Best Snowboard for Speed: Which Board To Choose For Bombing?

Features of a good snowboard for speed

Aside from alpine snowboards, the best snowboards for going fast are those that can hold a strong edge and maintain stability at speed.

Board shape for speed

Directional snowboards with a longer nose and stiffer tail are ideal for high-speed riding. A longer nose adds extra weight to the front of the board and works with gravity to pull you down the hill. 

The nose cruises over crud and ice shards at speed. The stiffer tail helps keep your back foot in control of the board.

Sidecut

Choose a shallow radius sidecut for more stability. While this type of sidecut makes it difficult to do snappy turns, it will help you hold your edges when going fast and throughout long radius carves. 

Riding fast involves riding on rails to reduce snow drag while increasing control and stability. Boards with shallow sidecuts are easier to control when riding on rails.

Board length for speed

Longer boards are better than shorter ones for speed, not because they ride faster but because they provide the stability necessary for riding fast.

Technically speaking, shorter and smaller boards have less surface contact and will fly down a mountain faster. However, they become uncontrollable at high speeds. 

An important thing to consider is the effective edge of a snowboard, which is shorter than the length of the board.

Effective edge is a better way to measure a board for speed because it measures the section of the edges that physically touches the snow when riding. A longer effective edge provides more stability at speed by offering additional grip.

Board width

The smaller the surface in contact with the snow, the less friction you have, so narrower boards tend to be faster. However, they are generally a lot less stable.

To work around this, fast snowboards often have “normal” width but a narrow waist, which gives them good edge to edge performance.

When choosing the right board for speed, make sure your boots only extend slightly over the rails of your board. Too much toe overhang might result in toe drag and make you lose control.

Flex rating for speed

The stiffer the flex, e.g. above 8/10, the more aggressive the board. Boards with a stiff torsional and lateral flex hold their edges better when carving at speed than softer boards.

Camber profile for speed

A traditional camber profile is ideal for riding fast, due to the maximized edge contact with the snow. 

What is an aggressive snowboard?

So-called aggressive boards are designed to suit more aggressive rider styles, typically advanced to expert level riders with a technical snowboarding style. 

Aggressive snowboards hold a strong edge at high speeds when carving in hard and sometimes icy conditions.

They have a stiffer flex rating for stability at speed (both laterally and torsionally) as well as sharper rails, and a shallow sidecut for edge hold precision.

A shallow sidecut (longer arc) combined with a serrated edge, allows the rider to open up when carving at high speeds.

Such sidecut provides stability at speed while the serrated edge increases contact with the snow, giving the rider more control and reducing the risk of sliding out.

See this other post for a more in-depth look into aggressive snowboards

What are Alpine snowboards?

Alpine snowboarding is a small niche specialty within the snowboarding sport. It involves racing down hills and carving at extreme speeds on hardpack snow. 

Alpine snowboards are designed specifically for speed and are typically longer, narrower, and stiffer boards.

Their aggressive design allows riders to reach maximum speeds while holding an aggressive angled edge through horizontal carves.

Many of the world’s fastest snowboards take influence from alpine snowboards. Jump to this section for which features to look for in a “normal” fast snowboard.