SNOWBOARD HARDWARE

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BOARD

It can get very confusing trying to sift through a lot of information in regards to board shapes and sizes. Positive camber, reverse camber, 3-stage rocker, jib, alpine, park - all these terms only make sense when you have ridden a bunch of different snowboards and experimented with different lengths, widths and shapes. So to make it easier for you Mainpeak is providing a short and concise guide to buying the best snowboard out there for you.

DIRECTIONAL

Directional boards are the most popular category around. Their stance is slightly set back making it easier to ride in deeper snow, they pop, turn and hold edge in difficult terrain. They will ride anything in front of them from alpine descents & deep powder to halpipes, park and corduroy groomers. Check out some directional snowboards - the Lib Tech Jamie Lynn Phoenix, Burton Supermodel, & Burton Bullet.
 

TWIN

Twin boards are best suited to someone who comes from a skate, wake, surf background and likes a softer, more flexible, poppy snowride. They ride equally well normal and switch, are easy to press and take off on jumps and in halpipe. These are the boards ridden in most Australian and New Zeland ski resorts. They are fun to ride and very forgiving. Check out twin shaped snowboards like the Ride DH, Burton Fix & Lib Tech Skate Banana.
 

TAPERED

Tapered snowboards are boards where the nose is wider than tail making it easier to ride in high alpine areas where powder snow is plentiful. These boards are stable at high speeds in deeper snow, they turn easily and the nose is lifted up, so that rear leg burn is not a problem at all. Most of the Tapered snowboards are set back in stance and are ridden in lengths from 156 up to as much as 185cm! They are similar to riding a Fish or a Quad surfboard in that they are very forgiving and playful. These boards are ideal for places like Japan or an older rider who is looking for a stable ride. Not good for Park, Rails or Halfpipe. Check out this tapered board - the Lib Tech Snow Mullet, Burton Fish & Burton Guru.
 

HIGH-PERFORMANCE

Supersonic speeds, flat landings, first descents, innovative tricks, steep transitions, flapping jackets, sharp turns, amplitude, style. If you are after any of the above, make sure you have a look at high-performance snowboards like the Burton Vapor, Burton Custom and Custom X, Lib Tech T-Rice & Lib Tech Dark Series. These boards can and will slay anything in their path. They feature stiffer cores for more pop, more edge to edge response and only the best sintered bases for supersonic speeds. Anything is possible on these boards and they are ridden by the best pro athletes in the world like Travis Rice and Kevin Pearce.

REVERSE CAMBER

From 2009/2010 Winter onwards we are going to see a number of reverse camber, or "rocker" snowboards, in a our range at Mainpeak. From tip to tail, from edge to edge this is a departure from traditional camber snowboards that have one pressure point and are ski-based designs.

Reverse camber or "rocker between your feet" plus Magne-traction-strategically placed serrated edges are the latest in snowboard forward-thinking and progression.

Both designs are based on the idea that snowboarders ride with two feet on one board in a wide, comfortable freestyle position not unlike skateboarders or wakeboarders. Magnetraction offers ice biting edgehold and improves control of your snowboard in difficult terrain whereas reverse camber offers a new pressure, flex and feel on your snowboard. Full edge contact is still maintained, but edge pressure is now focused between and at your feet, the board is naturally pre-bent into an arc and the tips and tail are catch-free and less weighted.

These rocker boards are easier to ride, perform well in icy conditions and maintain a fun, skateboard feel of sliding down on snow.

All of Mainpeak's snowboard range brands including Burton, Lib Tech, Ride and K2 offer a reverse camber variation on this new theme.  For more info on this subject come and see one of our in-store snow experts.

A sample of our reverse camber boards:
Burton Snowboard FIX
Lib Tech Snowboard TRAVIS RICE BTX
Lib Tech Snowboard SKATE BANANA

BINDING TECHNOLOGY

Since its inception in 2007/2008 the snowboard binding that gets a lot of people asking questions, is the Burton E.S.T. binding system. Burton E.S.T. snowboard-to-binding interface is a new technology that completely changes the way bindings are mounted on snowboards and it offers the riders limitless stance options. Good board feel, cushioning and stance versatility is what all snowboarders like.  

The secret is in the new SensoryBED, which is a replacement for the old rigid baseplate that is usually found on traditional bindings. SensoryBED is a super cushioned, removable platform that transmits more information up to  your boots and absorbs impacts and vibrations from the ground before they ever reach your body. For the 2009/2010 Winter, Mainpeak has a lot of these to offer plus many different boards with the Channel /E.S.T. compatibility, as the one pictured here.  Click on it to view further details about this particular model. 

Around 2003, Burton and Technine independently invented a similar, breakthrough Capstrap design that revolutionized comfort and control in a binding's toe strap.

Representing the biggest advance in strap design in recent history, the Capstrap's seemingly simple design will impact your riding in revolutionary ways. Inspired by a hockey helmet's chinstrap, the Capstrap pulls your heel into the binding while holding your foot down for unparalleled response. It delivers a more accurate fit without painful pressure points because you don't have to crank it as tight as a normal toe strap. Compared to old-school toe straps which often resulted in cold, numb toes and interrupted blood flow to your feet, the Capstrap offers snug, comfy fit that will improve your riding on many levels.

For the coming Winter 2009/2010, almost all Burton and Ride bindings that we stock at Mainpeak will have the Capstrap feature. The Burton Escapade Women's binding shown above is an example - click for details.

And last, but not least, the Contraband binding. Fast, easy and light, the Contraband combines Ride’s new revolutionary V Strap single ratchet design and new lightweight chassis to provide the performance you need with the quickness of a one touch in and out.

The Contraband V-Strap single ratchet design features stitched 3D construction for lightweight, mobile flex & comfort. It looks different and may take a moment to finetune, but the lightness and response well make up for its modest looks. Get this binding and spend more time lapping your favourite snow park with mates, sessoning the jump/rail feature or getting in and out of deep powder on those tight tree runs in Japan. Check this one out by clicking on the image to the right!