Is reverse camber important? Let's have a look!
Today’s reader question comes from Cameron:
All the latest snowboards seem to have reverse camber. Do I have to get a snowboard with reverse camber? Is it really that much better or can I stick to regular camber?
Okay firstly, you do not have to have a reverse camber snowboard. Ride whatever you feel works best for you, if it works for you, there’s no reason you have to change to reverse camber.
Is reverse camber better?
Depends. Not every reverse camber is built well and I can only say roughly how reverse camber feels for me. Not everyone has the same preferences, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
I like reverse camber for playing around. Jibbing, buttering, powder and general mountain riding is fun on a reverse camber snowboard. I find it easier to lock in presses and I find the snowboard more ‘fun’.
That said, I tend to prefer a regular camber or zero camber snowboard for hitting jumps in the park. I usually feel more stable on regular camber snowboards when it comes to riding fast, carving and hitting big jumps.
The big thing here is that because even small changes to reverse camber can totally change how it rides, you never know exactly how each reverse camber snowboard will perform until you try it out.
So, really, my advice is to just forget about whether it’s regular or reverse camber. Take the snowboard you want to buy out for a test on the hill and see how it performs for what you want to ride. This is far more important than worrying about whether it’s reverse or regular or zero camber.
Hope this helps!
– Jed