Female Specific Snowboards - Fact or Fiction?
- Nov 9, 2009
With young female riders being the fastest growing segment of the snowboard market and with almost half of our snowboard sales last year going to women, you can bet we are interested in what is going on in terms of gear and technology for this demographic. By far, the question we get asked most frequently on this topic is, "is there really any difference between a men's and a women's snowboard?" The Short answer is Yes, Yes, Yes.
There was a time when this was not the case. At first, there were no female specific models. When you came to our snowboard shop, we sold you a snowboard, not a gender specific model, because there were none yet. This eventually changed as more gals started checking out the sport, but at first the manufacturers just plopped a girly graphic on a deck that was identical to a "male" model that they were already producing and gave it a pretty name. This phase lasted for a few years and really tainted the view of female boards.
Fortunately, however, a few manufacturers recognized the growth potential of the female market. Sims, Lamar, Morrow, and Burton all jumped in early with Women's pro teams. They started to experiment with different flex patterns, core thickness, laminates, and profiles for female riders. Slowly, they began to get this right, and the performance differences leveled the playing field between male and female boarders. The Women began to rip!
But that is all distant history, now. For the past 5-8 years (depending on brand) female specific boards have been notably different from their male counterparts. The idea that is all about narrower widths and lighter weights is not correct. Those are elements of certain models and sizes, but it goes far deeper. Now there are variations for every body type, from small feet and dainty to larger, more powerful female riders. Women don't come in a single shape and size any more than men do, and the industry has finally recognized that with a huge variety of female specific models.