The winter sport of snowboarding is a booming sport. It is easy to forget that it only really came into being in the 1970's and gained Olympic status in 1998. Now if you look on a busy snow slope you will see as many people snowboarding as there are skiing. It has become so popular because of it's popularity in the Olympics and at many of the extreme sports events that take place each year. It is also the winter version of skateboarding which is another popular sport amongst young people. This article will discuss the various snowboard brands available and give advice on how to select the best snowboard for your level of experience.

Snowboarding is split into 4 main areas. There is free riding, freestyle, alpine riding and half pipe. For each style of snowboarding the board will differ slightly. For example, freestyle riding and half pipe are all about performing jumps, tricks and mogul riding. The board has to be made in a way that it is easier to control and shift weight with. Thus the board is generally shorter than other types of snowboards. Alpine riding is all about speed. It will be longer and have a smaller sidecut. Free riding is probably the most common form of snowboarding as it is easiest to do. It is about going up and down the mountain on groomed runs and occasionally going off the groomed run for a bit of added thrill.

Renting Before Purchase

As snowboard equipment is expensive it makes sense to try before you buy. If you are new to snowboarding then at least you don't have to outlay a large amount of money to find out that you don't like the sport. You can rent all the equipment, including the board, at most ski resorts. If you do like the sport you can then rent a particular style of board and even a brand of board to try it out before you buy it.

If you are a beginner to snowboarding and you have decided to take the plunge and get your own board then it should be an all rounder board. These are known as all mountain boards because you can do a spot of free riding in the morning and then try some mogul runs in the afternoon or a few jumps in the half pipe. They are designed to do cater for all styles but non in particular. They are the ideal learners board.

As you become more experienced you may choose to get another board that is specifically designed for the half pipe or for speedy descents from the top of the mountain.

The other consideration when it comes to selecting a board is your weight. This will determine the length of the board. To this extent there is often a distinction between men's, women's and children's boards. The men's boards will be longer than the other two. They may have different designs or patterns on the board too.

Common Snowboard Brands

Here are some of the best snowboard brands : Burton, Rome, Flow, K2, Arbor, Salomon, Rossignol, Elan, Nidecker and GNU.

Most of these brands make all mountain snowboards but popular brand models are Rome Anthem, Flow Team, Arbor Element and many of the Burton snowboards. They are popular for both experienced and beginner because they can be in half pipes, terrain parks and back country riding.

Snowboards can be expensive, up to $1000 in some cases but these are specialist boards that have specific designs for say speed riding or elaborate tricks. As a beginner to snowboarding you can get much cheaper boards that will suit most of your needs. These can be as cheap as $200. another tip when thinking about buying a board is to buy off season. Most snowboard shops will offer discounted rates during the summer or just after the snow season has finished. Another good place to find snowboards in on the internet. There are many snowboard shops online that have a large variety of brands. They offer discounts over traditional shops and have special deals on some of their boards.