most common type of snowboards out there

Camber Snowboard

Reverse camber is the opposite and it’s when the middle of your board is designed to be flat while the board ends curve upwards (Lib Tech snowboards are known for this). Reverse camber boards are far more flexible than camber boards.

Reverse Camber Snowboard

3. Board size: Depends more on the type of riding you’ll be doing and less on your height.

Freestyle board: you’ll want something that reaches somewhere between the base of your neck and just below your chin.
Freeride/All mountain board: you’ll want the board to reach anywhere above your chin and below your nose. This will give you enough flexibility while maintaining the stability you need for all mountain riding.
Freecarve/Alpine board: you’ll want something that’s long (above the nose) to ensure maximum stability at high speeds.

4. Board feel: The stiffer a board, the more stable it is, but the tougher it is on your legs. While flexible boards are easier on the legs, they are more likely to wipe out at higher speeds.

As a beginner, your best bet is a board that provides a good balance between stiffness and flexibility. So while you’re shredding the mountain, you can still go in for jumps and some rails.
Freestyle boards are usually more flexible, because speed is not necessary and you’ll want that for days at the park.

Other things to look out for that affect the feel of your board:

Twin Board: This is a 100% percent symmetrical snowboard. The nose and tail are the same shape, the stance and flex are centered, and the board rides the same regular and switch. Best for: The park, jibs and jumping. Twin boards help to keep you balanced so if your goal is to spin and master the tricks, get a twin board.
Directional: This board typically has a slightly longer nose than tail. Directional boards are designed to be ridden in one direction, not to say that they cannot be ridden switch (I ride my Burton T6 switch all the time!). The steering and pop power are controlled by the tail, enabling easy turns through the powder and mucho control at high speeds. Best For: Powder turns and high speeds.
Directional Twin: These boards combine elements of both the directional and twin boards. They may have a directional shape or core, and a twin flex pattern (or vice versa).

5. Board brand: This is where it gets vague and somewhat confusing. There are a ton of brands out there that do a very good job of designing boards. My recommendation is you go to a local snowboarding store, tell a store rep what kind of board you want (given the information on this page), browse around, and check for prices.

My personal favorites are:

Burton (my first 2 boards were a Burton Raven and a T6)
Rome (my 3rd board was a WWW Rocker)
Bataleon (I’ve heard good stuff from friends and other riders)
Lib Tech (creators of the reverse camber snowboards)
K2
DC
Apo
Forum

Some advice: You can save a ton of money by buying a last year’s model. I’ve done that with all my boards, and honestly the differences between this years and last years are usually aesthetic. If you want more snowboarding tricks and tips, click here.

What to do now? Take this information and walk into your local snowboard store and shop around. Find a good deal, because you’ll be changing the board in a season or two once you get the hang of riding. You should certainly consider buying a last year’s model.

Will My Old Bindings Work With the New Burton ICS Boards?

Rami — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:57:43 +0000

Burton Custom ICS 2010

Ever since Burton introduced the Infinite Channel System – ICS (not sure why it’s called infinite… flexible would have been a better word) – many riders have been confused about whether they can fit older bindings on the new ICS boards. The short answer is yes! New Burton boards come with an adapter that fits in the ICS slot to which you can screw your old bindings to. But if you’re going to shell out for a new Burton board, you might as well buy their new EST bindings to get the full benefit of the ICS design.

A lot of people will argue that this is Burton’s way of making you buy new bindings, and while I’m not a 100% sure if they could have fitted the adapter to give older bindings the benefit of the new ICS design, it’s still a useful feature. In case you don’t know, the ICS design lets you easily (a matter of loosening up two screws) move the bindings along the board. With traditional systems you are bound by fixed positions on the board and on the plates. With ICS you can move the bindings fractionally in all directions to achieve your perfect stance width and foot position.