A (Debatably) Definitive Glossary of Snowboarding Terms & Slang

If you’re new to this whole winter activity scene, it can sometimes seem like snowboarders speak an entirely different language. And in some ways, we do. Snowboarding terms were essentially made up by a bunch of teenagers who were in the process of creating a whole new way to slide sideways on snow. They pulled their inspirations from skateboarding and surfing, which have their own unique cultural roots. What we get in the end is a mix-matched glossary of snowboarding terms and slang that are only somewhat common knowledge among those who spend a lot of time on snow.

We may be using the word “definitive,” here, but let’s be real—there's plenty more than this, and it’s an ever-evolving lexicon. From “alley-oop” to “zeach,” this alphabetical glossary contains many of the common words that snowboarders have come to use on a regular basis. Review this list carefully and never get left out of the conversation again.

Snowboarding Terms & Slang: A-Z

Whether you have a specific snowboarding term you want to research or you’re digging in for a complete crash course on the entire list, this glossary is designed for easy navigation.

Jump to a Section: A-Z

A

AIARE: An acronym for the American Institute for Avalanche Research, AIARE is a non-profit avalanche education organization in the United States that provides curriculum and classes for backcountry safety.

Air: Air refers to leaving the ground on a snowboard, as in, “Getting air,” or “She just aired off that jump.” Note that air can be used as either a noun or a verb.

Air-to-Fakie: A snowboard trick done in a halfpipe or on a quarterpipe, air-to-fakie is when a rider rides straight up the wall, airs out, does not spin, and reenters the wall riding backward (also referred to as switch or fakie).

All-mountain Snowboard: An all-mountain snowboard is a type of board that is engineered to perform well on any and all terrain, including groomers, park, and powder.

Alley-oop: A snowboard trick done in a halfpipe or on a quarterpipe, an alley-oop is when a rider spins in the opposite direction of their downhill momentum. For example, spinning frontside on the backside wall of the pipe or spinning backside on the frontside wall would both be considered alley-oop tricks.

Après: The French word for “after,” après refers to the social activities and entertainment following a day of snowboarding. Note that the common usage is “après ski.”

Asymmetrical Snowboard: An asymmetrical snowboard features non-symmetrical variations in either sidecut, contact points, or flex, between the toe edge and heel edge. Sometimes referred to as an “asym” board, this type of snowboard is designed to address the different ways that a rider’s body might influence the board (for example, how weight is distributed on a heelside turn versus a toeside turn).

Avalanche: An avalanche is a mass of snow and/or ice falling rapidly down a mountainside. Careful consideration of conditions is necessary for backcountry riders to avoid avalanche-prone terrain.

Avalanche Center: An avalanche center is a professional forecasting group that provides real-time (or near real-time) information about snow conditions in the mountains for backcountry travelers. Please support your local avalanche center in North America or Europe.

Avalanche Forecast: An avalanche forecast is a daily explanation of the snow conditions in a particular mountainous area, including the potential risks and hazards for backcountry travelers. These forecasts are usually generated by regional Avalanche Centers.

Avalanche Transceiver: A critical piece of backcountry gear, an avalanche transceiver (or avalanche beacon) is an emergency locator device worn by backcountry travelers and used to locate a person who is buried in snow. The person who is buried must be wearing a transceiver that is turned on and set to transmit a signal in order for the searchers to find them with their own transceivers set to receive.

B

Back Foot: When snowboarding, the back foot is the foot that is in the rear (closest to the tail of the snowboard) while riding downhill.

Back Hand: When snowboarding, the back hand is the hand that is over the tail of the snowboard while riding downhill.

Backcountry: Backcountry refers to wilderness area that is not maintained or patrolled by a resort. Backcountry terrain can be dangerous, and all backcountry travelers should have the proper gear and education before heading out.

Backside: Referring to the back side of a rider’s body, backside is used as a categorization for the way a rider approaches a feature (when approaching from the side with their back closest to the feature), and also as a categorization for spins in which the rider’s back turns to face forwards in the first 90 degrees of a rotation. Originating in both surfing and skateboarding, determining front or backside is a way to categorize the orientation of the rider relative to the feature they’re riding. For example, a rider may approach a halfpipe wall and spin left or right, pointing either their back or front forwards. So, a regular-footed rider spinning clockwise, or a goofy-footer spinning counter-clockwise would be an example of a backside spin.

Backside Air: A way of catching air in which the rider takes off from a quarterpipe and spins so that their backside turns towards the outside of the pipe before landing back in the quarterpipe riding forwards is called a backside air.

Backside Wall: In a halfpipe, the backside wall refers to whichever wall of the halfpipe is on the rider’s backside (see backside) as they ride. For example, a regular-footed snowboarder will ride a halfpipe with the backside wall on the left.

Bail: In snowboarding, the term bail has two common uses. First, bail can refer to a fall or falling while snowboarding, as in “He took a hard bail” or “She just bailed off that jump” (note that bail can be used as either a noun or a verb). Secondly, bail can refer to someone not showing up at the last minute (for example, you planned to meet a friend at 8am and they call you at 7:45am to say they’re not coming).

Banger: A banger is a snowboard trick that stands out as especially impressive compared to all others in the same session, video, contest, or run.

Banked Slalom: Banked slalom refers to a type of snowboarding racecourse that features banked turns. The banked slalom is commonly understood to have originated in snowboarding as a group of snowboarders held a slalom race in a natural halfpipe at Mt. Baker with the gates placed on the banked walls rather than on a flat slope. A few examples of banked slalom races include the Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom, the Drink Water Rat Race, and the Dirksen Derby.

