With its technical terms, the lingo of snowboarding can seem incomprehensible. To help you decipher everything and speak like an experienced snowboarder, Glisshop has prepared a glossary. Switch, goofy, regular, insert, nose, tail, high back, indy—whether it's tricks, equipment, or jargon describing the way to ride, these terms will no longer be a mystery to you.
Definitions of Snowboarding Terms
#
180°
A 180-degree rotation in the air.
360°
A 360-degree rotation (one full turn) in the air.
540°
A 540-degree rotation (one and a half turns) in the air.
720°
A 720-degree rotation (two full turns) in the air.
900°
A 900-degree rotation (two and a half turns) in the air.
1080°
A 1080-degree rotation (three full turns) in the air.
1260°
A 1260-degree rotation (three and a half turns) in the air.
1440°
A 1440-degree rotation (four full turns) in the air.
A
Aerial/air
A jump where the snowboarder takes off and lands in the same direction. On a kicker, it is a straight jump; on a quarter or half-pipe, the snowboarder does a half-turn.
Air to fakie
A jump without rotation where the rider lands backward, performed on a quarter or in a half-pipe.
All-mountain
A versatile snowboard style for riding on all types of terrain.
Alley-oop
An aerial rotation in the opposite direction of the lateral movement.
Alpine
A snowboard focused on speed and performance on groomed snow. Ideal for carving.
Asymmetrical
An asymmetrical board has a different sidecut radius for the frontside edge and the backside edge. The aim is to compensate for the lack of power on the backside edge.
Avalanche beacon/transceiver/AVD
A device for locating avalanche victims. Avalanche victim detector.
All-mountain Freestyle
A versatile style, riding on various terrains while performing tricks. An all-mountain freestyle board is a versatile board comfortable for launching tricks.
All-mountain Freeride
An all-mountain freeride board suitable for performing tricks. Less exclusive than a pure freeride board, an all-mountain freeride board allows you to enjoy groomers, the backcountry, and even the terrain park.
B
Backcountry
Off-piste area.
Backflip
Backwards somersault jump.
Backside/back
A counterclockwise rotation for a goofy (or clockwise for a regular). Sliding by approaching the rail or box from behind. Backside can be abbreviated as BS.
Backcountry Freestyle
Freestyle snowboarding on natural terrain. May require building (shaping) your own kicker.
Banked slalom
Snowboard race with banked turns.
Base
The bottom side of the board that is in contact with the snow.
Baseplate
The base of a snowboard binding.
Big air
Competition where riders perform spectacular jumps on a big kicker.
Binding
The piece of equipment that connects the boot to the snowboard. See bindings.
Board
A common term for the snowboard.
Boardercross
Snowboard race on a course with obstacles like banked turns and jumps. Similar to BMX racing.
Butters
Tricks where the rider performs rotations and balance manoeuvres while staying on the snow.
C
Cab
Backside rotation starting in fakie. Named after skater Steve Caballero, the inventor of the Caballerial. For a 180°, it's called a half cab, for a 360° a full cab, then cab 540, etc.
Camber
Camber refers to the snowboard's profile shape.
Canting
Canting adjustment concerns the angle of the binding's high back.
Carving/Carved Turns
Making clean turns on the edge without skidding.
Coping
The top edge of a halfpipe or quarter pipe where riders perform tricks.
Corkscrew
A jump involving rotations on two axes.
Chopped Up Snow
Bumpy snow caused by the passage of skiers and other snowboarders.
D
Deck
The top part of a halfpipe. It's where you should avoid landing after a big air!
Derby
A snowboard race often on a natural course. One start, one finish line, with multiple route options to connect the two.
Directional
A board with a non-symmetrical shape, designed to be ridden primarily in one direction.
Disc
Circular piece for attaching the bindings to the board.
Double backside rodeo 1080
Double flip with a backside rotation of 1080 degrees.
Drop
Jumping off a cliff, ledge, or cornice, before landing on the snow below.
Duck stance
Binding position with the feet pointing outward. For example, +15° on the front foot and -15° on the back foot. Similar to what duck’s feet look like.
E
Edge
Metal piece that runs along the sides of the board and bites into the snow.
F
Fakie
Riding backwards, with the opposite foot forward. Also called switch.
Fastec
Type of quick-entry binding.
Flat
Flat terrain or a style of riding without obstacles. Flat tricks can be executed directly on the snow without a kicker or other obstacle.
