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Does person height vs board length matter at all?

16K views 31 replies 18 participants last post by  CassMT 
#1 ·
So I've been reading this forum for a while and I've learned a lot of great stuff from the people here. One thing I've seen over and over is that it's really weight that should be the bigger determining factors of your board lengths choices and not height.

So, my wife was using a board (ride compact 138) that was rated at a max weight lower than she is. Trying to be helpful I bought a B-nice 151 that seemed more appropriate due to the Gnu weight and boot size recommendations but she's freaking out because it comes up to her forehead. To be fair, in this case the 148 also is the right weight range, it just wasn't available at the rock bottom price I found the 151 at.

She's still fairly new to the sport, so my thinking is that this should be a nice stable board for her to learn on - but is there a real disadvantage by having a board that's almost as tall as she is?

And no, I can't post her weight here for fear that at some point she will read this forum and eviscerate me.
 
#3 ·
I outweighed the "recommended" range for my board by 30 lbs or so. It really doesn't matter that much, but it will certainly be harder for her to turn. Adding 10 cm on to a board is huge and it will certainly take some getting used to.

Just for reference, I'm 220 and can ride a 157 in almost any conditions except waist deep powder.

The B-nice is a flexy rocker board, so it won't be as bad as if you threw her on a stiff camber board, but depending on her weight, she could be fine.
 
#6 ·
I would say that it is more of a recommendation but does have some truth to it and a board that is legit too big for a rider does suck. Now a few cm's are not gonna matter all that much and I personally have rode boards on the "smaller" end of the recommended range and never had any issues and people will tell you with more length you get more stability and a shorter stick will get you more agility and control and for a beginner such as your wife this may be more beneficial at first. My stats if you would like to compare are 5'6" 120# and size 9 women's boot. I usually ride 144 but have a a 147 and 49. If she has a smaller foot you may want to make sure the width isn't too wide because that does also play into control. I rode a men's 153 rental when I was first starting out more than ten years ago when I was smaller and shorter and I remember it was horrible and huge and so heavy which is why I think I have a tendency to ride smaller boards.

Your girl going from a 138 to a 151 would be scary I think-138 seems tiny to me. If you didn't already pull the trigger on the board (or are able to return it) I would look around and see if you can get a deal on a smaller board. If she thinks it is too big before she even rides you may want to keep looking.

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#7 ·
A persons height can matter in different ways to riders based upon their level of skill and the type of riding they do, pipe, powder etc. And often over time it will become a personal preference.

For someone learning or just starting out it's important to have a board that will readily respond to their body mechanics so that they have success in learning how to properly steer, stop, and turn the board. Length and flex have a lot to do with that. You want a board with enough flex that they can use their body weight to get it to turn and respond, and something short enough that it doesn't exhaust them or become cumbersome on pitch. Look for a board that is short but has a decent length effective edge so that they are able to stop and feel safe at speed.

Up to her forehead is too long for someone at her stage. There are plenty of shorter boards with long effective edges.
 
#8 ·
Keep her on the 138 for now until she's more confident. 142 might even work (bridge the gap).

One thing I know about women/girls on snow, if they're freaked out about anything, it's very rare for them to get over it and every difficulty, every fall, every hard edge catch take down will now be your fault.
 
#9 ·
One thing I know about women/girls on snow, if they're freaked out about anything, it's very rare for them to get over it and every difficulty, every fall, every hard edge catch take down will now be your fault.
We have greater tendency towards self-preservation. ;)

But your observation isn't exactly a blanket statement of truth. Some of us girls still push hard and continue on.
 
#10 ·
Hey Conrad,

Rider height does not matter at all. It should not be considered in your buying decision. The same is true of tip to tip board length (i.e. 148 cm) except in the case where you are comparing board sizes within a given model.

The size that she will want is entirely dependent on the model she is considering.

Kindly post up her weight and foot size (we won't tell). :) Without both of those pieces of info there is really no way to size her correctly for any given model.

STOKED!
 
#12 ·
Weight ranges are (like many things) only a rule of thumb based on averages...
Take a sporty tall, a short chubby not so sporty, a small heavy-built marathon runner, and a lanky very tall girl, all 130lbs. Which ones will be rather able to handle the same board? Weight is only one of many variables.. do yourself a favor and get her a board she feels comfortable with :)
 
#13 ·
Weight ranges are (like many things) only a rule of thumb based on averages...
Take a sporty tall, a short chubby not so sporty, a small heavy-built marathon runner, and a lanky very tall girl, all 130lbs.
Hi,

If the two (hypothetical) riders have the same foot size they will require exactly the same board size in any given model. Boards are designed based on weight and foot size. height is not considered at all in designing a snowboard.
 
#18 ·
Hi Trapper,

Height and rider preference (strangely, stance width varies much more by rider preference than by rider height) will affect the chosen stance width but that is more than covered by the insert options on any given model.

As for being in shape etc, it will certainly help in terms of overall riding but will not change ideal size in any given model.
 
#19 ·
Interesting. I guess that makes sense as I am 6'5" and only go 23 inches on my board while I know people shorter than that that go wider. But I was always under the impression that I should widen my stance because of my height; guess not.
 
#21 ·
I'm heavy in general. At 150 lbs my ribs stick out. I *look* about right at 160. I fucking destroy BMI charts.

I can ride anything from a 138 to a 152 depending on the kind of riding I am doing.
 
#23 ·
Height used to be the determining factor for board sizing. Years ago it changed to weight. I agree with the change, but many people seem to forget to factor in height anymore or dismiss it completely. I'm no physics major, so I've always imagined how differently a board would flex both torsionally and longitudinally, not to mention stability at speed. Not sure if you'd call it leverage or whatever but imagine a size 157 board ridden by two people that weigh 160lb. but one is 6'2" and the other is 5'6." The board is not going to handle the same under these two very different height/weight proportions.
 
#25 ·
An alternate opinion: This is actually a perfect example of why height does not matter and should not be considered at all. In your example of the two riders separated by 8 inches in height, in any given model they would be best suited by the same size board. Consider how (and from where) you do leverage a snowboard. It is not by leaning your height out from the head to feet in a line to leverage an edge (or the nose and tail). Edge control is primarily generated by subtle centered adjustments transmitting rider weight through the feet. Height has no impact on this.
 
#30 ·
Weight if your buying a board the way the manufacturer intended... Personal preference if you know what kind of flex and size you like under your feet... A good rule of thumb is if your new to snowboarding follow the manufacturers guidelines, if you been doing this for a while ride what you like and what you feel is going to suit you...

I park on a 154 Operator that I'm too heavy for, and run on a 164 slayblade that I'm just hitting the recommended weight range when I do big mountain trips with the boys... A 159 Uninc that I'm ideal for sits in the storage, the misses won't go bigger than 145 and she's been doing this for 23 years... When you know your way around it's all personal preference...

The numbers are there as guidelines, not a rule set in stone...
 
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