Asymmetric Shapes
SNOWBOARDERS ARE DIFFERENT: WE ARE GOOFIES AND REGULARS
Looking from the front, we snowboarders don’t look as symmetric as skiers do. This is the point of riding sideways, after all! As a matter of fact, we do have Goofies and Regulars, and a Toe side and Heel side turns. We are not symmetric, and there is no reason why our boards should be!
In fact, from a kinematics perspective, asymmetric boards make a lot of sense. Different sidecuts help leaning better on your heel or toe side. Composing asymmetrical shapes require some additional shaping effort, since asymmetry opens a new dimensionality in the shape possibilities. Radius, taper, setback, the shape of your tips… The geometry of each side is adjusted to perform best whether you stand on your toe or heel side edge. We can also talk about asymmetric stiffness profiles, if you are ready for it!
TOE SIDE vs. HEEL SIDE
You are a snowboarder, so you know how being on your toes edge feels safer and more comfortable, but do you really know why? We humans have a biomechanics disability: we can’t bend our knees backwards. While standing on our toes, the geometry of our legs lets us have a little bit more suspension damping from our ankles, with an extra leverage of the feet up to the toes. This is great for absorbing slopes irregularities and smoothen out riding moves. On the heel side however, the terrain vibrations transmit directly to the knees, and it is not that easy to lean so far out. Bindings highbacks help to lean over that edge, but you know how it feels different.
EASE THE HEEL SIDE TURN IGNITION
Another asymmetry is introduced while riding by opening our chest towards the slope, and the way we set our binding angles. On toe edge turns, the room for twisting our body backwards is much larger. Vice-versa, it feels more difficult to enter a heelside turn, and lock that edge on a sharp radius. This is where the shape of your board comes into play! Deepening the heelside sidecut (shorter radius) allows to enter the curve quicker. Shifting the position of the contact points also re-aligns the center of your trajectory to the center of your feet, to reduce the under-drive effect of backside turns. In short, asym boards make you like heel side turns again!
| Toe Edge | Heel Edge | |
| Radius | Longer | Shorter |
| Contact Edge | Normal | Shifted backwards |
| Taper | Normal | Increased |
| Swallow Tail | Shorter | Longer |
NOT ONLY FOR TWINS!
Asymmetric shapes become meaningful when you hit some carving on the slope. But what about in powder? A wider swallow tail to support these backside sprays for example? Or a shorter cutting tail to snip those toe sides slashes? The possibilities are endless… Twin-tip boards can be ridden both ways, therefore one asymmetric shape is convenient for both Goofies and Regulars. At Baguette, because each board is unique, we got rid of that logistic constraint to open on a whole new world of asymmetrical ride.
PERSONALIZED ASYM SHAPES
Let’s shape an asymmetric board together, adjusted to your feet and profile! Fill-up our interactive custom form and let us set your riding diagnostic. We can draw you a sketch of what we believe could be the perfect fit for you and your snowboarding. It’s free!
TECHNOLOGY
If you are interested in the technology behind Baguette Boards, check out what kind of simulations we play with to adjust your sidecut line, your flex profile or the materials of your board. Read through our scientific journals publications to learn more about the engineering backstage. Get into the world of deformations, vibrations and harmonics, or how structures can be tuned to play the note that pleases your ride!
