Help me buy the right board!!! XD

[Blaze182]

Hey everyone.

First and foremost, I'm 19 and never snowboarded. I am a competition fighter for Judo & Krav Maga and have excellent balance (essential in judo).

My cousin brought a place in New Zealand literally at the foot of a mountain (dont know the name, I'll repost when I find out again). Covered in snow throughout late autumn, all winter and most of spring. So now that I have somewhere to fly to for snow.. I thought why not do what I allways wanted to do? SNOWBOARD!

I'm heading to the snow for 2 days in a weeks time to get some newbie practice in =D I'll be visiting Aspen for 13 days in this coming december, then next year I'm planning to go to NZ for a few trips. I have no problem with hiring gear to start off with, but I dont want to have to adjust to new equipment every time, etc etc. I just like the idea of having my own gear and learning how to ride with it all =D

So I was wondering if you could help me find a good brand, good board for what I need?

I was thinking a technical fat board (if thats what they're called)
My problem is I'm a size US 14 and 15 in shoes.. so I've been told I need a fatboy board :S Forgive my terms.. I'm just saying what I've been told, haha.

Also, I have no idea as to boots either =S

So, honestly, ALL advice is very much appreciated!!!!

In terms of budget - I dont really have a limit, this gear will last me a while, and as long as I'm happy with it, its worth it =]

Pleeeease help me learn!! =D

[BoardTheSnow73]

Sounds like you've got some awesome trips planned. Should be a lot of fun!
With a size 14 or 15 you will definetly need a wide board. Good places to start looking would be K2, Never Summer, and Nitro. They've got some pretty wide wide-boards. If you find yourself in a size 15 boot, you may be looking at the Elan El Grande. Height and Weight would help narrow it down.

As everyone here will tell you, put your time and money into getting the right boots. Just try on as many as possible, and get what fits the best.

[Blaze182]

Awesome, thanks for that input!

I never thought the boots would be the most important - but now you mention it, it does make sense!!!

I plan on hiring the equipment next week. But it should give me some time to checkout the boots and their bindings. I suspect the hiring gear will be well worn, so it might even be a good indicator as to what my 'broken in' boot size will be =D

Also, I didn't think of finding lessons!! I think I'll go freestyle for a while, then once I can turn and have some good balance I'll get lessons to fix everything up

In terms of me, heres my build;

Height: 6' Foot, 4" Inches
Weight: ~84kg
Build: Thin/Athletic
Shoe Size: 14-15 US

Is that everything?

I looked at the never summer boards the other night and loved them, partially cause of their name - I hate summer, haha. I'll check out the others you suggested also =D

EDIT: Also, what's 'damp' mean in snowboarding terms when looking at boards?