Snowboard help?

Question

I recently purchased a k2 va va voom snowboard, which I knew was a freestyle board, but I didn't know was a jib board. I'm an amatuer who's interested in the park and rails, but also wants to be able to make it down a trail in one piece. I'm not concerned about going very fast, but will I still be able to turn and carve on this board?

Answer 1

There are actually some advantages to learning on a twin tip center stance freestyle board. These include: a softer board with more flex, better habits about turning, riding switch more naturally, and making it easier to grounded 180s and other tricks which are only a couple of lessons down the road.

You could make it more like a freeride board by moving your stance back and adding more angle to your front foot, but if you plan on riding a lot in the park I wouldn't. You will only become dependant on it and have to un-learn things later.

The only thing it may not be able to do well is carve - which is very different from linked skidded turns - it will do that fine.

Carving is an advance type of turn where your board never skids, but where the whole edge tracks a single line in the snow and it requires a stiffer board with a different kind of side cut. I don't think that many freestyle riders would give this a second thought.

Good Luck