Do you wonder what are snowboards made of? They are made of a wide variety of materials, each contributing to the slick feel while riding on the snow. The sandwich construction of the snowboard gives a higher performance to the board itself, giving you extra speed, response, and maneuverability.
Even though different snowboards are made for different snowboarder levels, all snowboards are made of the same components.
Let's break down the basic components that make up a snowboard!
The Core
The core is the center of the snowboard. It is the essential part of the snowboard as it forms the base for the remainder of the board construction. The core can be made up of different materials, depending on the snowboard type; but the most common type is wood. Most popular wood types for the snowboard core are birch, obeche, and poplar. They are horizontally and vertically laminated, then shaped to create variable flexes. Some snowboards can be made of foam or aluminum too.
Topsheet w/ Printed Graphic
Snowboard also has a top layer that is called a topsheet. It protects the whole snowboard and is a great canvas for custom printed graphics. Even though the material used for creating the topsheet varies, we can distinguish two types of topsheets: gloss and matte. Topsheets made of gloss come with heat printed graphics, while those made of matte come with screen printed graphics.
Fiberglass
The standard fiber material used for snowboard construction is glass. Plastic reinforced with fiberglass provides strength and stiffness to the snowboard. The fiberglass is put on the top of the snowboard core. It is used instead of alternative materials for a few reasons; it is less expensive, light and makes the snowboard bendable.
Steel Inserts
Steel inserts are put on the top of the snowboard, enabling the binding to be attached to it. There are four styles of hole patterns, depending on the brand: 2 x 2, 4 x 4, 3D and The Channel.
Plastic Base
For the plastic base of the snowboard, a type of plastic called P-tex is used. It is a very durable thermoplastic used to make a snowboard base. There are numerous benefits to this type of plastic. It is easily repairable, and you can wax it to improve the snowboard performance in different snow conditions. P-tex is resistant to abrasion, has low friction properties that give a slippery surface that is required to ride on snow. You should maintain the wax to enable fast riding during the winter.
Metal Edges
Metal edges are put along the edges of a snowboard to allow it to dig in the snow while the board is turning. P-tex holds them in place. There are two types of metal edges: partial steel edges, that are put along the board sides, and steel edges wrapped around both ends of the boards. Higher quality snowboards have complete metal edges.
Resin System
Fiberglass is bonded with a resin to create the main structure layer of a snowboard.
Rubber Foil
Rubber foil is used to regulate the snowboard vibrations. It is usually referred to as VDS. It certainly regulates the vibrations to some extent, but its main use is to act as a bonding agent. Steel is hard to connect to fiberglass, so rubber foil is applied on the top of the snowboard edge to create a stronger bond.
Here is a short video explaining how surfboards are made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GmnLHuUo5YWe hope that now you know what are snowboards made of. If you want to design a snowboard with your custom graphics on it, we can design it for you for no charge. Our snowboards are made of a sintered base. Just contact us and we will think of something.
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