An introduction to snowboarding gear This page covers the basics of snowboarding gear, some of which you might be able to buy at the Grays on Trays Amazon.com store. One reason to prefer snowboarding Are you interested in snowboarding, but intimidated? Take comfort, Grays on Trays: Snowboarding equipment is easier to deal with than skiing. Much like its cousin, snowboarding requires boots, and bindings, which secure the boots to long sheets of wood encased in slippery plastic. But gear is one area where snowboarding has its advantages over skiing: snowboarders need less equipment than skiers. Less to keep track of, less to carry. A snowboard typically weighs less than a pair of skis. That means less fatigue while walking about the ski town, parking lot, or other places where you may need to carry your gear. Furthermore, snowboards are easier to carry than skis. Even if you have moved over to the shorter shaped skis, your skis will probably be longer than your skis. With its more compact form, one board will be easier to carry than one, let alone two, skis. Next, you can actually walk in your snowboard boots. Oh, it's a bit ungainly, but with their lighter weight and greater flexibility, snowboard boots are much more walking-friendly than ski boots. (This assumes that you use soft-sided snowboard boots. A subdiscipline of snowboarding, alpine carving, requires hard boots much like ski boots.) Finally, boot pain is a thing of the past with snowboarding. Have you ever said, or heard someone else say, "the best part of the day when skiing is taking off your boots?" That's not true for riding. Even well-fitting ski boots will sting in comparison with a good pair of snowboarding boots. A very brief history At the least, you'll need the "3 b's" -- boot, board, and binding. Snowboarding gear has evolved over time, and so has its gear. The sport traces its roots to skateboarding and surfing,which use no bindings, and it's related to skiing, which does. The "bindings" of a Snurfer (a very primative snowboard) consisted of raised bumps that you stood on, and a rope, tied at the front of the board, that you held with one hand. there were no specialized boots. (Take a look at this photo if you're not familiar with the Snurfer.) Today, snowboarding gear is becoming increasingly tailored to the needs of today's riders. Snowboarding clothing You could wear a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt snowboarding. But don't--unless you want to end up very cold at the end of the day. Keepin' it Warm You need to keep warm when the air is cold--simple enough. But what should you wear? Any durable winter coat can do, though it shouldn't be so long as to restrict your movement. In time, you may find that a specialized snowboarding jacket, with lots of bells and whistles, or at least water repellent treatments, multiple pockets, and sealed zippers, will be useful. Most any old shirt will do, but it's better to dress in layers than to bulk up with a huge sweatshirt or sweater. If you want to go upmarket for the coldest of days, try a fleece vest or shirt. When it comes to pants, don't wear jeans. Don't wear anything, anywhere, in fact, that's made out of cotton, except your underwear. Why? Cotton retains moisture, whether that moisture is sweat or snow. Cold pants, in particular, will freeze and become stiff, making you miserable. Buy a pair of ski or snowboard pants for the most comfortable experience. Bagginess not required. Remember long underwear? Very useful. It's called a "base layer," and it comes in several fabrics. Look for something that has "wicking" ability. Thanks to the magic of modern fabrics, you can find something that will keep air in, and expel sweat. Look at your sporting goods stores for this, in the department that sells skis and snowboards. Remember what your mom said about wearing a hat? It's still a good idea to cover your head. You can try wearing cotton socks, but something with wicking (again, check your sporting goods store) ability is much better. Double-bagging socks--wearing two on each foot--is definitely not a good idea. Don't be afraid to try thin rather than thick socks. A good boot should keep you warm, and if you are really cold, there are heat-generating packets you can stick inside your boots. The advantage of thin socks? A better feel for the boot and board. Your cold-weather gloves might suffice. Or you could always buy snowboarding-specific gloves. They are more expensive but they tend to be more durable. The most under-appreciated piece of apparel on the slopes may be the neck gaiter. This oversized fabric doughnut can protect not only your neck, but also your face. It's a very useful thing to have while on the chair lift. Boots Snowboarding expert Kevin Ryan has some things to keep in mind when you select a boot. Read Fitting boots to your feet. Boards Like many sports, the kind of gear you buy for riding may depend on what you plan to do. Just as there are differences between, say, mountain bikes and racing bikes, or racing skis and powder skis, there are differences in snowboarding equipment. You can get "all-around" equipment that can serve several kinds of riding styles, or you can buy gear that is especially strong in one area. Freestyle (trick) riding lends itself to softer, flexible boots as well as boards. Extreme carving lends itself to hard boots and stiff boards. Riding in powder is easier with a wider board. In snowboarding, you can become as much of a gear and gadget geek as you can with other sports (though perhaps not as much as, say, fishing). You can also become a near-fanatical devotee to your particular form of riding or style of equipment, and kill the joy of riding. Or you can, as we do, limit the money and storage space required for snowboarding by keeping it simple: soft boots, easy-to-use bindings, and a board that is moderately stiff and long. Your specialty ski shop can help you pick the right equipment, based on your skill level, favorite mountain, and type of riding. Bindings Snowboard bindings have evolved over time. Not that long