Welcome to Snow Boarding

When Buying a Snowboard

With nearly 20 various types of snowboards available on the market, budding snowboarding enthusiasts have one big question in mind: what to buy! Some of the most common types of snowboards include the freestyle snowboards, the free ride or all-mountain snowboard, the back country boards and the park and pipe snowboards. This will put you on the right track when you decide to pick out your trusty, ice-slashing snowboard.

When buying a snowboard, you have to consider a few important details to determine which type will fit you best. What are these details you may ask? Since you are the one who will use the board you have to consider your height and weight so that the snowboard that you will pick will easily be able to support you.

Aside from this, you also should consider your foot size and even your riding style. The latter will determine the suitable shape and stiffness of the snowboard that you should pick out. There are three major riding styles which will help you choose your board and they all play a role in the type that you should be using.

The first major type is for all mountain or free ride snowboarding. When they say all-mountain they definitely mean it. Here you will experience the real essence of snowboarding, from carving turns on the mountain slopes to catching wind during those big air jumps. Sliding on the snow never felt better! Snowboarders generally pick out boards designed for free riding since most of the experienced riders prefer to experience every aspect of the all-mountain challenge.

In freestyle snowboarding or technical riding, a lot of jumps, grabs, spins, rail sliding and trick riding is usually involved. Freestyle riders are often seen in the midst of snow parks where technical riding setups are usually outfitted near the halfpipe. Beginners are encouraged to use boards for this type of riding. The equipment used for this type of category not only applies to pipe riding, but it can also be used for the all-mountain scenario. The only difference is the speed that you will be able to attain. Compared to the free ride boards, the freestyle boards slide relatively slower across the mountain slopes which makes it a good choice for beginner snowboarders who first want to get a hang of sliding down the icy slopes.

Carve or alpine style snowboarding puts together deep turns and swift sliding. This type of riding style makes the most of everything that the mountain slopes have to offer! Expect alpine snowboarders to be constantly transitioning from one turn to the next at break neck speeds. When expert skiers decide to try out snowboarding, the boards that they usually pick out are the ones designed for alpine snowboarding. This is mainly due to the stiffer flex and much narrower board width used for their design.

Beginners will definitely be uncomfortable using the latter type unless they want to end up lying down in a snow trench after overshooting a bend or curve. Exceptional agility and well coordinated body movements are already required to successfully ride the slopes using alpine snowboards.

Sports summary

Sun Valley athlete wins Alcatraz triathlon title Amy Alexander Ostrofe, 24, of Sun Valley won the overall fastest women's amateur title by 14 minutes at the inaugural San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz Aug.

College sport: Winter tourney week adds to action

School is out for a few days as thousands of sports-mad students head off for winter tournament week in varied sports around the country."This is the busiest time of our sporting year," said NZ SS Sports Council chief executive...

Calendar and FYI for August 21

Sunday

Community Calendar

Deadline for calendar items is two weeks in advance of desired publication date. E-mail information on clubs, lectures, community and religious events, reunions and support groups to drock@pioneerlocal.com or fax to (847) 599-6902.

Coco Ho wins third annual Supergirl Pro Junior

Coco Ho won the third annual Supergirl Pro Junior in Oceanside, Calif. and took home the largest purse prize in ASP Women's Pro Junior history. Ho battled it out against Malia Manuel in the final but ultimately took home the $10,000 prize. Ho holds the 2008 title from the first-ever Supergirl Pro Junior. "Malia [Manuel] started out the finals so strong, I thought she had it in the bag," Ho said ...