Alpine/Carving - This board is primarily a directional board used for one thing and one thing only... backcountry carving right before you start bombing down the mountain. Commonly stiffer than the next styles, and best suited for riders who have a love and loyalty to the runs averted by most.

Freestyle/Park - Twin directional board with a very soft core in it, and usually very light weight, allowing you to flex it for maximum pop (ollie higher), tail presses, and spin faster. This board can work as a free ride board, but its not recommended due to the fact that its incredibly soft, and may not handle as well as a stiffer counter part. The home for a board in this category is the park, and its main use is jibbing, spinning, and kickers.

Its best to find out which style of riding you find yourself gravitating towards more. I personally find myself more of a free ride style boarder, and hit a little of everything. I chose to get the Lib Tech Dark Series this year because its (in my opinion) the best balanced for a little bit of it all, but its a little more balanced towards backcountry, it can still handle itself in the park. Hope this helps!