Fun fact!
Researchers have come to the conclusion that as we evolve, we develop increasingly larger body sizes. Better prosperity, greater consumption of food (and therefore also more use of chemicals to grow that food) are the main reasons. It is therefore not surprising that, for example, the average shoe size has also become larger.
And that, we notice in winter sports! "In the past" you often saw a Medium sold for men, but increasingly it is a Large. Also the case with the female sex: Medium has become the old Small in Europe.
Wide snowboard
Obviously this has an impact on your snowboard. The length of an EU42 is for example +-26 cm, but with an EU45 this suddenly increases to 29 cm!
If you want to put your foot across the board to board directionally, you will immediately understand that this can be a problem. The tip of your foot, or the heel, will plough through snow like a real anchor when carving. Result? A painful fall!
When shopping for a new snowboard, you’ve probably seen a lot of technical terms like “profile”, “flex”, “waist width” or “under foot width”. Chances are you’ve also seen the letter “W” or “WW”? The explanation for that letter is pretty simple: Wide or Double Wide!
This indicates that the average waist width is greater than 26 cm: ideal for people with large feet.
To be clear: waist width is the absolute center of your board, so right between your bindings. And no, there is no industry standard or agreement on when to call it a “wide”. Every brand has its own rules for this. For example, a board with a waist width between 250 and 260mm is sometimes called “Mid Wide” to close the gap between normal and wide boards. A good reader will remember that EU42 is about 26cm. “Mid Wide” is therefore mainly to complete the range of a brand from a marketing point of view.
To make sure that a snowboard is suitable for you, it is important not to just look at the print. Read the specifications and check if this works for you! Of course, your "common sense" also knows that the waist width will become wider as your snowboard length increases.
Who benefits from a wide?
The most logical answer is a person who is taller than average. Because they often have a large shoe size (44+)!
Tip! At Wax'n Board we have our special Wide series, in all board lengths, because not only adults have a larger shoe size..
On the other hand, with body length usually also body weight increases. Of course there is also the combo “small” + “big feet” + “high body weight”. For these riders we also suggest to definitely take a wide. Because a bigger weight means need for more “float” on snow. Let that be the reason why powder boards are usually made wide: to float on snow!
Overhang
“Overhang” is when your tip or heel sticks out too far over your board. A little bit of overhang is not a problem for most users. But for someone with a larger size, and quite a bit of overhang on a normal board, this situation is not desirable. When carving, you will hit the snow. With uncontrolled movements or a fall as a result! Not exactly motivating for e.g. beginning snowboarders.
You can usually correct a little overhang by adjusting your “stance” or “stance width”. For example, if your foot is perpendicular to the snowboard, a small adjustment of 3 degrees can do wonders. Of course, you can’t solve everything with this without getting physical complaints. And then the Wide snowboard is really a must!
If you're struggling with the question of when to get a wide, I have bad news. There is no industry standard. Often, men go from size 44 or a Large binding. Women are less likely to suffer from this (with a few exceptions). From our experience, we can advise you to take a good look at your snowboard: mount your bindings in the desired position. Then strap an empty boot into the bindings, and place the board flat against the wall. Take a few steps back, and see if both tip and heel stick out the same amount and of course: how much!
Benefits of a Wide snowboard
- Powder snow! When you want to plow through a thick carpet of fresh snow, float is important!
Powder boards often do not have a Wide designation but are usually “extremely” wide (26cm +). - Speed. A wider surface gives more “surface contact” and therefore more stability. This results in higher speeds because you don’t have to worry about the terrain.
- Freestylers also have advantages when they like to make jumps. Due to the width & stability, the "take-off" plus "landing" of a jump is much quieter and therefore more comfortable.
Disadvantages of a Wide snowboard
- Weight. A wider board contains more wood, for example. This increases the weight of your snowboard.
Tip! There is a term “volumn-shift”, which succeeds on a wider but shorter snowboard. Ideal for freestyle, and a lower board weight. - More difficult to turn. The wider board gives you the feeling of sailing a boat at first. That experience gets better the more kilometers you make, but you can't ignore the fact that the turns will remain a bit more difficult at low speeds. More difficult is not impossible but a habit!
Your preference
As a beginner, you absolutely do not have to worry about the width of your board. During the first soot parties, you will almost never immediately lean so far over your edges that you will notice this. If you are just starting with this fun hobby, then you better gain experience with different snowboards first.
Short – long, camber – rocker, hard – soft,.. once you know your style and preference you are ready for your first purchase and the choice stress (wide or not) comes to the fore. Your gained experience will give you (unconscious) hints so you know whether the Wide is necessary or not.
However, if you have any doubts, you can of course also advice questions to us when purchasing your new snowboard. We are happy to help you!
