not the standard equipment blog
Ok.. equipment chats…
“What board should I get?”
“What angles do you ride?”
“How wide is your stance?”
And almost every time, the question skips the most important part:
What do you actually want your equipment to do for you?
Equipment isn’t about trends or copying someone else’s setup.
It’s about matching tools to intent — and matching them to your body.
Start With the Job, Not the Gear
Before boards, bindings, or angles…
What do I want to use this setup for?
(Park, freeride, carving, teaching, all-day riding, comps, exams, or a bit of everything)
How does my body move?
(Height, weight, strength, mobility, stance comfort)
What outcomes and sensations do I want to feel when I ride?
Get clear on those, and equipment choices suddenly get much easier — and far less noisy.
Your Body Is Part of the Equipment
This one gets overlooked constantly.
Your body is the one piece of equipment you’re stuck with — so it matters.
I’m big and heavy in the upper body compared to a lot of riders. That influences:
how much force I generate
how much stability I need
how the board responds when I load it
I choose a wider board. It works for me not because of foot size (I only ride a size 9 boot), but because it gives:
a bigger platform
more stability under pressure
confidence when loading the board hard
People always ask me,
“How big are your feet?”
Foot size matters. Body weight, strength, speed, and how you pressure the board matter too. For me, a wider board works because it supports how I ride — not because of my boot size.
Stability Is Performance (or at least it helps)
For me, performance comes from stability first.
If I don’t feel stable:
I move cautiously
I hesitate
I overcorrect
I rush movements
If I feel stable:
I move freely
I stay centred
I can let timing and pressure do the work
That’s why my setup prioritises:
a platform that supports my mass
a stance that lets me stay centred and mobile (strong and fluid)
a board that doesn’t feel twitchy when I load it
Stability isn’t boring… you are 😉
It’s what lets me move on top of the board more freely.
It’s also just really fun to carve on.
A cool thing to think about is this: what do you want your snowboarding to look like?
Imagine the outcomes…
Fast, banked turns…
Effortless, smooth-looking spins…
Exciting power without panic?
Still nimble… I’m still working on a lot of this, haha — but that’s the point.
What do you want your riding to look and feel like?
And how can your equipment support that?
Angles, Width, and the “Simple” Setup Stuff
Yes, angles matter.
Yes, binding width matters.
Yes, board type matters.
But the right combination of them also.
Angles should support:
hip comfort
natural alignment
work with physical weaknesses or injuries
Binding width should support:
balance over the board
pressure distribution
freedom to move — not restriction
Board choice should reflect:
how fast you ride
how hard you load
where you spend most of your time
There is no “correct” setup — only appropriate setups.
The Question I Wish More Riders Asked
Instead of:
“What board should I buy?”
Try:
“What outcomes do I want from my equipment?”
More grip?
More stability?
Less fatigue?
Better landings?
More confidence at speed?
More snap?
More predictability?
Equipment is a match-up, not a magic fix.
Look After the Equipment You Already Have
One last thing that matters more than people want to admit:
Tune your gear. Look after your body.
Sharp edges, a base that slides well, and functional boots change how a board feels more than most spec tweaks.
There’s a certain speed where forces become more available — a kind of performance zone where timing and pressure start to work in your favour. A board that glides properly lets you find that zone sooner, which means rhythm comes earlier in the run.
And the same applies to your body:
strength
mobility
recovery
A well-tuned board paired with a tired, neglected body is still a compromised system.
Final Thought
Good equipment doesn’t make you better.
But appropriate equipment removes barriers, so you can ride the way you’re already capable of riding.
Ask better questions.
Choose tools with intent.
Build a setup that works with your body — not against it.
— Cam
