Freeride Snowboards

Freeride Snowboarding is pure freedom. It’s the sublime art of following your instinct, without a definite course or rules to follow.

Freeriders typically seek speedy runs inside the woods or wild descents through wide and untouched steeps covered with powder snow. Their habitat is the backcountry: some riders will reach the summit using snowshoes or split boards, others will use lifts or, where possible, heliskiing or snowmobiles.

Expert or beginner, mountain or park rider, everybody loves riding powder snow. It’s one of the most addictive feelings on earth: it feels like floating through the clouds. But, just like with surfing, you need to wait for the right swell, for freeriding, you need to wait for the right storm.
That’s why when it’s snowing, life stops. Suddenly there’s nothing more important than getting up there and being first.

Freeride boards are typically used in larger sizes than freestyle and all-mountain snowboards: a longer snowboard naturally has more surface area and consequently greater buoyancy in powder. So don’t be impressed with boards longer than 160cm if you are used to a reduced board in the park! Swallow-tail boards and some wide models are exceptions, as they don’t lose surface even if shorter.

Always consider your level and riding experience, as well as the main terrain of use, before choosing your board:
If you are an expert rider and looking for a freeride specific snowboard, you can make a more radical choice and pick a longer size, a tapered shape, or a swallowtail.
If you’re new to freeriding and plan to use the same board on different terrains, choose a more versatile model, with a slightly bigger size than your standard and medium flex. Do likewise if you love freestyle and would like to take your tricks outside of the park.

The central point between the two bindings does not always correspond to the center of the board: this setup is called “setback stance”.
Directional and freeride boards are characterized by a setback setup that can vary from 2 to 5 cm.

While riding on a setback stance, the rider’s weight moves towards the tail of the board, relieving the nose, which is more easily lifted in powder snow. The rider can thus remain more relaxed and maintain a natural position, not needing much effort to raise the nose.

A moderate 2cm setback stance helps in the setting of turns and is suitable for All-mountain use, while a setback approaching 5cm will be more Freeride oriented and suitable for more experienced riders.