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Although it is a more recent sport, snowboarding has developed along a trajectory very similar to that of skiing. This is particularly true in how different snowboarding styles have emerged, many of them relying on particular techniques and for the purpose especially designed equipment. The following snowboarding styles are the most common out there, never mind that they are far from the only ones there are: Free-carving is essentially downhill slalom snowboarding. While it could involve tricks, the objective is to complete a run as quickly as possible. For this reason it has lost a lot of ground to the more stylish forms of snowboarding. Given the focus on speed over maneuverability, free-carvers use directional boards with hard, ski-like boots. Freestyle snowboarding puts a great deal more emphasis on tricks than it does on completing a run. Jibbing, jumping and various aerial feats are the tricks that are done, many of them with the help of rails, boxes and other features of freestyle runs. Given the focus on the acrobatics, freestyle snowboarders tend to use twin tipped boards that are shorter than usual. This is for how these allow for both regular and switch tricks, as well as for how shorter boards are more easily rotated. This setup is complemented with a soft boot for better maneuverability and balance. Jibbing is closely linked to snowboarding’s roots in skateboarding and therefore stresses the technique after which it is named – or riding on any surface other than snow - over other tricks. While this is easily done on a regular freestyle snowboarding run, the hardcore version is done in urban environments and uses features such as walls, benches and concrete ledges rather than boxes and rails. Free-riding, finally, refers to riding down any sort of terrain and using the features thereof to perform various aerial tricks. These tricks are often borrowed from other snowboarding forms, for which Free-riding could be said to be the most advanced and most adaptable snowboarding style. While it is often practiced on freestyle pistes, the highly skilled free-rider goes for natural terrain. Given the likelihood of encountering different snow conditions in such scenarios, they tend to use stiffer bots and directional snowboards. All of the above snowboarding forms can be done both recreationally and competitively. The same goes for other snowboarding styles out there, but most of these are not practiced widely enough to enjoy much fame or popularity. SnowSkool offer ski instructor courses and snowboard courses
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