Snowboard Glossary

A rail with a bend to it, so if you look from the top it looks like a S.

The front hand reaches across the body and grabs behind the back binding while the front leg is boned.

Nonspecific length of time for which someone rides. e.g. we had a great half pipe session today.

A grabless trick where the upper torso and lower body are twisted in opposite directions and then returned to normal.

The lifted or upward curved sections of a snowboard at the tip and tail.

Really cool.

The curve built into the sidewalls and edges of a board to enhance turning characteristics.

The area between the topsheet and the base, and above the edges on a snowboard. Holds the core and other materials from shifting during the manufacturing process, and to protect them as a finished product.

A form of polymer plastic that is compressed into a long shape, set on a roller and sliced into sheets of base material. A slightly harder more porous from of base material used on performance snowboards.

Is referred to as not solid, e.g. that landing was sketchy.

A freestyle event where the participant is judged on tricks performed while riding over a series of assorted jumps and rails.

Usually this is snow that is starting to melt gradually becoming wetter.

Boots worn for freestyle and freeride snowboarding. Most riders prefer the comfort and range of motion of soft boots to the rigidity of hard boots.

To slide sideways in order to quickly slow down before a jump or other situation where speed control is necessary.

When a maneuver is intentionally started late into a jump/trick.

How one’s feet are positioned on the snowboard, as in regular or goofy-footed, but also including the width and angles of the bindings.

Like a ski binding, the rider steps into the step-in binding to engage it and pulls a lever to disengage. Special boots with compatible mechanisms are required for this kind of binding. Although some riders prefer step-ins, one of the largest problems is that the mechanism clogs with snow. The rider then has to sit down and clean it out before the binding will engage properly.

To land a jump cleanly.

Any maneuver in which both legs are boned and a grab is incorporated.

The piece of non-slip material on the snowboard, attached next to the back binding. The stomp pad gives you a place to rest your back foot when youre getting on or off the lift.

When your rear foot is the new front foot, or riding backwards.