Flex
The board's ability to bend, affecting its maneuverability, response, and behavior. Flex can be soft, medium, or stiff. Flex also refers to the high back of bindings and the boots.
Freecarving
A style of snowboarding on groomed slopes focused on carving turns on the edges.
Freeride
Snowboarding on natural terrain, often off-piste. Freeriding offers freedom but requires knowledge of the mountain and its potential dangers.
Freestyle
A style of snowboarding focused on performing tricks on various obstacles.
Front flip
A forward somersault jump.
Flat Camber
Flat board profile. No camber. Between traditional camber and reverse camber.
Front/frontside
A term to describe forward movements. A clockwise rotation for a goofy (or counterclockwise for a regular).
G
Gas pedal
The front part of the binding's baseplate to increase the board's response.
Goofy
A snowboarder whose natural stance is with the right foot forward. The opposite of regular.
Grab
Grabbing the board with one hand during a jump. There are many different grabs, depending on which hand is used and where it grabs the board.
H
Half-pipe
A half-tube shaped structure for performing tricks.
High Back
The back panel of the binding.
Halfcab
A 180-degree rotation starting in fakie.
Handplant
A trick where the rider plants a hand on the snow or an obstacle.
Hard boots
Rigid boots used for carving. To be used with alpine bindings.
Hip
An obstacle where the take-off and landing form an angle.
I
Indy (grab)
A grab where the rider grabs the board between the feet with the back hand.
Inserts
Holes with threads on the board for attaching bindings.
J
Jib
Freestyle snowboarding on features that are not made of snow, such as rails, boxes, trees, and walls.
K
Kicker
A ramp built with snow and used for performing jumps.
L
Lipslide
Sliding on a rail or box perpendicularly (like a boardslide) while having crossed over the obstacle with the tail of the board before landing on it.
M
Mc Twist
Front flip with a 540° rotation. Invented in skateboarding by Mike McGill.
Method
A jump where the rider grabs the board behind the feet with the front hand while bending the knees backward and pulling the board towards the back.
Mute
Grabbing the board with the front hand on the toe edge.
N
Nose
The front of the board.
Nose grab
Grabbing the front of the board with the front hand.
Nose press
Riding while pressing on the front of the board to lift the tail above the snow.
Noseslide
Sliding on a rail or box with the nose of the board.
O
Ollie
A jump using the rebound of the tail of the board.
P
Pintail
A board shape with a narrow tail.
Pipe
Abbreviation for halfpipe.
Pop
The board's ability to rebound during jumps.
Powder board
A board designed to float and perform in deep snow.
Powder/Pow/Powpow
Fresh, ungroomed snow.
Park Freestyle
Freestyle snowboarding in a terrain park. A board designed for park freestyle riding is very comfortable performing tricks on groomed snow. These boards often have a twin tip shape.
Press
Placing your weight on the front or back of the board to lift the opposite tip above the snow.
Pretzel
A reverse rotation after a slide or a butter.
Pumping
A bending motion of the legs to generate speed.
Q
Quarter pipe
A quarter-tube shaped structure. Only one side of halfpipe.
Quiver
Refers to the collection of snowboards a rider owns, each suited to specific conditions and riding styles. A quiver can include various types of boards: powder boards, freestyle boards, all-mountain boards, carving boards. The idea behind a quiver is to allow the snowboarder to choose the board best suited to the day's conditions and how they feel like riding that day.
R
Rail
Generally, a metal or stainless steel bar installed in terrain parks, similar to rails found in skateparks. Snowboarders slide on them with their boards. Rails can vary in length, height, and shape, offering different levels of difficulty for riders of all skill levels.
Rider
A person who snowboards.
Revert
A movement where the snowboarder rotates back to their original position after executing a trick or manoeuvre. For example, if a snowboarder does a 180 (half-turn) in the air and lands in switch (opposite stance), they can then perform a revert to return to their regular stance without jumping again. This movement is often used to maintain fluidity and style in a sequence of tricks or to set up the next manoeuvre.
Regular
Riding stance with the left foot forward.
Rodeo
A flip with rotations.
Reverse Camber (or banana)
The opposite of traditional camber.
