Snowboarders of all ages and styles constantly debate whether to go for a twin or directional shape for their next board.
The shape of a snowboard plays a fundamental role in how it rides and the type of riding, terrain, and conditions it works best for. Some shapes focus on agility and pop while others emphasize stability and float. Twin and directional boards each have their range of use.
True twin shapes work best for switch riding on groomers, freestyle-type riding, and park, while directional boards are great for carving and fast riding on groomers and in powder. Directional twins and other hybrid shapes are more versatile and allow different types of riding and conditions.
The shape refers to a snowboard’s outline when viewed from atop, while the camber profile refers to the curvature of the board when viewed from the side. In this post, we discuss the shape, and how twin and directional boards compare.
True Twin vs directional: differences
True twin snowboard shapes
A true twin snowboard is completely symmetrical. If you could fold it in two, the nose would sit exactly on top of the tail, and same for the inserts.
True twins are symmetrical in flex, shape, sidecut, and camber profile, from nose to tail and from edge to edge. If you remove the graphics, you can’t tell the nose from the tail.
True twins feel exactly the same when riding regular or switch, making them ideal for freestyle, park and street riding, throwing nose presses or spins. They are playful and agile.
The cons of a true twin is that it doesn’t have any of the advantages of a more directional shape such as direction stiffness, progressive nose-to-tail sidecut, setback stance (unless you set your bindings back), or taper. Keep reading for more about these.
See also:
Can you use a freestyle/park snowboard for all-mountain?
Are park snowboards good for powder?
Directional snowboard shapes
Directional shapes are the most freeride focused. They have taper (narrower as you go from nose to tail), directional flex, progressive sidecuts, a longer nose, and a shorter and narrower tail. The nose is also usually softer than the tail.
The wider nose gives the board more float in deep snow. The smaller, stiffer tail sinks into snow more easily, making it easier to keep your nose up. It also gives you more precision and aggressiveness when carving, while the taper allows for smoother exits in turns.
The stiffer tail on directional boards gives you more stability and reduces effort when riding steeps or when leaning back too much. The setback stance also gives you more float.
The progressive sidecut allows for more dynamic carving. The inserts are generally set back to allow shifting weight back in a natural way. The setback stance results in more nose than tail.
The big wide nose and smaller tail mean the board will ride differently in switch stance, making directional boards harder to ride or land switch. However, it’s totally feasible to ride switch e.g. to negotiate the terrain.
There are many types of directional boards e.g. alpine boards, powder boards etc. Swallowtails are even smoother and more maneuverable in powder with a surf-like feel (harder to ride switch though). Some directional boards also have asymmetrical sidecut.
Directional twin snowboards
Directional twins combine features of both true twin and directional shapes. Just like true twins, they are completely symmetrical in shape and sidecut between the contact points, as well as from edge to edge.
Outside the contact points, the directional features vary among directional twin shapes. On some boards, the nose is longer than the tail like on a directional, while others have identical nose and tail.
Directional twins typically have a setback stance. Some directional twins have a symmetrical flex (“twinnish” aka “almost twin”) while others have a directional (asymmetrical) flex with a softer nose and stiffer tail.
Volume twins are another variant, which has a true twin shape, symmetrical flex, and centered stance, but more volume in the nose for extra float.
Directional twins are generally the most versatile snowboards and hence the most popular for all-mountain riding. They offer good performance both on groomers and in pow, and good maneuverability including for some freestyle.
Asymmetrical twin snowboards
These are very similar to true twins, with completely symmetrical shapes from nose to tail and symmetrical flex, but they are asymmetrical from edge to edge: the heel edge sidecut is tighter (smaller radius) than the toe edge one.
The purpose of asymmetrical sidecuts is to help you put as much leverage on the heel side as the toe side, something that most riders fail to do naturally.
When to choose a twin vs directional snowboard
Whether you should choose a twin or a directional shape for you depends on a few things:
- What are your primary riding styles?
