When you’re learning to carve properly on a snowboard, not just skidding turns but really getting into deep, clean carves, the size of your boots and your board’s width are super important.
If you’re a size 13 boots and you’re on a board with a 26.4cm waist – which some brands label as ‘wide’, you might find your boots hitting the snow. This can knock your edge off, ruining your carve and making you hesitant to lean into turns.
The problem you’re facing is that your board isn’t wide enough for your boots. Even though it’s labeled as ‘wide’, it doesn’t offer the space you need to carve without your boots touching the snow.
This can hold you back from carving like pro riders such as Ryan Knapton (famous for his deep carves). If that’s you, you probably need a true wide board, one that truly fits a size 13 boot. Finding the perfect ultrawide board is not easy, though.
Unless you’re able to fork out the cash for a Donek custom snowboard, you have to test many brands and models to find one with a waist width that suits your personal needs.
See also: Powder board size: should you ride a wide snowboard?
Booting out
When you carve really deep, doing lay-down Euro carves, your toes start digging into the snow, forcing you to lessen your edge angle or reset the edge to avoid booting out.
Booting out happens when your boots extend over the edge and hit the snow, which can throw off your carve and limit how aggressive you can get.
This may be a sign your current board isn’t wide enough. Using risers has been a temporary fix for you. They lift your boots up a bit higher off the snow, giving you more room to carve without booting out.
But now, you’re ready for a more permanent solution – a true ultra-wide board. You’re looking for something with a waist width of at least 28cm, which is wider than most standard ‘wide’ boards.
Brands like Donek offer this kind of customization. They can create boards with even wider options, like the Knapton Twin, which can go up to a waist width of 31.5cm.
This kind of board would give you plenty of room to avoid booting out, even during your most aggressive Euro carves.
Width isn’t everything
When you’re snowboarding and constantly getting your toes and knees into the snow, which shows that you’re really leaning into your carves.
But staying on edge and powering through these aggressive turns requires more than just braving it out. Several factors play a role in maintaining edge hold and making those carves work.
Technique is key. How you position and move your body, how you distribute your weight, and how you use your feet all affect how well you can hold an edge during a carve.
Your board shape and features also affect how your board turns and handles in the snow, including:
- Taper: the difference in width between the front and back of your board
- Sidecut: the curved shape of your board’s edge. A deeper sidecut lets you make sharper turns, while a shallower one is for smoother, longer carves.
- Camber: the upward arch in the middle of your board, impact how your board responds and grips the snow.
So while wider boards are important for better carving, especially for bigger boots, the combination of technique, taper, sidecut, and camber all contribute to your performance during those intense carves.
Binding adjustments
Many snowboarders find heel-side carves trickier as they lack the right technique or feel and get thrown off balance easily.
One workaround is to adjust your bindings. By moving them all the way forward, you create more overhang for your toes, allowing you to carve on your heels without booting out. And when you switch it around, giving your heels more overhang, you can carve on your toes side.
This binding adjustment works, but it’s a compromise – you can’t carve deeply on both edges without repositioning the bindings. With a wider board, you wouldn’t have to choose as it would provide enough space for both your toes and heels.
An ultra wide board lets you carve deeply on both edges without the hassle of constantly adjusting your bindings.
Ultrawide Donek snowboards
For riders with larger boot sizes, the width of the board is critical. In the realm of wide boards, especially for carving, Donek snowboards offer a level of performance and compatibility that other mainstream wide boards just can’t match.
If you’ve experimented with several mainstream boards labeled as “wide” but still failed to execute proper Eurocarves, a true wide board like the Donek 30.9cm wide Ryan K model can open up new possibilities for your carving, especially if you’re a boot size 11+.
However, even with the 30.9cm wide Donek, you may still encounter boot out on the heel side when you tilt the board beyond 45 degrees. If so, you may consider an even wider board like a 32cm wide model.
Often-recommended wide snowboards
Donek Knapton Twin: With a custom width option up to 31cm, this board is perfect for those who need an ultra-wide board and are into hard riding. It’s built tough, like a boardercross board. It may require a bit more effort to ride due to its stiffness.
Marhar Lumberjack X: super wide 29cm underfoot and triple radius sidecut. It’s a great option if you’re looking for a wide twin board.
Korua Dart 160: This board is a hit for Euro carving. With a waist width of 278mm, it’s a great fit for riders with size 12 boots. The smaller footprint of Burton boots complements this board well.
Lib Tech Skunk Ape 2: With a 280.5mm waist width, it caters to riders with size 15 boots. Its stiffness and magne-traction technology provide exceptional edge hold in various conditions.
Bataleon Party Wave: one of the widest among major brands, especially at shorter lengths. It’s a a versatile choice for various snow conditions.
Never Summer West Bound and Heritage: These “Drag Free” versions come in sizes like 157/280, 160/284, and 164/285, offering a wide enough platform for larger feet. They’re a good mix of width and performance.
Capita Indoor Survival 161W: With a 268mm waist width, it’s wider than many mainstream wide boards. It’s a good balance for those seeking something wider than average but not overly so.
Douk Snowboards: UK brand that has one of the widest twin freestyle board on the market at 32.8cm waist width.
Stump Ape 160 Extra Wide: A great option for size 14 boots with no toe drag. It’s a directional snowboard, making it less ideal for switch riding but with good performance in powder.
K2 Party Platter: This board excels in tree runs and medium speed carving. It’s short, fat, and soft, wobbly at high speeds but a blast to ride otherwise.
Nitro Magnum 159W: A good choice with ample width for size 13 boots, with 282mm width at the front inserts and 285mm at the rear inserts.
Burton WW Rental Board: At 292mm wide, this board is not only ultra-wide but also has a softer flex, making it playful and fun to ride.
Cons of wide snowboards
While wide snowboards are a boon for riders with larger feet, they come with their own set of drawbacks. One of the primary concerns is the impact on edge-to-edge transition.
Because of their increased width, ultrawide snowboards are slower in transitioning from one edge to the other, which affects your agility in situations requiring quick turns e.g. tree runs or tight trails.
Also, if your boots are too small relative to the board width, it’ll be more challenging to transfer energy efficiently for effective edge engagement. This results in the board feeling sluggish and less responsive.
Wide boards also demand more effort from your ankles, boots, and bindings, particularly when carving on hard-packed snow. The extra force needed to flex the board and initiate turns can get taxing over a long day of riding.
Another aspect is stability. While wide boards provide better float in powder due to their larger surface area, they often don’t have the same stability as a narrower board when riding in variable conditions.