Custom snowboard design
Every board is built from scratch by hand, completely customized for
you. You're not limited to a few board models. Every dimension you see
below can be customized. If you know exactly what you want,
let us know and we'll get started on it for you.
Broad concepts
It's common to start by considering overall board length and width.
There are a lot of tradeoffs that can be made. A longer board is
more stable at high speeds, but a shorter board is more maneuverable
in tighter spaces. A narrower board is quicker edge-to-edge, but a
wider board accommodates larger feet and provides for more float in
powder.
Next, consider the purpose of the board. A freestyle board is
typically symmetrical along its length, making it easy to ride in both
directions. A freeride board usually has a longer nose than tail and may
have the inserts offset towards the tail a bit. A carving board is much
like a freeride board, but stiffer all around and typically a much
shorter tail. A powder board might have a longer, softer nose, more
setback, and more
taper.
The info below should give you a better understanding of the ways
that you can customize a board.
Most of the dimensions shown above are pretty self explanatory, but
some are a little more important so we'll look at them more closely.
- Running length
- the running length of a snowboard is the length of the edge that
is in contact with the snow during a turn. Think of it like the
wheel base of a car... it's the length of the board that's going to
support you while turning. The longer the running length, the more
stable the board will be in higher speed turns.
- Sidecut radius
- the sidecut is the curve cut into the side of the board. It's
really part of a big circle, and the amount of sidecut is measured
by the radius of this circle. A smaller radius gives a smaller
circle, a tighter sidecut, and a tighter turn. A larger radius gets
us a longer, wider turn.
- Waist width
- the waist width of a board is the width of the board at the
narrowest point (the waist.) A board's width at the nose and the
tail are determined by a combination of the waist width and the
sidecut radius. Our feet are close to the waist of the board, so
talking about a board's width in terms of its waist width is usually
a reasonable way to go. A snowboard's waist should be wide enough to
accommodate your feet, but still narrow enough to allow you to
properly pressure the edges of the board when turning.
- Taper
- if the tail of a snowboard is narrower than its nose, it's said to
have "taper". It's usually very small, a few millimeters or so. A
board with taper is frequently felt to have a smoother exit from a
carved turn, and often feels like it engages the opposite edge more
quickly.
- Stance width and insert
pattern
- the number of inserts and the distance between the nose and tail
packs determine the possible stance widths, which dictate how far
apart you can put your feet on the board. Stance width is a fairly
personal choice, though typically the taller you are the further you
want to be able to put your feet apart, and the shorter you are the
closer you want to put them together. "Shoulder width" is a standard
rule-of-thumb, and the standard stance width (shown
above) is 44-60cm. The insert pattern is customizable (though we
won't do Burton's insert pattern) to provide more or less stance
width options. Inserts spaced 4cm apart are standard, but a 2cm
spacing is of course available.
- Setback
- setback refers to the distance the inserts are shifted
towards the tail of the board. If the insert packs are equal
distances from the center of the running length, then there is no
setback. Shifting the inserts toward the tail of the board helps
shift your weight towards the tail of the board, which is good for
freeride and powder boards.
- Nose and tail shape
- the nose and tail curves can be changed to suite the purpose of
the board. For instance, a blunter nose is usually desirable for a
powder board, and a blunter tail is appropriate for the very short
tails (5cm or so) of free-carve boards.
-
The most interesting part of a board's profile is the thickness of
the core along the board's length. A snowboard is a laminated structure
with mechanical properties similar to an I-beam. The core separates two
stronger surfaces, and the more those surfaces are separated the stiffer
the laminate is. Therefore, the thicker the core, the stiffer the board.
The core is typically much thicker in the center than at the nose and
tail, causing the board to be stiffer under the feet and more flexible
out towards the nose and tail. A small change in thickness causes a big
change in stiffness. The center thickness of a typical core ranges from
6mm to 9mm, while the nose and tail are usually in the 2mm to 2.5mm
range.
Changing where the thickness starts to taper off, how quickly it
tapers off, and where the taper finishes changes the stiffness of the
nose or tail.
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