types of snow for skiing and snowboarding

Here is a very brief explanation of the different types of snow you can encounter snowboarding and skiing.

• Powder
  Powder is the term used for untouched, freshly fallen soft snow. Small flakes and crystals form a smooth soft surface. Powder is perfect snow for landing on, it is often packed in thick layers to form a natural cushion. This means it does not hurt as much as compacted snow when you land on it. The softer the snow the less likely you are to hurt yourself, it makes sense really.
  
  Powder is also very good snow for trying some new tricks. It is easier to carve turns, control your speed and hold your edge. However this thick soft snow can also bring obstacles if you slow down too much you begin to sink into it and can get stuck. The trick is to maintain your speed. Powder can also cover rocks, ice, tree stumps anything with a thin layer. Be careful and keep your eyes open especially off piste.

• Crud
  Crud is more or less what happens to that nice clean snow after people start riding over it. The snow starts to pile up at certain places and packed down at others. That fresh lovely powder becomes uneven with lumps of soft powder-like snow and slippery patches. As you would expect snowboarding on crud is a lot more challenging than riding on powder. Riding crud types require a more aggressive technique than on fresh powder it will improve your overall control and technique.

• Crust
  The name says it all really. Crust is the name given when snow gains a harder crust on top of softer powder snow. When the crust is hard you are riding on top of the harder, icy surface.When there is a softer crust on the snow you are more likely to break through it. Like crud riding crust types require a more aggressive technique.

• Slush
  Slush happens when snow that is starting to melt becomes even wetter.We have all experienced this type of snow at the side of the road as it begins to thaw and after it has been mashed up by trucks and cars.The delicate snow crystals change into large grains of ice and slush is formed. Wet snow is the stickiest snow in the world and slows you down. Not much fun at all.

• Ice
  Unlike fresh powder, soft and sweet, Ice is hard, slippery, and no fun at all for snowboarding or skiing. In terms of the slopes what we mean by ice is snow that has melted then frozen over and over again forming a solid surface. As you would imagine ice rides fast so take care

snowboarding styles

Here are a few snowboarding styles and techniques so you don't feel out of place in the snow.

Style is very important to snowboarding. Each style relate to a different type of terrain and equipment. They even have their own competitions. We have only attempted to give a brief outline of these styles here. They are just an introduction to the sport and may help you to decide which type of snowboarding is for you.

• Freestyle
  Snowboarders who want to do everything and anything as the name suggests. They usually use a directionally- shaped board with longer tip for better movement. Freestyle focuses on jumps, tricks, rail slides, halfpipes and switch riding. Many resorts now design and maintain snowboard parks specifically for freestyle riders with rails, halfpipes and jump. Equipment consists of a soft boot and a relatively short, maneuverable board.
  
  The most popular snowboarding events are the Freestyle competitions. These will include halfpipe, quarterpipe, slopestyle and big air competitions.
• Technical Freestyle
  Swinging back and forth in the half-pipe, performing complicated spins in a snowboard park.
• Freeriding
  Freeriders spend most of their time on the ground. Is the most general style of snowboarding also called 'All mountain riding'. Freeriders prefer the all mountain experience: open terrain, backcountry, fresh powder, while at the same time perfectly happy in a local park cut pipe. Freeriding is usually considered the most suitable style for beginners. Just like freestyle, freeride equipment uses a soft boot. Boards common to this style of riding are relatively longer and more directional in their shape.
• Freecarve/Alpine
  The Freecarve style of snowboarding focuses on speed, carving and racing. Also called alpine, freecarving attracts those looking for speed and takes place on hard-pack or groomed runs and focuses on the ultimate carving turn. This style is not about jumps and rail slides. Boards are stiff, narrow and relatively long with a curved nose and a flat tail to allow more stability.