ABS
(Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) A tough plastic used to make snowboard topsheets,
sidewalls and (sometimes) bases.
backcountry
Any terrain that isn't in bounds at a resort; very dangerous turf.
base
The bottom of a snowboard. Most bases are made of some type of polyethylene.
base structure
Microscopic grooves in a snowboard's base that help it to glide faster, especially in
wet snow.
bevel
To file a slight angle into the base edge or side edge of your board. This helps to carve
a turn when riding and is a technique primarily used by racers.
bindings
Mechanisms that fasten your feet to the board. Built to accommodate soft or hard
boots.
booting out
When boots or bindings overhang board edges, they will hit the snow when you tilt
the board high on its edge or when you ride a steep slope. Result? An exciting body
slide. Prevention? Position bindings so that no part hangs over the edge. Or use a fat
board.
boots
Hard or soft, boots keep feet warm and dry. They also work to transmit energy to your
board. Wear boots that fit well.
camber
The arch built into a snowboard (easiest to see with board on a flat surface). Camber
works like a spring to effectively distribute a rider’s weight along the entire length of
the snowboard, making it easier to turn, and more stable at speed and on hard snow.
cants
Small shims that fit under the binding to adjust alignment; used primarily by racers or
freecarvers in hard boots.
cap
A type of board construction where the topsheet of the board extends to the edges
(sometimes the cap also serves as a structural component of the board).
carve
A turn that uses the edge of the snowboard as opposed to the bottom. When you
carve, your board moves straight ahead so that its tip and tail pass through the same
point in the snow, leaving a razor-thin track in the snow. Technically, skipping or
skidding while turning isn't a carve.
core
The inside of a snowboard. Cores are usually either wood or foam.
directional
Describes a board that is stiffer in the tail than in the nose, usually has a bigger nose
than tail, and is meant to be ridden with stances set back from the center of the board.
Most snowboards are directional.
edges
Steel strips surrounding the perimeter of the board base. Sharp, smooth edges give
greater control on hard snow and ice. Never buy a snowboard without metal edges.
effective edge
The amount of edge that is actually in contact with the snow.
fakie
Riding backward.
flex
How much, and where, a board bends. Freestylers typically look for softer flexing
boards; carvers for stiffer ones. Softer boards can be more forgiving but more difficult
to control on hard snow or at higher speeds. Stiffer boards grip ice and hard snow
better, and provide stability at speed.
forward lean
The angle of a highback toward the toe edge on a soft boot binding. Most top riders
use a 15- to 25-degree forward lean to make powerful heelside turns.
freeriding
All-mountain riding, including powder, bumps, trees, cruisers, jumps and some tricks.
Skilled freeriders can carve with abandon and ride the pipe too.
freestyle
Acrobatic riding that includes spins, airs and other tricks. Freestyle snowboards are
built specifically for freestyle maneuvers with soft flex and turned-up tip and tail.
giant slalom (GS)
A timed competitive event in which riders race around a series of poles (gates) set in
a particular configuration on a slope. Typically, giant slalom demands longer turns and
higher speeds than slalom events.
goofy
Someone who rides right foot forward.
halfpipe
A U-shaped channel in the snow designed for acrobatic aerial maneuvers. A typical
halfpipe is 300 feet long by 30 feet wide, with 6 to 10 feet walls.
heel edge
The edge of snowboard under your heel.
heelside
A turn made on the heel edge.
highback
The part of a soft boot binding that extends from the heel cup behind the lower leg.
Highbacks allow you to use leverage to create more powerful edging movements
heelside.
lifts
Small shims that fit under your binding to adjust alignment. Most riders in hard boots lift
under the toes on the front foot and heels on the rear foot.
P-Tex
Trade name for the polyethylene plastic used to make and repair snowboard bases.
plate bindings
Another name for hard boot bindings.
regular
Someone who rides left foot forward.
safety leash
A cord that fastens your board to your leg or foot. Required by most ski areas, safety
leashes help to prevent runaway snowboards.
sandwich construction
Manner in which some boards are built, wherein the internal components are stacked
like a Dagwood masterpiece.
sidecut
The smooth curve that's built into the side of your board from tip to tail. Degree of
sidecut determines radius of turn. Generally, the bigger the sidecut, the tighter the turn.
sidewall
Material along the side of a snowboard that covers and protects its internal
components.
sintered
A hard, durable form of polyethylene. A sintered base holds wax well and retains its
texture (or structure) longer for good glide speed.
slalom
A timed snowboard race in which competitors turn around gates set in a particular
configuration. Slalom competitions demand fast, accurate turning, speed and great
balance.
stance angle
The angle of your bindings (and hence your feet) on the snowboard. Riders use high
stance angles (with the toes pointed toward the tip) for carving and racing. Low
stance angles (with the feet positioned across the board) are more frequently used
for freestyle and riding fakie. Freeriders generally ride somewhere in between.
step-ins
Boot and binding system where part of the binding is built into a semi-soft boot,
eliminating the need for binding straps. So instead of "strapping in" to your bindings,
you "step in" to them. Step-in technology is still in its infancy and is undergoing
constant new development.
stomp pad
An adhesive-backed pad that fastens to a board between the bindings. The stomp pad
provides traction for your rear foot when it’s out of the binding while skating or using a
lift.
switch
Riding fakie or backward.
tail
The back end of a snowboard.
tip
The upturned front part of a snowboard.
toe edge
The edge of the snowboard beneath the toes.
toeside
A turn made on the toe edge.
topsheet
The material that covers the top of a snowboard.
twin tip
As the name implies, a twin tip has two tips (and no tail!) and is used primarily for
freestyle riding. The bindings are usually mounted the same distance from either tip,
allowing you to ride with equal abandon in either direction.
— By Lowell Hart and the staff of Transworld Snowboarding