Snowboard Flex 101

flextestIf you are looking for a brand new snowboard, regardless of whether you are conducting your search online or through a brick and mortar store, then you are going to come across a variety of different descriptive terms that are used to define the boards and who they are best suited for. Unfortunately, when you are just starting out, it can be confusing to choose the right board without knowing what all of these different descriptive terms actually mean. One of the words that is often brought up when it comes to defining the quality of a snowboard is the word "flex".

Flex is meant to describe how easily you will find it to bend a snowboard when it comes to bending a snowboard along its entire length. You are going to find that some snow boards are simply stiffer than others, meaning that it will take a greater level of force to bend them. What this means is that the boards that are stiffer have thicker cores within them. When a snowboard is harder to flex, it usually means that it is capable of better gripping the snow and also that it will be a more stable snowboard with a much more stable ride. These boards exert a greater amount of force when riding on the surface of the snow.

Because of the greater maneuverability and the greater grip that is provided by boards with less flexibility, these snowboards provide heavier riders and racers with a much better ride. For this reason, both heavier riders and racers have a preference for stiffer snowboards in most circumstances.

On the other end of the spectrum, boards that are softer flexing are better suited for less aggressive riders and lighter riders, as well as any snowboarder that enjoys performing tricks and freestyle moves. Boards that flex in a softer manner tend to have a thinner core within them, and they are generally lighter as a result.

Snowboards also have what is known as a snowboard flex pattern. The flex pattern refers to how much the board is capable of flexing at different points throughout it. For example, a specific snowboard may be soft in the front and then stiff in the heel, or stiff in the front and soft in the heel. The combination of these different types of flex is what makes up the flex pattern. There are various types of materials that are used when putting snowboards together, and these different materials allow for a wide variety of different flex patterns, meaning that the performance of each snowboard will very significantly.

Determining what type of rider you are is the first step to buying the right snowboard. Are you an aggressive, or a non aggressive rider? Are you a light rider or a heavier rider? What type of snowboarding are you interested in doing? These questions will help you determine what type of flex will best suit you.

Photo Credits: aerofreeze

Originally posted 2009-06-14 12:13:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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