The wife and I have talked ourselves into heading out to Canada early next year and, after seeing some of the areas on one of the resorts, I'd like to give snowboarding a bit of a go.

Now, I've tried it in the past (on dry slope) and managed to get the hag of it a bit, but I now live near Xscape in MK, so I have "proper" snow to practice on. However, I'm not sure that I want to keep hiring kit at either MK or in Canada so the obvious choice is to buy my own.

I'm tall (197cm) and weigh in at about 90 kilos, so any recommendations would have to take this into account, but the board I want is something that will not break on me when I do something stupid, and will cope as my confidence and abilities increase (hopefully). Quality is preferable. I have seen a lot of cheap boards/bindings combos on fleabay, but do not want to be let down by them when I make it to Canada.

Cheers all.

Boards are designated by weight of rider, level of skill and intended purpose to a lesser degree height of rider, so not easy to recommend, board hire in canada is good as we found in 2009.
Take care if you fly air canada as I think they require a plastic board container, expensive and difficult to find in UK .
I am 5'10" 73 kg ride a Burton Custom 162 and have 15 years riding ( 3 weeks a year) and it has been used on piste, back country and Heliskiing, never broken one (had 3) and sell when the pop has gone out of them, but most of the time the bases have hardy been scarred, so done well.

Ride Yukon?

I'm 1.97m and 115kg. I used to love Burton Canyons (wide version of the custom)when I was snowboarding. Used to go through about 3 a season though. I haven't had much interest in snowbaording for a few years and I'm pretty sure they're not made anymore.

I'm 5'11" 12.5st and ride a 159cm Oxygen Element. I'd like a board with larger surface area for easier powder riding, and also a bit stiffer/poppier so I can push it a bit harder on piste.

Probably a Ride Yukon which has a grown-up decal.

I'm 5'10" and 10.5 stone and ride a K2 Darkstar. Get yourself measured up properly for a board if you want to buy one, and tbh there's no way it should snap! Mayeb go for an all mountain/freeride board?

Have you looked at just renting out there? Xscape doesn't exactly give you the quantity or quality of snow you'd find in Canada so you'd barely get a board going in there before having to stop anyway. I'm taller and heavier than you and liked a stiff snowboard – the width depends on your feet size as well as you don't want overhang.
I'm not up to speed on modern boards any more – but you'd not get enough out of a board for Canada in the snowdome to warrant buying it here. IMHO of course.

My husband jsut got a K2 parkstar. We both went for a Rocker board instead of camber, very confidence inspiring (we are both beginners). The Parkstar rides like a boeard around 5cm longer (something to do with the type of rocker it is), so this may well be good if you are taller.

Simone

Its a pretty personal thing and weight/level/terrain are more important than height. I'm 6 foot, 80kg and ride a 156 for general riding/park and a 158 for powder (would be bigger if cash allowed).

If your going to buy one then I'd try to test a few before hand either in the UK or canada. If your at a beginner level dont be tempted by an expensive board as they are generally stiffer and harder to ride.

I'm 6'2", 88kg and use a 157cm Santa Cruz Perfect 11 "Get Money" and I love it:

It's a bit garish for some, but holds up really well both off-piste and on the hard packed stuff we get in Aviemore, Glenshee and the like. Quite flexy, so would be easier to get the hang of than a stiffer board.

TooTall,

Yes, I did look at just renting, but I'm draw to the idea of getting my own board and really getting used to it. It worked (sort of) with both my wakeskates, so I am hoping it will work this time.

I'm also hoping that the shop next to Xscape will have a couple of bargains in when I hit it on Saturday/Sunday. I had been keeping an eye on a 2008 K2 board that I found on fleabay, but got beaten to the punch as it were, so I am now thinking that buying cheap and cheerful might be the way to go.

Has anyone heard of SET or Nidus as manufacturers?

but I now live near Xscape in MK, so I have "proper" snow to practice on.

