Unravelling the Meaning Of Snowboard Flex
When you want to buy a new snowboard, say for instance somehting from Forum Snowboards, whether it be in a real store or on the Internet, you will encounter a few expressive terms about the boards that may be slightly mystifying. One of those words when talking about a characteristic of a snowboard is flex.
Flex talks about how hard or easy it is to bend a snowboard when you try bending it along its length. You will find that some boards are stiffer than others and it takes more force which as a rule means the board has a thicker core. Boards that are harder to flex as a rule grip the snow better and are more stable. They impart better force on the surface of the snow.
Because of the superior grip and maneuverability they grant, racers and heavier riders will have a preference for stiffer boards.
On the other hand, softer-flexing boards are more well-matched to lighter and less aggressive riders as well as the type of snowboarders who enjoy performing freestyle tricks. Boards that are softer flexing are made with thinner cores and are usually lighter.
A snowboard also comes with what is called as a flex pattern. It is actually talking about the level of flex that the snowboard is capable of at various points. A board may be stiff at the tip and soft at the heel or vice-versa. The pattern of the different flexes to the board is the flex pattern. The assorted types of materials used in the manufacture of snowboards allows for a selection of flex patterns and consequently the performance from one board to the next will also vary.
First you must work out what type of rider you are – aggressive or non-aggressive, heavy or light – and then the sort of snowboarding you want to do – freeride or mountain freestyle. This will help you in choosing the type of flex you will be looking for in your new snowboard.
There are a lot of snowboard manufacturers in the industry so the job of buying a snowboard is going to be a difficult ordeal. Snowboards HQ examines a large number of the makers out there as well as the range of snowboards obtainable for sale.