Winter buying Guide
There are many ways to pick up new gear, ranging from your local stores to, of course, hundreds of online shops crowding the internet. But even when you have already got that one store for yourself, there‘s a bunch of gear to pick from and it‘s getting more and more each month. In this guide we provide you some guidelines and ideas to make it easier for you to find the right gear that suits you and your type of riding just fine.
The Basic Rule
When you order your steak in a restaurant you don‘t just tell the waiter „bring me a steak“ – you want your steak rare, medium, well-done or what ever your preference might be. The same applies for buying your board, bindings and boots.
Stiffer boards (as well as boots and bindings) are more responsive and therefor ideal for fast rides and freeriding.
Beginners are recommended to use softer gear which is not that picky when it comes to smaller mistakes. Of course there are also experienced riders sticking to soft gear since it, like always, comes down to personal preferences in the end. Just like your steak there‘s also big collection of gear that‘s just in the middle and provides you with the features of both worlds – stiff and softer.
So the first question you need to ask yourself before even entering the shop: What type of rider are you and what do want to do or learn with your gear?
First things first: The Boots
Besides the fact that you simply don‘t want to get in your bindings bare-feet, the most important part of your equipment are your boots. If your boots don‘t fit right and are too loose or hurt your feet you will not be able to control your board and put yourself and others in danger.
First of all: Don‘t buy your boots online. Go to a local shop and try them on to make sure they fit like a glove. It should be comfortable to wear and hold your heel in place while placing your toes as close as possible at the end yet leaving a little space in between.
Hop in! – Bindings
Make sure they have the right size and are compatible to your boots and board. Important: Some boards may have a different mounting-system, so better double check before buying the wrong parts and end up returning them the next day.
It all comes together – Your Board
Here we go: We made sure (I hope you did too!) that all parts of our equipment fit together, so we will concentrate on the most important aspects of your board. The first aspects which are very important don‘t have anything to do with your preferences but your body: Depending on your weight there are different recommendations including flex of the board which you can get directly from most manufactures.
Like we mentioned in the beginning of this guide you should think about your riding style and how experienced you are. These will provide you the information you need to pick the right size, shape and flex:
Smaller boards are suited best for freestyle and often feature a twin shape deck, larger boards will give you more control when free riding and generally feature a directional shape of the deck.
So think about what you need and try out different things. Remember that good fitting gear is crucial for comfortable riding and of course your health. Believe me, you don‘t want to end up in the hospital looking like Christmas Nutcrackers with all that plaster.