No you don't, you really really don't.

Dpn't bother spending loads on a board and bindings. Wait 'till you're out there and buy a good pair of boots. To be brutally honest you are a beginner so the choice of board isn't really that important (provided you don't go too silly) but a pair of well fitted boots is.

If you really really want a board of your own then buy one out there as you'll have more choice and you'll be able to demo some of them.

But it looks like snow and is cold like snow! How can it not be snow?

Ok, so I know it's not proper snow, but it's a lot better than that dodgy matting at my old local dry slope, so I see it as a step in the right direction, if only a small step.

Gonefishin, I understand what you are saying about getting something over there, but my main aim is to get something before I go out there so that I can get used to it, practice with it and generally get my skills up with a single board, then I can hit the proper snow with something I am comfortable with.

Hiring here and then trialling/buying over there would/could mean that I'm going to be spending a lot of time on different boards and not that much time on "the one" that I buy. Of course, if Xscape snow is that different to the snow in Canada, then it may be worth my time to just hire here, then hire there if a board from the UK won't work over there.

Get some boots, hire the board. The board hire in Canada is good (well it was in Lake Louise / Banff where I went this year anyway). Get the hang of it and then decide on the board. Get your own boots tho….

I never understand the need for snowboarders to buy kit so soon. I've been skiing for more years than I can remember and don't own my own skis, I’d much rather hire the latest model for 2 or 3 weeks each year than have my own. I do own boots though and would suggest that is where to spend your money they will have a huge bearing on both comfort and how well you can ski/board. A trip to a specialist boot fitter is really worth it.

Anyway, I don't board (as you've gathered) but a know plenty who do. When we/they go the MK or Tamworth they always borrow a board as they don't want to make a mess of their own boards on the "snow" in MK.

It's also worth remembering that doing stuff in a fridge is not the real thing. I use it to sharpen my technique and to "relearn" a few things but it really is nothing like real slopes and it will take you much longer to get used to the slopes than to any hire board.

How big are your feet? Size ten boots or larger can cause overhang (how much overhang depends on your binding angles) so you might need a 'wide' or 'mid-wide' board.

Completely agree with some of the advice here about spending your money on boots in the first instance. Spend some time in the shops in the UK trying on different boots and wearing them round the shop to determine which brand/style suit your foot shape etc. Salomon for instance suit narrow feet whereas 32 and Vans are often better for wide feet.

If you are riding in some of the 'powder' resorts in BC then you could consider getting a board out there – riding in powder often requires a longer and/or wider board. I ride a 167 for this reason (185cm & 85Kg). However depending on experience a shorter board can be easy to initiate turns on. Finding the compromise for your personal level of experience is key.

Personally I would avoid any of the cheap ebay combos on offer and talk to the guys as TSA for example or your local independant shop. They can offer pretty good advice.

With regards to Air Canada and boardbags, there is no strict requirement for a hard box (although it's recommended) You may have to sign a waiver though. Air Canada changed baggage limits last year. Previously they wavered the outsized luggage fee so boardbags went free in addition to 2 x 23Kg bags. Now though the allowance is one 23Kg bag – additional bags cost $50CAN

I can definitely recommend getting lessons out there. The CASI instruction is really good and the instructor will give you useful pointers regarding binding angles & stance width etc.

Snowdome 'snow' is effectively crushed ice. Therefore you will need to wax your board more often than if you just ride in BC 'champagne' powder

Fair point… I might just have to limit myself to getting some boots at the weekend, then having a play on a hire board to see how rubbish I have become.

Oh, and feet are a size 12 on a good day and medium to wide, so with socks, I reckon I need "clown" size (or size 13s). possibly another reason to buy here.

Definitely worth looking at a wide(ish) board then. You can get boots such as the Salomon F24 that have integrated liners which effectively drop your shoe size by a factor of one, but that's probably not much use if you are a size twelve.

