Snowboard Materials and Construction

Snowboard Construction

What's in a Board?

• Topsheet with printed graphic
• Fiber glass or epoxy
• Wood or foam core
• Steel inserts
• Plastic base, (p-tex)
• Metal edges
• Resin System (glue)
• Rubber Foil

Layers of a Snowboard

1. The top layer of a Snowboard is a protective plastic layer called a "topsheet." The topsheet does not only protect the insides of the Snowboard from damage and exposure to ultra-violet rays, it also provides a good surface for graphics. Although the material used for the topsheet can vary, there are basically two types of topsheets - the glossy and matte. Glossy topsheets usually come with sublimated graphics. On the other hand, matte topsheets in general have screened-on graphics.


2. Inside the topsheet is a layer of "fiberglass". This fiberglass lies on top of the core.


3. The Snowboard's "core", which lies beneath the fiberglass, is what the rest of the board is wrapped around with. The core makes up most of the thickness of the Snowboard. This is usually made of wood foam, honeycomb panels, or a combination of wood and other composite materials, with sets of metal inserts needed to mount bindings.
   
   Cores made from honeycomb are lightweight and are surprisingly strong. With a wood core, you can be assured of a smooth response and lively flex from the board. Foam cores, in contrast, can sometimes loose their flex.


4. Next is another layer of fiberglass, "fiberglass reinforced plastic" in particular. This provides stiffness and strength to the Snowboard.


5. Following the fiberglass are steel edges. These edges surround the P-tex of the Snowboard, allowing the board to dig into the snow while turning. There are actually Two Kinds of Edges: partial steel edges that run only along the sides of the board, ending at the nose and tail, and edges that wrap all the way around both ends of the board.


6. On the bottom is a layer of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene material commonly called "P-Tex." This is a dense, abrasion resistant plastic with low friction properties which provides the slippery surface that makes the Snowboard slide on snow surface. To keep your Snowboard running fast throughout the winter, you need to add wax to this base layer.
   
   There are basically three different types of Snowboard bases - extruded, sintered, and graphite. Extruded bases are long lasting and easy to repair. However, they are the slowest type of base, and they hold less wax than the other types of bases. A sintered base is superior to the extruded base since it's more durable, faster, and can hold wax better. Then again, it's more expensive and difficult to repair. The graphite base, on the other hand, is the fastest type of Snowboard base and has a higher capacity to hold Wax. This type of Snowboard bases are always deep black and are mostly found on fast racing boards.