Snowboarding Terms

Here are some common snowboarding terms:

• Backside: The backside of the snowboard is the side where the heels rest; and the backside of the snowboarder is the side to which his/her back faces.


• Backside Air: Any air performed on the backside wall of the halfpipe.


• Backside Rotation: A rotation in which your back the first thing to cross the vector in which you're traveling. i.e. clockwise for a regular-footer, and counter-clockwise for a goofy-footer.


• Backside wall: If you ride straight down the pipe the backside wall is the wall that your back faces.
  Bindings: The device that connects you to your snowboard.


• Freestyle board: A soft flexing board used for tricks. Mostly containing a wood core or a mixture between.


• Freeriding board: A board with a flex pattern that falls in between a freestyle and race board. Those board make a better line in the snow and floats better on the powder.They are also great for other types of riding.


• Freestyle boots: A soft shell boot made from leather or synthetic material used for freestyle or freeriding boards and soft bindings.


• Front Hand: The hand closest to the nose of the snowboard. In other words, the left hand for regular footers and the right hand for goofy footers.


• Front Foot: The foot mounted closest to the nose of the board


• Frontside Air: A true Frontside Air is performed on the toeside wall of a halfpipe with a grab to the toeside edge between the feet. A frontside air can be any air performed on the toeside wall of the halfpipe.


• Frontside Rotation: Rotating the direction your front heel points.


• Frontside Wall: The wall that your toes point to when you're riding straight down a halfpipe. For goofy-footers it's the left wall, for regular footers it's the right.


• Goofy Footer: To ride with the right foot forward on your board.


• Hard bindings: Usually for free carving or racing. Made mostly from a combination of lightweight metal and plastic.


• Hard boots: A hard shell boot made from plastic like a ski boot. Used for racing , carving, and freeriding.


• Heelside edge: The edge of the snowboard where your heels are. Also called the "backside edge".


• Regular Foot: To ride with the left foot forward on your board.


• Race board: A stiff flexing board used for racing.


• Soft Bindings: Usually used for freestyle or freeriding boards. Made mostly from plastic.


• Step-ins: Boot and binding system that does not require straps or binding down to put on - you simply 'step-in' to it.


• Switch Stance: To ride backwards.


• Toeside edge: The edge of the snowboard where your toes are. Also called the "back heelside edge".