Snowboard boot fitting should be 'tight' but not to the point that you get foot pain. The liners will pack down over time but if you are only riding a couple of weeks a year the last thing you want is crippling foot pain – which is the reason a shop fitting session is recommended rather than buying online.

As a [very] general rule of thumb (or rather toe) your toes should be 'snug' up to the end of the boot liner … not so that they die and fall off but you shouldn't be able to wiggle your big toes. If your foot moves around inside your boot you will have less control over your board.

Hope this helps … happy riding! 8)

I had a Ride Yukon a couple of years back, it was a very stiff freeride board, great for off-piste or choppy snow but not really an all-rounder. A board with a bit of flex will be easier to progress and learn spins on. I would go for something wide and mid-range price wise, from a big brand, you can't go far wrong.

How about a K2 Nemesis? It's medium width with risers, so big feet don't dig in on the turns. Really wide boards are a bit clumsy to turn IME.

I have a 168cm in good condition (2 week's use) which I may sell.

Really wide boards are a bit clumsy to turn IME

That's why I use the Perfect 11. It's for size 10+ boots. And it's VERY easy to turn.

I almost bought the SC perfect 11, I'm size 10-11 shoe and love the graphic 8)

Is it flat, camber, rocker? I guessed flat…

I'm 196cm and have a 169cm Ride Yukon (bought in Canada – half the price of over here at the time). Anyway, as Shandy above says – not really an all rounder. It is very stiff and very very fast. It scares the crap out of me to be honest. Fun though. If you want to play about go for something with more flex – I always wanted a Gnu Wide Carbon Beam (don't know if they still do them) but they always got the best reviews as a fun all rounder for the larger footed soul. Only problem was they were very hard to get hold of – I never found one even in Canada.

Very slight camber. Having said that, I don't know what a large camber would be, so it could be huge. It doesn't sit flat, anyways.

I'm 6'2" and ride a Lib Tech TRS 162. Absolutley brilliant board.
I normally board at Cairngorm or Glenshee and it's great for the choppy stuff but being quite stiff it excellent in the powder too.
Strangely I rode more powder at Cairngorm this year than I did in Banff 🙄

same went I went swavis, both times 🙁

The reason boarders like to have their own boards, is because foot placement is so critical, unlike on skis. Once you set up the bindings, you don't want to mess with them.
You wakeskate…respect! That's hard, and will stand you in good stead on the snow. Exercises the right muscles too. I have a seadoo, love the wakeskate.
Why not buy a board from ebay…I have bought 4 Burton Fish boards from ebay, all hardly used and cheap. You won't overlap on a Fish, no matter how big your feet. But spend good money on a comfortable pair of boots, as everybody says.
Powder Rules! The Fish works really great on the piste too. Not any good for the park though.

I agree with what's been said above. Didn't realise you're a newbie sorry. Just rent a board and bindings for your 1st trip. Consider possibly buying boots tho.

I still want a Ride Yukon tho 🙂 I'm not a park kinda guy, I'm a piste and freeride kinda guy. I personally would also consider buying a handmade custom Windlip – nichetastic!

Dammit! I forgot that even snowboarders could get niche stuff! That is a beautiful board though.

Crud, Yeah, I wakeskate, but not as much as I really want to or need to. Just picked up a Doyle skate to go with my Kampus, that way I can keep one for winching and one for the cable when I feel like hurting myself on the box. The only difference that I can see is that I will not be getting pulled along on a snowboard, so unless I _always_ carry a handle around with me and pretend I am getting towed, it might not work out so well.

Anyway, off to MK tomorrow to go shopping. I have my eye on a couple of boards on eBay, but tomorrow's trip is all about boots. If I can persuade a mate to come with me, I might even get on the slopes for a bit of [laughable] practice on a hire board, otherwise I'll be skiing.

Willard – where abouts in Canada were you thinking of heading?

