Terrain: Mellow groomed trails to trees, powder, and everything in between

Skill Level: All Skill Levels

One of the largest and most diverse snowboard categories, all-mountain boards are designed to perform anywhere in any condition. If you’ve never snowboarded before, or like all areas of the mountain equally, this is the type of board you’ll want to be on. They provide reliable performance in unpredictable conditions. But just because it does all things great, can mean it may not do one thing amazing. Meaning if you want a board to excel in on area, ex. powder, then you might opt for a powder board.

Terrain: Hard-packed terrain, park snow, jumps, boxes, and rails

Skill Level: All Skill Levels

If spinning off jumps and sliding down handrails is what gets you excited about snowboarding, you’ll likely want to consider a freestyle board. They’re often built with both durability and agility in mind to make navigating the park easy, and most are quite flexible to ensure that they can be manipulated for certain tricks. These boards are also often twin-shaped, meaning that they can be ridden “switch” (both directions) to allow for a wider variety of tricks. While they may not be meant for super high speeds, they’re easy to turn and provide a forgiving ride that can be enjoyed even if the terrain park isn’t your ultimate goal.

Terrain: Steep trails, ungroomed terrain, and tree-heavy areas

Skill Level: Advanced - Expert

Ideal for riding fast and dominating the steep, natural terrain of the mountain, freeride snowboards are often catered to more experienced riders. These snowboards are typically stiffer and larger than average, and many are “directional” in shape. This means that there is a dedicated “nose” (front) and “tail” (back). Most often the nose of the board will be a bit wider, longer, and softer, giving the board more float so it won’t sink in deep powder. A stiffer and more blunt tail improves control when turning and stability at higher speeds.

Terrain: Deep, Untouched Powder

Skill Level: Advanced - Expert

Powder boards are just what they sound like: snowboards dedicated to deep, fresh snow and terrain that’s not groomed by the resort. These boards are typically wider, keeping the rider from sinking deep into the snow by spreading their weight over a greater area. These boards are almost always directionally shaped (meant to be ridden one direction), with a long nose and shorter tail. This allows the front of the snowboard to “float” higher in the snow than the rear, much like how a speedboat floats on water.