S
Sad
In snowboarding, the ‘Sad grab’ is a trick where the rider grabs the board between the bindings with their front hand. During this grab, the front leg is extended, and the nose of the board points downwards, creating a distinctive posture that inspires the name ‘Sad’. This maneuver is similar to the ‘Melancholy grab’ but with a specific body configuration. It is a popular grab for adding style to jumps and rotations.
Setback
Binding position set back towards the tail of the board.
Shape
The overall shape of the board viewed from above.
Shifty
An aerial trick where the snowboarder rotates their lower body while keeping the upper body relatively stable. Specifically, the rider turns their legs and board about 90 degrees from their initial direction, then returns to the normal position for landing. This trick requires good body control and balance and is often used to add style to a jump or transition in the park or backcountry.
Shred/Shredder
Riding aggressively and performing lots of tricks, an experienced snowboarder.
Slide
Gliding on a rail or surface other than snow.
Slopestyle
A snowboarding event with various obstacles, jumps, rails, boxes, etc. Slopestyle includes a wide range of different modules on the same course.
Splitboard
A snowboard that splits lengthwise to be used like a pair of touring skis for climbing with skins. The splitboard allows access to spots that are unreachable by lifts.
Stale fish
The ‘stale fish’ is a snowboard grab where the rider grabs the backside edge of the board with the back hand. This usually involves slightly twisting the body to reach the backside edge of the board. This trick is often performed in the air during jumps, whether on a kicker or in a half-pipe, and requires good technique and flexibility to maintain the grab while executing a clean and stylish jump.
Stance
The position of the feet on the board.
Step on
The term ‘step on’ in snowboarding refers to an innovative binding system that allows the snowboarder to strap in and out of their board without using traditional straps. Unlike conventional bindings, where the snowboarder has to tighten straps around their boots, ‘step on’ bindings allow the rider to simply ‘step’ or ‘click’ into the bindings, making the process much quicker and more convenient. This system, invented by Burton, is particularly appreciated for its ease of use and time-saving benefits while providing secure hold and optimal board control.
Straight down
Descending directly without turning.
Strap
The binding strap used to secure the boot in the binding. Bindings usually have two straps, a toe strap and an ankle strap.
Swallow
This type of snowboard is characterized by a V-shaped cut at the tail, resembling a swallow's tail. The Swallowtail is particularly suited for powder and backcountry riding, as its shape allows for better lift and manoeuvrability in deep snow. The cut at the tail reduces the contact surface with the snow, making turns easier and offering a smoother, more enjoyable ride. It makes it easier to keep the nose of a board above the snow.
Switch
Riding in the opposite stance to the rider's natural or usual stance. If a snowboarder is normally ‘regular’ (left foot forward), they ride switch with the right foot forward, and vice versa for a ‘goofy’ (right foot forward) snowboarder. This technique is often used in tricks and maneuvers to add complexity and style to the performance. Riding switch requires good control and balance, as it can be challenging and demands adaptation in coordination.
S-Rocker Camber / W Camber
A combination of traditional camber and reverse camber.
Shell
The rigid outer part of snowboard boots.
T
Tail
The rear tip of the board.
Tail grab
Grabbing the back of the board with the back hand.
Tail press
Riding while pressing on the back of the board to lift the nose off the snow.
Tailslide
Sliding on a rail or box with the tail of the board.
Tip
The front or back end of the board.
Torsion
The torsional flexibility of the board, its tendency to flex from one side to the other.
Twin tip
A symmetrical board, suitable for riding switch.
Traditional Camber
Traditional profile, the board is raised between the feet with contact points with the snow near the ends.
Trick
A manoeuvre or skilful move performed by the rider.
Turn Radius
The radius of the theoretical circle that the board traces on its edge. A shorter turn radius makes it easier to perform short turns, while a longer turn radius favors stability and longer trajectories.
U
Underflip
A flip with a rotation under the board.
V
Vitelli turn
A carved turn where the rider leans so far that they touch the snow. One of the manoeuvres of freecarving.
W
Waist
The central part of the board.
Wind Slab
An accumulation of snow formed by the wind.
Wide
A wide board, often for rider with larger feet.
Wildcat
A backflip.
Windlip
A cornice formed by the wind.
Waxing
Application of wax on the base to improve glide. There are various types of wax depending on snow conditions and temperature, as well as universal waxes.
Z
Zeach
A poorly executed slide, often with an incorrect angle.
Your Turn to Ride
Now that you have mastered the vocabulary, browse our site and find the snowboarding gear you need for your next sessions.