Some of the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) resorts don't offer the best snowboards to hire – often something like 'Head' with pretty crappy/unresponsive bindings. Often local shops will have a stock of demo boards you can try out but the cheapest places to buy snowboard gear will probably not be in resort but in the big cities like Vancouver or Calgary. Canadian dollar exchange rate isn't so good the past couple of years so don't head out there thinking you can snap up a bargain anymore.

Definitely check out what's on offer in the UK – there may be some of last years models available at discount prices. Especially if you are looking for odd-sizing etc. I've bought a couple of longish boards in the past from Snow & Rock at discount because they've been the previous seasons models. As others have said a mid-range 'all mountain' board should be fine to progress on. Top end stuff tends to be overly stiff for many riders. I reckon £250 – £350 is a fair RRP price range for a board.

I can't comment on some of the new rocker/banana technology boards that have come out recently as I haven't had chance to ride one, but it's good to see the snowboard industry bringing in new ideas – time will tell whether these are here to stay or just gimmicks. Worth mastering the foundations of riding on a traditional [directional] twin-tip with a normal sidecut & camber I reckon though.

I think the 'Arbor' boards look pretty good in an old-skool longboard kinda way, but this year I'm saving for a split board

That custom made Windlip ^ does look nice though. For full-on niche-city I think the boards made by 'Gentemstick' take some beating …

I've got a Sims FS600W thats 162cm long with Burton bindings for sale

excellent condition

let me know if you would like any pics of it

jools182@hotmail.com

Digby,

If we can get out there, we're going to be going back to Banff. Were there a couple of years ago and really liked it as a town (friendly people etc), but also got on well with the resorts they have, especially Sunshine Village. The only problem with how we got there was no time to go shopping in Calgary, just a coach trip straight to Banff.

Just seen the Arbor website… There are some stunning boards on there! I can only assume that they are going to be out of my self-imposed price range though… The wife will kill me if I spent the rent on something like that, but she would probably appreciate the looks of it.

Willard – Despite Banff being in the Rockies it doesn't get the same amount of powder as some of the other BC resorts, namely Fernie, Kicking Horse, or Revelstoke. Banff & surrounding resorts are often quite icy. Take your ski boots as well – just in case!

If you are off to Xscape then the TSA/Ellis Brigham shop should be able to sort your boot fitting out for you. I've always found the guys who work there pretty helpful.

Happy shopping! 😆

Willard – when in Banff take a trip to the town beforehand, Canmore. The Source is an excellent snowboard/mountain bike shop, it's where I got mine.

Depends when & what you are after sometimes with resort area shops – late in the season and it can be a bit limited – My boots fell apart in Whistler a few years ago so I went into the Salomon shop there .. the guy didn't have the size I wanted in stock so he popped across the plaza to 'Showcase' to 'borrow' a few pairs … the only colour available in the boot I wanted in my size was the most awful pair of grey-camo. Still, most of the boot was hidden by trousers, binding and snow – but I still have nightmares about those boots … 😳

Always found the Canadian shops very helpfull though …

It comes from the people. I've never found the Canadians to be anything other than really friendly and helpful, whether they are actually in their country or over here.

Canmore might be a possibility, I'll have to see if we can get over there at some point during our trip. What's wrong with grey cammo?

What's wrong with grey cammo?

… it clashes awfully with my dayglow one-piece! 😆

Your right about the people though – very friendly indeed!

Lib tech make some monster boards…

the lib Doughboy shredder (190) and the skunk ape (190)

crazy web page too..

http://www.lib-tech.com/snow/snowboards/skunk-apes/

for me it has to be somthing from the option range…

Option are great boards – I've had a couple of them (Option Redline) and they are smashing allround 'all mountain' boards. Often with quite understated graphics! they [used to] do 163W & 167W boards which might be worth a look. Not sure what's in their line-up for next season though.

If you can ski, don't bother with snowboarding. Just buy some fat twins. You can do everything a snowboard can but faster with more control and style.