- What terrains and conditions do you ride on/in?
- What other boards do you have in your quiver?
- How versatile or specialized are the boards you’re looking at?
- What is your skill level?
Let’s briefly go over these aspects and how they affect your choice.
Your riding styles
Common wisdom says if you’re not interested in riding switch or park or doing spins, you should probably choose a board that’s at least somewhat directional. This is especially true if you tend to lean back when riding.
A directional board will generally give you the best ride in your natural direction. Keep in mind though that directional boards vary a lot in shape – e.g. sidecut length and flex in tail may vary, stance may be centered or setback, etc.
While most people don’t ride switch very often, you might do so for getting out of technical terrain e.g. trees or narrow rocky chutes. A directional board with a little kick up in the tail can do the trick.
Some riders like to go switch (quick 180s) when riding resort to give their legs a bit of a rest. If that’s your case, you should opt for a board with a “twin component” to it.
Obviously, if you spin airs, butter, and hit park features, a twin will be more fun.
If on the other hand, your focus is on carving on groomers and shredding in powder, chances are you need more of a directional board, possibly with taper. That said, some riders prefer the feeling of a cambered twin for carving vs a true directional board which will often have a bit of rocker in the front.
Terrain and conditions
Many riders will have a personal preference for a certain type of shape for a specific type of terrain, e.g. you may always end up riding a twin on hardpack in the resort. On the other hand, you might prefer a highly directional board with a short tail in really soft conditions, powder, or even slush.
For most East Coast conditions, a directional twin will generally be a good option. Be aware though that there are many other aspects besides the shape e.g. width, camber profile, flex, edge tech, etc, that will affect how well the board works for these conditions.
A directional board with S-rocker is generally a great choice for backcountry riding.
Your current quiver
The current snowboards you have obviously will affect your choice of a twin vs directional – or anything in -between.
You might choose a medium-stiff twin for your daily, all-around board, have a shorter and softer true twin for switch riding and tricks, and a longer, responsive directional board for steeps, powder, and trees.
Some riders choose to have a one-board quiver with a true twin, possibly set up in a way that’s closer to a directional twin.
Those who play around with jumps and spins may opt for a twinnish type shape for easier progression while getting some amount of versatility.
The combinations are endless with many factors, so deciding between twin vs directional based on your existing quiver is not easy. Check out this in-depth article on different ways to build a quiver.
Board versatility
Oftentimes, the difference between a twin and a directional twin is small – e.g. the setback and sidecut difference. The difference is only slightly felt when riding switch or during turn initiation/release.
Switch riding on a directional board with significant twin features may not feel radically different from a true twin. Obviously, this statement doesn’t apply to a strongly tapered swallowtail powder board!
Note: if riding switch feels strange on a directional board, it may be due to the board, but on a twin, your skills are likely the culprit. A twin helps you forget which direction you’re riding in, and improve your technique.
Some twins can be really versatile if you can set back from the sidecut without it feeling weird, e.g. on a volume-shifted cam rocker snowboard.
Directional vs twin for only groomers?
A frequent question is, if you only ride groomers and hard pack, should you choose a directional board? A slightly set-back directional twin? Or a centered true twin?
Will a directional board carve better on groomers?
A directional board will generally offer more control and stability at higher speed and, due to the longer nose, for aggressive carving. On a true twin, you’ll generally get a lot more chatter at speed.
That said, “pure” directional boards are generally designed for freeride and tend to have a very stiff and damp feel. For everyday groomers, most riders will choose either a directional twin or a true twin.
Final thoughts
The twin vs directional choice is always a dilemma, and the answer is different for everyone depending on your own riding style, where and when you ride, and what your current quiver is like.
It takes skills and trial and error to find the perfect board for your needs amongst the broad range of shapes that fit in-between between pure twin and pure directional. That is, the right amount of twin and the right amount of directional.