ago, you might have received step-in bindings when you went to the rental shop. Sometimes known by the brand name of clickers, step-ins promised ease of use. For people who had tried skiing, step-ins offered a vague sense of familiarity. Here are photos of two different kinds of step-in bindings. For a variety of reasons, however, step-in bindings have largely fallen out of favor. A version of these bindings (not pictured here) is used by riders who enjoy "carving" or "alpine" boards. The most common binding technology today is the strap binding. Here's a 2006/07 Ride SPi binding, to give you a basic idea of what a strap binding looks like. The large red portion is called the highback. You make sure it is in the upright position, and then use two hard plastic straps to secure the board to your feet. One strap goes over your ankle, the other goes over your toes. (Sometimes the toe strap goes in front of your toes instead of over them.) You thread each strap, which has multiple ratchets, through a buckle until you reach your desired tightness. Fans of strap bindings say they provide excellent feel and responsiveness. They are often (though not always) preferred by riders who hang out in terrain parks and halfpipes, performing jumps, spins, and the like. The editor of this site highly recommends Flow bindings, which take a different approach. If you're an old-time skier, you'll recognize that they bear a very slight resemblance to rear-entry boots. Here is a photo of the NXT-AT, a higher end model, from 2008. It looks something like a strap binding but with some extra webbing in-between the straps. Why would anyone prefer these kinds of bindings? Here's what another adult rider had to say: "Until I got a pair of Flow bindings, I hated the threading and ratcheting straps, and pressure points over my instep. Flow's bindings are more comfortable. They're also so much easier to use, so I don't waste my limited energy fighting with equipment." It's common for snowboarders with strap bindings to sit down to thread the strap through the buckle. Not only can that lead to "wet butt syndrome," it also means that when you're done threading the strap, you have to stand up, from a sitting position, with both feet attached to the snowboard. Some people, especially older adults and those new to the sport, find that an unattractive idea. A second way of feeding the strap of a strap binding through the buckle is to stand up, but bend over, sort of like trying some clumsy shoelaces. Some people aren't bothered at that prospect, but those who are enjoy using Flow bindings. The key difference with the Flow binding is that you lock into it by moving the highback into the upright position. Now, you may have noticed some buckles on the photo of the Flow NXT-AT. You don't need to use those on the hill. You set them in place on dry land, in the warmth of your home or a shop. (You can of course use your bare fingers out on the snow if you'd like!). But when it comes to lock into the binding, you use the highback. It has an embedded, which you move into position. No threading required! Thanks to the ease of use of Flow bindings, you may find that you can spend more time riding and less time messing with your gear. But again, some people prefer strap bindings, so give both a try before you buy. You might also wish to check out the Cinch model from K2, which operates on a slightly different principle. Should a beginner buy? If snowboarding equipment is so great, should you go out and buy your own boots, bindings, and board? Eventually. But take a while before you do it. Why wait? Start with the financial cost. If you go with high-end equipment, you may be looking at $800 or so. At the very least, you may end up spending $75 for boots, $150 for a board, and $75 for bindings, or $300. And that's for the cheap stuff that you may not like. Do you know that you will want to keep at it? Perhaps you should test your perseverance first. Your needs and interests may change. While many board are good "all-around" boards, you may find that you prefer some kinds of riding over others. That may influence the kind of board that you buy. The board you buy now may not serve you well later. You may, for example, be well-served by a very flexible board when you are starting out. But over time, you may want a stiffer board. Flexible boards are good for learning (it is easier to turn them) and for use in the halfpipe (where you need to make quick turns). But stiffer boards are better for the big mountain. Which terrain will you prefer? It may be hard to say right now. And alpine carving, yet another form of riding, requires an entirely different set of gear. You might benefit from trying experiment with different types of equipment , including bindings and boots, for a while. There are several major styles of bindings, for example. Your decision will be driven by budget and personal preference. Since you may end up spending more money on your bindings than on your boots (I did), you may wish to rent for a while. On the other hand, if you know what you want to do, and foresee riding on a frequent basis, buying saves you money in the long run. It may also be that sinking some hard-earned money into gear is just the motivation you need to tackle the learning curve. A quick word on safety Finally, consider some safety gear, especially a helmet. Not only will safety gear help you out when you fall, it will help keep you warm. You could, for example, get by without wearing a hat if you have a helmet. Check out SkiHelmets.com for one place to learn about helmet sizes, selecting helmets, and so forth. And while Lids on Kids is geared to persuade parents to buy helmets for their children, adults would benefit from taking some of the information to heart themselves. For more For more on this topic, please see the Useful stuff/Gear 102 page as well as the page on protecting your stuff. DISCUSSION Stop by the GraysOnTrays discussion board to add your comments or questions of interest to gear, riding styles, and snowboarding for adults. Return to the home page.