Monday, August 3, 2009

Can women get men's snowboard gear?

I'm 17 and looking for a new snowboard, bindings, and boots. Will everything ride the same or should I stick to women's gear?

Can women get men's snowboard gear?
Actually I would stick to women's stuff, because gear is getting more gender specific these days. Boots are definitely something to get in women's. The men's boots are cut higher, because we have calves higher on are legs. The woman's calf extends farther down her leg, so the boots aren't as tall. As far as bindings it doesn't really matter, just what fits the boots you get. The board is definatly tricky. You have to look at each companys specifics. It mostly goes by height and weight. The problem you will encounter when getting a men's board, is that we have larger feet that women, so the board may be too wide for you. Good luck, and hope you get a sick set-up.
Reply:You can buy men's gear. The main difference is the graphics/color on the board, but girl boards do tend to have more flex (less stiff) than a men's board for the same size. That said, there are men's boards (park and job boards) with even more flex than a standard women's board (all terrain). About boots, women typically have narrower feet for the same length of foot than a man. So women's boots are different. Also, a woman's calf has a different shape than a man's so the boot height is usually different for the same sized foot. Bindings are pretty much the same - just different color. Have fun picking your new equipment!
Reply:It is best if you stick to Women's gear, but you should be ok with guy's stuff. In the past, there weren't any womens stuff and they were fine in mens, they basically just take the men's version and make it lighter, softer, etc. The difference in boards is mainly the flex, but also the width of the board. They are narrower, which fit women's smaller feet.





As for bindings, They are usually the same as the guy's for


cheaper, in smaller sizes, and Burton now has canted highbacks, in which the back of the bindings follow the shape of your leg, instead of straight up, for comfort.


Women's boots and bindings are usually shorter and designed for more comfort, while boards come in smaller sizes so you have a wider range of choice instead of only looking at the lower end of men's sizes.





But other than that, if you are able to fit in the men's equiptment Comfortably, then go for it!
Reply:well it is diffenent as far as relative height weight and lengths but if you dont care i dont think anyone else will
Reply:Boots - you'll want to get women's boots. Womens feet and calves are shaped quite differently from mens and the boot will fit better and give you a better ride if you get one for you rather than for a guy.





Bindings - not a huge deal which gender you get them labelled for. I'm a girl and I use Drake GT and they work just fine for me.





Board - the main differences between a "girls" board and a "guys" board are the width and the flex. Guys boards are wider since guys generally have bigger feet and that will effect your turning. Guys boards are generally stiffer than boards labelled girls.





That being said, there are tons of softer non-girls boards out there and it's definitely possible to ride one of those, no problem. When I went to buy my board this season I asked the guys at the board shop which guys boards were softer and would be softer and more unisex and ridable for me/a girl. There were a few boards - Gnu, Forum, Lib Tech - that would have worked out fine for me.
Reply:The only difference between men's and woman's skis and snowboards if the color/pattern they have on.
Reply:the shoe size would be off



Nike

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