Characteristics

Since there’s nothing else to write about this week, I guess I’m going to talk about different characteristics of boards. This includes edge, flex, twin directional, binding set up, and camber.

Edges of the board are typically metal. Certain boards have different sharpness and hardness of edges when you buy them brand new. Some boards have very hard and sharp edges, allowing the rider to turn on a dime.

 Flex is the amount of, well, flex that the board has. The more flexible the board, the better; A board with a flex rating of 1 could practically be wrapped around your waist. A board with a flex rating of 10 may as well be a 2 by 4 strapped to your feet.

If your board is twin directional, it has no designated nose or tail.

Some bindings require a specific hole in the board. It’s kind of tough to explain without pictures, but I will try. Basic bindings are just screwed in to the holes with a Phillips screw driver. Other binding set ups allow you to slide your bindings up or down the board without actually removing them. There are even bindings that click in rather than strap you in, allowing the rider to do a whole new variety of tricks.

Camber just refers to the general shape of the board; the curve from the nose to the tail, and the bow of the board. Bow of the board means if the nose and tail curve towards the rider, or towards the ground. Granted, the nose and tail always point slightly upward.