What is the difference between freeride, freestyle, and all mountain snowboards?

Question

I just started snowboarding the past couple months and I have been renting equipment but now I am looking to buy my own board. I mainly snowboard just down the trails... not very interested in jumps and rails yet but will be as I gain more experience. I know that freestlye boards are for like terrain parks and tricks but I've also heard they are good for beginners. And freeride boards are for basically cruising and enjoying the ride. Does this mean I could go either way since I am a beginner and just cruising? And what brands are best for womens boards?

Answer 1

first off, good choice buying your own equipment. you will notice a world of change from the rentals. as for brands, i ride a Burton blunt freestyle and absolutely love it, but my dude rides a unity freestyle. unity is found in smaller shops since it is handmade, but he absolutely loves it. but pretty much every snowboard company makes a womens equal the mens boards.

freestyle boards have a lot of flex and therefore allow easier turning at slower speeds (intermediate and below hills) but once you get to the point where you feel comfortable enough on a snowboard to hit the park, it will have been a good choice in the long run to go with the freestyle.

freeride boards are more for hitting the big hills and back country. they are the stiffest boards so they carve very well at faster speeds, but if you ever decide to hit the terrain park, you will be a lost cause.

all mountin boards are the way to go for beginners. they have a mix of flex and stiffness that allow them to ride everywhere and do it well. these boards offer the best of both worlds so i would say go with one of these, but thats entirely your call.

now that your all educated up on boards, your next step is bindings and boots. roxy is a womens dedicated brand, so i have no experience with their product, but being one of the biggest brands im sure ull be safe with their bindings and or boots. however 32 boots are the lightest and most worthy boots on the market. definatley check them out. i think i covered everything, hit me up if you need nething else. have a good one

Answer 2

Freeride boards are generally a stiffer, longer boards designed to float over powder and hold carves through all surface conditions. Albeit being stiff which makes them hard to maneuver at slow speeds, they are stable at high speeds and won't get wobbly on you.

Freestyle boards are generally the opposite. They are flexible, shorter boards that can be manipulated to do different tricks and be forgiving when you make mistakes. Most beginners start with these type of boards for these exact reasons.

All mountain boards are generally a various combination of the qualities of the previous two types. The different styles can be mixed to put something together that meets your needs.

Many companies make women's versions of their popular men's boards. They are generally shorter and have a softer flex. You should be able to find them on most snowboard retailer websites, such as sierrasnowboard.com or dogfunk.com

Answer 3

Freeride and all mountain are basically the same thing, just all over mountain use. They are generally stiffer than freestyle boards, because freestyle boards require more pop (for jumps, etc).

If I were you, I'd go with a versatile board, one that is about half stiff, half flex. Most boards at store have a little description of how stiff and flex they are. I actually own the Salomon Ivy which is a great versatile women's board. You should go on dogfunk.com....if you go to the help section, there is a customer service chat area. You can ask the person questions and they will point you to the right board/bindings/etc.