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How Fast Can You Snowboard? Facts That Will Astound You
Learning to snowboard quickly can boost your confidence when it comes to progressing in the sport. But how fast can you snowboard? The speed with which you can descend the mountain is determined by the weather and snow conditions, as well as the slope’s difficulty level. Your speed is influenced by your equipment and snowboarding ability, as well as your body weight.
When jumping off cliffs, some professional snowboarders reach terminal velocity. Riders powering through flat or uphill patches and riding along cat tracks, on the other hand, are generally comfortable riding at 25 mph.
On a snowboard, how fast is fast?
Weekend riders typically average 25 miles per hour, but those in the top percentile can reach speeds of 45 to 60 miles per hour before losing control.
The snow conditions have a big impact on how fast you ride. The ideal conditions for attempting to reach your top speed would be hard-packed groomed snow on a steep run with little wind. When the weather and conditions are ideal, riders ride 5.2 mph faster on average.
What is the secret to snowboarding faster? Here are a few pointers from pro snowboarders.
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Choose a suitable run.
On a steep, uncrowded run with a firm (even icy) snow pack, you’ll be able to gain a lot of speed. Snow that is fluffier, on the other hand, naturally slows down a snowboard. The lower the friction on your board’s base, the better.
Acquire the ability to stop quickly.
The first thing you should learn about snowboarding fast is how to come to a complete stop. When riding freestyle on slopes with other riders, this is critical.
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Standing in a forward-leaning position
You must shift your weight over your front foot into a forward leaning stance to gain speed. Putting 65 percent of your body weight on your front foot and the remaining 35 percent on your back foot is a good rule of thumb.
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Carves that are not closed
Increasing your overall speed by opening up your turns will help you keep your board pointing downhill. Keep your carve shape as open as possible when riding on cat tracks and flat roads, especially if you want to maintain speed.
Narrow cat tracks, on the other hand, have limited maneuverability, making it critical to maintain control.
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Changing from one edge to the next
As previously stated, the less friction on the bottom of your board, the faster you can ride. Carving between edges is much faster and has much less friction than skiing.
To keep your board’s base from making contact with the snow, confidently and assertively dig your edges in.
Tuck your body in and put your arms behind your back to stay low over your snowboard. This improves a rider’s aerodynamics and decreases air drag.
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Get a board that is more rigid.
A stiffer, longer board with a freshly waxed base will allow you to go much faster in terms of equipment.
Longer boards have more edge contact with the snow, which is great for evenly distributing your weight. Stiffer boards are more responsive and can make it more comfortable to ride at speed.
The Jones Flagship is a great example of a stiffer snowboard that can help you go faster.
What is the speed of Olympic snowboarders?
The speed at which an Olympic rider travels is determined by the wind and snow conditions. In 2015, a parallel slalom racer set a new snowboarding speed record of 126 mph.
Parallel slalom is an Olympic event that, while classified as a type of snowboarding, bears little resemblance to traditional snowboarding. Competitors in slalom events ride long, narrow slalom boards with their feet and bodies facing forward.
They wear hard boots with stiff plate bindings, similar to ski boots. These riders also wear tight-fitting spandex suits in competition to improve their aerodynamics. During a race, these racers typically average around 70 mph.
Snowboard cross, also known as boardercross, is a type of snowboarding competition. A typical cross course is narrow and dotted with obstacles such as jumps, flat sections, and rollers, all of which are designed to test the competitors’ ability to maintain control while racing. While racing, these riders average between 55 and 60 mph.
Speed is not the main goal in other Olympic snowboarding events like slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe, but it is very useful for gaining momentum for jumps and rails. Technique and control are more important in these competitions.
Is it true that skiers and snowboarders are faster?
Skiers can travel much faster than snowboarders. The top speed for a skier was 157 mph, while the top speed for a snowboarder was 126 mph.
Skiers typically travel at a speed of 3.5 mph faster than snowboarders. Downhill skiers typically travel between 40 and 50 miles per hour and can reach speeds of over 80 miles per hour in ideal conditions. Weekend skiers reach top speeds of around 55 mph, compared to 43 mph for snowboarders.
Despite the fact that both sports rely on gravity to get you down the mountain, skiers are able to go faster for a variety of reasons.
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The stance of a snowboard vs. a skI
Because skiers naturally face forward, they have an advantage in terms of speed. They can run a run with minimal edges if they have two separate decks under their feet.
Snowboarders, on the other hand, are side-on and must shift their center of gravity between their toe and heel edges to avoid sliding out, resulting in increased friction.
Snowboarders have a lot more drag because of their asymmetrical snowboarding form. Tucking down allows skiers to reduce their resistance to air. Because of this sideways stance, it’s more difficult for a snowboarder to maintain consistent high speeds.
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Snowboard vs. ski equipment
The average snowboard is much shorter than downhill racing skis. At high speeds, a shorter board usually causes more wobble.
In addition, a typical skier will wear a tight-fitting ski outfit, whereas snowboarders prefer baggier gear. Clothing drag is a significant factor in snowboarders’ slowing down.
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Snowboard speed can be measured using GPS tracker apps.
You can track your speed and progress on the hill using a variety of mobile apps. These apps take into account weather reports and snow conditions, as well as your run speeds, routes, calories burned, and ridden distances. Here are a few examples:
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Tracks for Skiing
This is one of the first GPS tracking apps, and it’s still one of the best around. To show you your progress and activity, Ski Tracks analyzes your runs and routes using maps, charts, and tables.
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Ludicrous Speed, Slopes, Trace Snow, My Tracks
These apps keep track of your top and average speeds, verticals, and ridden distances. They work with voice commands, so you don’t have to take your phone out to use them. You can even keep track of how many calories you burn in a day.
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Liftopia
This app provides detailed information about various resorts, as well as mountain maps, special prices, and lift ticket deals.
- best longboard for heavy riders
- best longboard for cruising
- best longboard for pumping
- best longboard for carving
- Best longboard for downhill
Conclusion
If you’re not experienced enough, going faster than 30 mph on a snowboard can be difficult to control. Always look as far ahead as you can when going fast and pointing straight down a hill to spot unpredictable obstacles like snow bumps and other riders.
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