NEW COLLECTION TRAIL | -20% EXTRA with code NEW20Which camber to choose for your snowboard?
It's easy to get lost when faced with the variety of snowboard offers. The question that comes up most often concerns the shape of the board. Camber, rocker, flat, or hybrid? We help you see more clearly and know which camber to choose for your snowboard.
What is the camber of a snowboard?
Getting to snowboarding also means learning a new vocabulary, one of the keywords being "camber". It's just the shape your board takes when you lay it flat on the ground and look at it from the side. To suit all types of snow, all levels, and individual preferences, there are four main families of cambers. Classic camber, rocker type, flat or hybrid, each has its own unique rocker and arch characteristics. The camber of a snowboard therefore has an influence on handling, grip, floatability, tone, difficulty, but also the responsiveness of a snowboard; in short, on all the elements that allow you to optimize your glide!
Good to know: what is the rocker?
Again, this is a word you will hear often if you get into snowboarding. The rocker is actually the point of contact between your board and the snow. Depending on their surface and their position on the board, rockers offer different gliding options.
Classic camber, the origin of snowboarding
Technical specificities
Often presented as the original camber, the classic gives the snowboard a concave arch, that is to say that goes upwards in its center and rockers close to the front and rear tips. This camber is stable and precise, but also very demanding.
Why choose a classic snowboard camber?
Choosing a snowboard with a classic camber means opting for a technical board which, while it will allow you to fill up on sensations at high speed and take care of your trajectories, will not allow any mistakes. This type of snowboard also has a very good pop, which means that it conveys the power you give it very well which maximizes its responsiveness, an interesting characteristic for freestyle. It is therefore advisable to be an experienced snowboarder to fully master classic camber.
The full rocker type, a revolution
Technical specificities
On an inverted arch, the arch becomes convex. The rocker is therefore found in the center of the board and it is the front and back of the snowboard that are raised. It's a camber that's more maneuverable and forgiving with beginners, but can therefore lack precision and stability when picking up speed. Depending on the brand, you will find 3 types of rocker snowboards:
- The V camber: it has a break in its center and a large camber.
- Banana camber: the board is more rounded and consists of a single arch.
- The rocker type in spatula: a huge part of the center of the board is in contact with the snow before rising greatly at the spatulas.
Why choose a rocker type snowboard?
Due to its profile, the rocker type offers very good floatability, which is why it is very popular with many freeriders. But freestyle enthusiasts will also find something for them with this snowboard type which has responsiveness, very good pop, and good maneuverability to start the turns.
Flat camber, the compromise snowboard
Technical specificities
The board is in contact with the snow over its entire length and rises at the nose and tail (front and rear). This makes it particularly stable and responsive. It also provides very good grip.
Why choose a flat camber?
If you are new to snowboarding, the flat camber is very interesting. It allows you to have fun on a groomed slope as well as in a snowpark or off-piste. So if you like to surf on all terrains, the flat camber will allow you to have a reactive glide and therefore have fun. On the other hand, if you particularly enjoy freeriding or freestyle, it can quickly be frustrating for you to choose a flat camber. It is therefore advisable to make this choice of snowboard type if you are going mainly on-piste riding, because it has no equal for controlling its trajectory when you gain speed.
Hybrid cambers, combine the advantages
There are different types of hybrid cambers which, when you start to acquire good technique, can help you progress in your snowboarding practice.
Technical specificities of the W shape
Rockers in the spatulas and in the center and, under your feet, two classic arches that give the board an incomparable tone and good grip. Playful and forgiving, this pop will not be difficult to control, but to fully appreciate all the advantages that the W shape offers, a certain technical level is recommended.
Technical specificities of the Camrock shape
For amateurs, it looks like a classic camber, but the Camrock (contraction of "camber" and "rocker") has certainly kept the concave arch in its center, but it has much larger rockers at the tip and tail. The feet are positioned on either side of the arch which gives the board maximum pop. Very stable, this camber allows a smooth glide thanks to the large surface of the sole in contact with the snow, which gives it good grip and perfect reactivity in all conditions. If you want a versatile snowboard, you can choose a Camrock type snowboard.
Technical specifications of the Powder Camber
It's a bit like the back half of this board is rocker type with another centered rocker that goes back to classic camber before ending with a nose rocker. This profile is particularly intended for powder enthusiasts as it facilitates the floatability of the front of the board without sacrificing grip.
And the Triple Base Technology in all this?
When a flat camber snowboard hits a curve, the twist distorts it. It is from this observation that the Triple Base Technology was created by Bataleon in 1997, when the classic and flat cambers reigned on the market. They have thus developed a board whose left base is made to turn left, the right to go right, and whose center is made to go straight, in particular by raising the edges of the board. Each part has been designed as it is when in motion on a flat snowboard, resulting in a very dynamic board.
Thus, in a straight line, the edges do not touch the ground and do not interfere with your glide, while the perfectly flat center offers you stability and control. As you shift your weight to one side or the other, the edge deploys allowing you to take a turn smoothly. The tip & tail are well raised to provide good floatability. The Triple Base Technology is not strictly speaking a camber, but it allows for a snowboard that is at the same time technical, easy to manoeuvre, and tolerant.
Good to know: a profile for connoisseurs
While snowboards with Triple Base Technology have a lot of advantages, they are mostly known to seasoned riders. It must be said that only two brands market this type of model: Bataleon, its designer, and Lobster, a partner brand created by Icelandic professional snowboarder Halldór Helgason.
The shape has a major influence on the behavior of your board, which is why it is important to know which camber to choose for your snowboard. Maneuverability, flotation, pop, or even grip will vary from one camber to another, so for 100% fun outings, it is essential to find the right shape. And if a camber is right for you at some point, it is quite possible that your progress will put you on the trail of a new shape that will allow you to improve further; so always stay tuned to your feelings!
The 3 key points to remember to know which camber to choose for your snowboard:
- To know which snowboard camber to choose, you have to take into account your practice and your level.
- Each camber has its advantages and disadvantages, so don't hesitate to try several to judge the differences.
- The Triple Base Technology is not a camber, but it gives a particular shape to the snowboard.