The Broffesionals advice on Snowboard Rocker

April 21, 2015

While all boards have been created with the same idea of descending a slope covered in frozen water, these pieces of timber have come along way since their conception. From the initial creation of Snurfing in 1965 by Sherman Poppen to Jake Burton strapping on the first set of bindings to secure his feet to the board.

Traditionally anyone who has been snowboarding for more than 6 years will have experienced camber, as almost all snowboards shared this profile (except INCA who tried rocker early on in their boards but didn’t quite get it right). Now there is an ensemble of different rocker/camber profiles that can leave most of us as confused as a deaf man in a blind community.

If you remove the names given to these profiles by their brands then you can break them down into the following main types; Camber, Hybrid Camber, Reverse Camber, Flat Camber, S-Reverse Camber, Hybrid-Reverse Camber.

Our Brofessional opinion:

CAMBER

Awesome if you are Old, or if you are Ace

If you have more of a traditional style and want a board that ‘sticks like shit to a blanket’ on ice, then get Camber. What makes this board catchy, is the same thing that allows solid riders to land strong, stomp their tricks, throw them back over their front foot if they land tail heavy, and provide them with sky high pop.

HYBRID CAMBER

Great for pop without all that ‘smash your face’ vibe.

When you’re after the pop and drive of Camber but don’t like its ruthless edge catching nature. The camber between your feet gives you that traditional feel, yet the small incline just before the catch points gives the board a forgiving nature.

Also known as: Pure Pop, Lock and Load Camber

REVERSE CAMBER

The Friendliest of all Profiles

Beginners and more timid riders look no further. This profile will have you standing at the bottom of the mountain wondering how you got down. Practically turning itself, the catch points are so far off the snow even Daniel Vettori couldn’t catch them. Also a great option for soft powder and chopped up snow, as it’ll lift you up and out of it.

Also known as: V rocker, BTX

FLAT CAMBER

Fun. Friendly. Freestyle.

Void of any real profile, Flat Camber is exactly what it says - flat. Used in situations where you want a locked-in feeling when riding into booters/features, but you want a forgiving landing. Often a softer flex that will provide you with a more traditional feel and drive on edge, yet still remain forgiving when initiating turns. Also a go-to for freestyle powder riding and often super easy to butter.

S – REVESE CAMBER

Great for the Old man knees

The S Shaped design will provide power and drive through the back foot that most freeriders want, while lifting the nose up and out of the crud/powder. The over sized rocker in the nose helps keep the board on a high line, which makes it a great shape for NZ fields where traversing long distance is necessary.

HYBRID - REVERSE CAMBER

The best for the rest

If you are still overwhelmed by which rocker line to get, the Hybrid Reverse Camber is the outline for you. Coming in a vast array of flexes, Hybrid rocker is the profile for the rider who wants it all. Drive and pop underfoot, lift in powder and traversing, catch free tip and tail while still holding an edge.

Also known as: Flying V, C2 BTX, EC2 BTX