Type of new snowboard for an older woman ...intermediate???

[Alia Jamison]

I am a 48 yr old woman who started snowboarding last year. I live in Colorado and have a season pass and have been up around 30 times this year. I am on a an old used Salomon Shade 140...I have looked around the internet trying to learn more about Women specific boards in general. Here is what it seems folks are saying...but everyone has a different opinion....Burton started this whole deal ..but their boards don't last...Ride makes good boards...Never Summer (here in denver) makes excellent boards but their pricey...I have tried a K2 Skyla which I actually purchased for dirt cheap two days ago...but it was damn hard to ride...maybe that is what happens when you get a new board. I am about 5'5" and weigh about 180 lbs....I cycle a ton in the summer and am in good shape and will continue boarding as I love it. How far should a board come up on you?? Any suggestions as to good womens boards?? I have absolutely NO intention of doing any park riding or tricks on this board at my age....just going down the slopes...I currently ride mainly the blues and an occassional black (but it is not a pretty site on those blacks...lol). I have been riding for two seasons now. HELP!!!! :mad2: I want to get smething now as there are killer deals at the clearance centers here in Denver.
Alia

[MARK]

FIrst, a 140 is way too short for your weight and future riding area(s). A board has nothing to do with how tall you are, this is merely a poor, relative estimate that someone came up with a long time ago. Size a board by your boot size, weight, riding style, and type of snow being ridden. Any other way is simply not correct. If your height was involved it would be stated on the board along with the weight range, board purpose, board width, etc. All of the companies you have stated make great boards. You will find a lot of negatives about Burton simkly becasue they are the biggest company in the world sales wise, and we all know that top dogs always bring the most hate:)

Now for the board itself. You do not need a women's specific board as long as the width is appropriate. Across the indistry, a wome'ns specific board is about 15% less stiff and a little less wide, but this can be found in non-women's boards as well since every board has different characteristics. In other words, at 180lbs you can well flex a "non-women's specific" board with no problem. Once the true art of carving is solified (bare minimum of a few years riding), you will find that a longer board than you've been using will be way more stable and not bounce you around when you hit crud. In truth, that Salomon 140 is way too flexy for you and you will realize later that the length coupled with the low camber, etc. is actually working against your riding improvement greatly. Given the info. you've stated I would look at something in about a 154cm for right now. Honestly, some would go longer than a 154cm at 180lbs, but I think that would work best for your experience, etc. ANY board you get on at this poiint will be an improvement, but initally you are going to think that they all are "much harder" to ride simply because you have been on a very short and poorly weight matched board since you've been riding.

Check out www.geocities.com/snowfactory to learn about board construction, sizing, etc. Everything you need to know is there, just pay special attention to "boot fitting" and "board iszing". This info. can be critical!

Sorry for the long reply, I haven't been posting much, but I still check here on a regular basis! Let me know if you need further help...