Board Width, "Turns," and "Transitions"

In the past, there were many narrow boards.
For old-school snowboarding, "connecting turns" was very important.

The faster the transition, the more rhythmically you can continue your turns.
That is why there were many relatively narrow boards among riding models.
"Narrower boards have faster transitions."
As a way of thinking at the time, it made a lot of sense.

In recent years, wide boards have increased significantly.
Seeking the strength of edging during a turn, boards with more width are popular.

If we organize these characteristics,
we can think of turns and transitions separately.

Transitions are easier with narrower boards

When a board becomes narrower,
the distance from edge to edge becomes shorter.
In other words,
you can move to the opposite edge with less body movement.
That is why transitions become faster.
Since you can perform an edge change with less movement, the handling also feels lighter.

Before and after a transition, narrower boards are easier to handle smoothly.

Turns are more enjoyable with wider boards

Once you enter a turn, you are basically riding on an edge.
Whether carving or skidding, you are using the edge.
Considering the relationship between the edge and the snow surface,
a moderate board width
allows you to enjoy edging more deeply and broadly.

And regarding the fun of carving,
there is the idea of how much external force you can generate.
This can be said to be the real thrill of carving.

If you only think about turns, wide boards have significant advantages.

Transitions can be compensated for with technique

I like wide boards.
Of course, wide boards feel a bit slower to transition.
But this part can be compensated for with technique.
If you consider it including how you ride,

Timing.
How you use your body.
How you create edge angles.
If you refine these, you can make transitions sufficiently fast.

Only external force is something the board helps you with

On the other hand, external force during a turn is different.
There are parts here that cannot be compensated for by the rider's technique alone.
The leverage created by the waist width.
The distance to the edge.
These are the performance of the board itself.
In other words,
the force generated during a turn is greatly influenced by the width.
That is what I think.

That is why I prioritize turns

Transitions can be made faster with technique.
But the external force generated during a turn is
greatly influenced by the board's performance.

That is why,
when I think about waist width,
rather than the ease of transition,
I prioritize how much force can be generated during a turn.
Narrow boards have their appeal.

Wide boards also have their appeal.

Think of turns and transitions separately.
If you do that, I think your perspective on waist width will change a little from before.This was Rei Aoki, the master of verbalization.