Skip to main content

The 4 types of snowboard shapes, explained

Shape your snowboarding future with our snowboard guide

Snowboarding riding powder with red goggles
Joshua Reddekopp / Unsplash

Snowboarding, like most adventure sports, starts off simple. You rent your snowboarding gear from the store and you head out on to the groomers. But before long, you crave a little more. You want to go further, faster, steeper, bigger, better. You want a snowboard that reflects your personality with the graphics, but also your riding style.

Nowhere is riding style reflected more than in snowboard shapes. Shape affects every aspect of a snowboard, from how it rides to who it suits. Once you understand shape and purpose, you can choose your perfect snowboard to keep you cruising, whether you’re a park rat, pow-slayer, or all-mountain chaser.

Stopping on a snowboard
Emma Paillex / Unsplash

True Twin

The majority of snowboards handed out to beginners are true twin-shaped. This means that were you to cut the board in half across the middle — and we don’t recommend this — you would have two halves of a snowboard that were exactly the same. The twin format goes deeper than shape, though. These ends would be exactly the same in terms of flex, too.

This means that the true twin shape snowboard is equally at home being ridden in either direction. This makes true twin snowboards popular with freeride snowboarders who need a board they can land in switch on — with their wrong foot forwards. This is essential for anyone learning snowboard spins, or who wants to 180 off a rail. True twin is also a popular all-mountain shape thanks to its versatility.

A man snowboarding
anncapictures / Pixabay

Directional Twin

This is where things start to get confusing. A directional twin may look just like a traditional twin on the surface, but there are subtle differences. They should be, too, because the whole point of a directional twin is to provide a balance of direction and switch riding that has made it so popular among all-mountain freeride snowboarders. Basically, it can be ridden both ways but performs a little better directionally.

The differences at either end are usually flex — with the front softer than the tail for increased pop and softer landings — and length. The length might be combined with a set back stance for those who want to take their directional twin into some deeper snow.

Ride snowboard air feature
RIDE Snowboards / Facebook

Directional

Let’s be honest, the clue is in the name here. These snowboards are designed to be ridden in one direction. That’s not to say that they can’t be ridden in switch, but if you’re going to ride in switch regularly, then these aren’t for you.

A directional snowboard always has a longer nose than tail and often these are different shapes, too. These are often slight shape differences, rather than the enormous swallow-tails that you see on a tapered directional snowboard. Add to this the varied flex at the front and rear, and you’ve got a board that can contend with all-mountain and backcountry terrain but also suits high-speed carving on groomers too.

Quiksilver Austen Sweetin snowboarding
Quiksilver / Facebook

Tapered Directional

While directional snowboards are the same width at the contact points — where the bindings are — tapered directional snowboards are not. The front of a tapered directional snowboard is wider than the rear. This is often paired with a slightly more rockered and softer flex nose to help the board ride high through deep powder.

Tapered directional snowboards are the domain of the pow-slayer. These are the boards with the swallow tails, the short stature for whipping around trees, and the huge upturned noses.

Couple on snowboards
Ryan Tuttle / Getty Images

The 4 types of snowboard bindings explained, too

Not only are there four different snowboard shapes to choose from, but there are also four types of snowboard bindings to choose from as well. Here’s a quick breakdown:

  • All-mountain: These are the most versatile type of snowboard bindings and are suitable for all types of riding. They are a good option for beginners and intermediate riders.
  • Freestyle: Designed for riders who want to do tricks, freestyle bindings are usually stiffer than all-mountain bindings, which provides more stability when landing jumps.
  • Powder: These bindings are exactly what they sound like — to ride powder. They have a wider stance, which provides more float in powder snow.
  • Carving: For riders who want to do a lot of carving on their turns, this type of snowboard binding has a narrower stance, which gives more edge control.

Editors' Recommendations

Tom Kilpatrick
A London-born outdoor enthusiast, Tom took the first ticket out of suburban life. What followed was a twelve-year career as…
We love this handsome van-life wood paneling, and it’s sustainable too
Lightweight, durable, and eco-friendly, Garnica paneling might be the very best wood for your van life build
Luxury vanlife build using Garnica lightweight poplar wood paneling.

If there's one thing the modern van life movement taught us, it's that living in your car doesn't have to feel like living in your car. The design of today's best custom campervans resembles many luxury studio apartments with high-end materials, finishes, and fixtures throughout. If you're building out your own custom campervan (or even daydreaming about it), you know that few choices can make as much of an impact as investing in good wood for your interior. If you're planning to spend months or longer on the road in your van, you're going to be looking at the walls and floors of your vehicle a lot. So why not invest in paneling you love? That's where Garnica comes in.

Upgrade the look of your van with Garnica's lightweight poplar paneling
The Spain-based company produces some of the lightest, most handsome, and most sustainable paneling that's perfect for RVs, campers, and campervans. Its poplar plywood paneling is available in four varieties: Efficiency, Performance, Ultralight, and Ultralight HPL. Each option is purpose-built with a particular goal in mind. If you're looking for budget-friendly, the Efficiency is your man. For weight-conscious setups (which is most van life builds), the Ultralight and Ultralight HPL are the way to go. If money is no object, the Performance line is Garnica's most premium paneling option.

Read more
A fan-favorite ski competition in Jackson Hole has been canceled, and you already know exactly why
Kings and Queens 2024 is no more
A professional skier makes a jump-drop from a high cliff against the blue sky leaving a trail of snow powder in the mountains. Caucasian ridge in the background. Photo from the slopes of Mount Elbrus. The concept of extreme sports and recreation in the mountains in winter. Copy the space

 

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a big-mountain playground with few peers. The stats speak for themselves: a 4,139 vertical drop, 2,500 inbound acreage, and a 458” average snowfall put it at the pinnacle of North American resorts. Not only that, but the famed Aerial Tram carries 100 people to the top in only nine minutes, with stunning 360-degree views.

Read more
How being stinky when hiking in the deep woods might actually save your life
Why being stinky when hiking may save your life
A man hiking in Yosemite

Imagine you're lost in the wilderness. The trails have blurred, the woods are dense, and the only thing you have in abundance is worry. However, in this scenario, your natural body odor could be your ticket to safety.

Yes, you heard that right. When lost in the great outdoors, the unique scent produced by your body can play a crucial role in your rescue. Let's dive into the science and strategy behind this intriguing survival tip.

Read more