Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Angle of Attack The angle used in relation to the fall line when riding across the hill. A shallow angle
is mostly across the hill while a steep angle is mostly downhill.
Backcountry An area used for snow activities away from the groomed runs and lifts of a resort.
Bevel The process of filing a slight groove into the base or side edge of a board to tune its
performance.
Big Air A big jump where you 'catch big air'. Big air contests involve, well, jumping.
Boning out To straighten one or both legs during a jump for extra style.
Bonking To hit the tip or tail of your board on an object while in the air.
Booting out The act of falling over due while edging to your boots or bindings hanging over the
edges of your board.
Boots Worn on your feet to keep them warm and dry. Also used for transfering the movements from
your legs to your board.
Caballerial Trick jumping 360 degrees and landing in your original stance.
Camber The upper arch built into the base of your board which is most visible when placed on the
ground. Used primarily for weight distribution and providing stability.
Cap The method of board construction where the topsheet of the board extends over the edges.
Carve Advanced snowboarding maneuver involving riding on the edge of the board, using the
board's sidecut to turn while cutting a thin trail through the snow.
Catching Air Jumping with a snowboard is sometimes refered to as 'catching air'.
Corduroy Mechanically groomed surfaced usually used for practicing new manuevers or carving.
Cornice Snow packed by wind to form a steep face and overhanging tip.
Crampons Sharp metal cleats attached to the bottom of boots which aid in climbing ice or hard
snow.
Downhill Edge The edge of your board which isn't digging into the snow when it is placed across the
hill.
Edge Angle The angle at which the board is tilted on its edge.
Edge Change The motion of rolling smoothly from one edge to the other during a turn.
Edges The sharp and smooth edges of your board made from steel strips.
Face Plant Falling face first into the snow. Usually happens when your toe edge gets caught in the
snow.
Flex The amount a board can bend as well as where it can bend.
Forward Lean The angle at which the highback of a soft-boot binding leans towards the toe edge.
Freeride Snowboarding style which involves riding through a variety of terrain, trails and snow
conditions.
Freestyle Snowboarding style which involves acrobatic tricks, jumps and spins in specially
constructed parks and terrains.
Goofy Riding with the right foot as the prefered front foot.
Gortex Waterproof fabric usually used in the construction of outer snow clothing.
Grab The act of grabbing the edge of your board usually performed as part of an aerial freestyle
move. Grabbing your board can be done with either hand and on either edge.
Groomed Snow which has been prepared for riders using snow cats or other machinery.
Ground School The place with a flat or gentle grade slope for beginners to practice key fundamental
maneuvers.
Halfpipe A U-shapped ramp built in the snow for performing freestyle aerial maneuvers.
Highback The back of soft-boot bindings which extend upwards behind your lower legs.
Hucking To recklessly launch yourself off huge jumps with little regard for your safety.
Indy Grabbing the toe edge of the board between the feet using the back hand.
Inserts The holes in a snowboard used for attaching or adjusting the position of the bindings.
Leash A strap or cord which is attached to your board at one end and your front foot at the other to
prevent your board from sliding away from you.
Lip The top edge of a half- or quarterpipe.
Nose The upturned front end of a snowboard. Also known as the tip.
Off-piste Areas outside of the marked areas and trails of the snow resort.
Ollie A leap into the air on flat land without the benefit of a jump.
Quarterpipe A single wall (as opposed to two walls for the halfpipe) used for freestyle maneuvers.
Regular Riding with the left foot as the prefered front foot.
Sidecut The curve cut into the sides of your board which help you to turn.
Sideslip A technique used for sliding or skidding down the hill with the board straight across the fall
line by adjusting the angle of edging.
Sidewall The material on the sides of a snowboard used to protect and keep the internal layers in
place.
Skating The act of moving around on flat surfaces with only the front foot attached to the board by
pushing with the free rear foot.
Sketch Having your snowboard slide out from beneath you after a turn or jump.
Skidding Moving sideways or forward by working with the edges of your board across the snow to
control your speed.
Slalom A competition where riders race by turning around gates in a set route.
Slam A heavy duty fall caused by catching either your toe or heel edge in the snow.
Snurfer The snowboard's predecessor. Built in the 1960s for snow surfing, they would mark the
beginning of snowboard construction and engineering.
Spinal Tap The heel edge equivalent of a face plant where you fall hard on your back after catching
your heel edge.
Stomp Pad A pad placed with an adhesive just in front of the rear foot on the snowboard to provide
traction to a free rear foot when skating or gliding off chairlifts.
Tail slide Lifting the nose of the board and sliding on the tail while on the ground.
Terrain Park An area specially constructed for freestyle riders to perform their tricks, jumps and
spins.
Tip The upturned front end of a snowboard. Also known as the nose.
Twin Tip A snowboard with an identical nose/tip and tail usually used by freestyle riders for riding in
both directions.
Wax Lubricant used for the base of snowboards to allow smoother and faster riding.