Base: The underside of a snowboard (the part that touches the snow while riding) is referred to as the base. Base also refers to the accumulated snow (or ice) beneath the uppermost surface of the snowpack.

Base Layer: In terms of winter layering, the inner-most layer of clothing is referred to as the base layer (sometimes called long underwear or first layer). Base layers should be highly breathable and moisture wicking to keep the wearer warm and dry.

Baseplate: The baseplate is the bottom-most flat part of a snowboard binding, typically where the mounting system is located.

Beacon: A critical piece of backcountry gear, a beacon (or avalanche transceiver) is an emergency locator device worn by backcountry travelers and used to locate a person who is buried in snow. The person who is buried must be wearing a transceiver that is turned on and set to transmit a signal in order for the searchers to find them with their own transceivers set to receive.

Bevel: Bevel refers to the angle of a snowboard’s edges. Most snowboard edges are manufactured with a 90-degree angle where the bottom of the edge meets the side of the edge.

Bibs: Snowboard bibs are a type of snow pants that feature over-the-shoulder straps similar to overalls.

Big Mountain: As a noun, big mountain refers to large, typically steep, high alpine backcountry terrain. As an adjective, big mountain is used to describe riding this type of terrain, as in, “She’s a big mountain rider," or "This board is designed for big mountain lines.”

Blower: A designation for a type of fresh powder snow, blower snow (or “blower pow”) is so lightweight that it flies freely up into the air when a rider moves through it.

Blunt Slide: A snowboard trick done on a rail or box, a blunt slide is when a rider approaches a feature and the front foot passes over the feature first before landing in a boardslide position so that the feature is directly underneath the back foot. In extreme executions the rail or box may be positioned beneath the tail beyond the binding. If the rail is behind the rider upon approach, or otherwise their back is facing uphill once initiated, it is called a backside blunt slide, or “back blunt.” Alternately, if the rail is in front of the rider upon approach and/or their frontside is facing uphill during the slide then it is considered a frontside blunt slide, or “front blunt.” Alternatively, when this trick is done with the feature underneath the front foot it is referred to as a nose blunt.

BOA®: The BOA® Fit System from BOA® is a snowboard boot lacing system that consists of a knob (called the Coiler™) on the front or side of the boot that is used to adjust the tightness of the boot with cables or ropes that are routed within the boot shell.

Board: Board is an abbreviation of snowboard. Let’s hope you knew that one already.

Boardslide: A trick done on a rail, box, and/or other surface—a boardslide is when a snowboarder slides their board on a feature with their board positioned at a 45-degree angle perpendicular to the direction of the slide. If the rider’s backside edge faces the direction they came from (typically uphill) during the trick it is referred to as a backside boardslide. If their frontside faces the direction they came from (typically uphill) then it is referred to as a frontside boardslide. These are sometimes abbreviated to BSBS (backside boardslide), back board, FSBS (frontside boardslide), or front board.

Boardercross: Also known as “snowboard cross,” boardercross is a head-to-head racing competition between snowboarders down a course with banks, turns, and jumps.

Bombhole: A bombhole is a large depression in the landing of a jump or other feature, most often made in powder jump landings by riders falling and creating body-sized holes.

Boned Out: Boned out refers to a snowboard grab during which the rider fully extends one or both legs for extra style.

Bonk: To bonk something while riding a snowboard is to intentionally hit it or tap it with the snowboard while jumping over it or near it. Variations of the bonk include the nose bonk (tapping a feature with the nose of the board) and tail bonk (tapping a feature with the tail of the board). Bonk can also be used as a noun to describe an object being bonked.

Boost: When used to describe a snowboard air, boosting is going extra high. For example, “They boosted that jump!”

Booter: In snowboarding, a booter refers to a large jump. A booter can be found in the park at a resort or in the backcountry.

Bumps: Prized by skiers, and generally avoided by snowboarders, bumps (or moguls) are mounds of snow that form on trails.

Butter: Buttering on a snowboard refers to a trick where the rider leans onto the nose or tail of the snowboard while lifting the opposite end off the ground while riding. This trick gets its name from its resemblance to a knife spreading butter on a muffin.

C

Cab (Caballerial): Named after pro skateboarder Steve Caballero, a Caballerial is a trick where the snowboarder begins switch, pops off the leading end of the board, completes one full frontside rotation, and lands switch. A common variation is the Half-Cab, which is the same trick but only rotating 180-degrees. Snowboarders have come to refer to all switch frontside rotations as “Cab” regardless of whether they pop off the nose or tail.

Camber: In snowboarding, camber refers to the upward curve (or bend) of a board. A camber snowboard has an upward curve between the feet (think: rainbow). When depressed or flexed, this profile “snaps” back to its original shape generating energy that can be used to hold an edge or pop an ollie. Note that some people refer to rocker (the opposite of camber) as “reverse camber.”

Cant: In snowboarding, cant refers to the angle of the footbeds in snowboard bindings from side to side. Canted snowboard bindings align the ankles to a more natural and comfortable riding position for riders whose stances pull their feet far enough apart that the soles of their boots no longer align parallel to the board.

Capped Edge Construction: Capped edge construction refers to a type of snowboard in which the topsheet of the board folds over the side to form the sidewall.

Carve: On a snowboard, carving refers to turning while riding using only the edges of the board. Note that carve can be used as either a noun or a verb.

Cat: An abbreviation of snowcat, cat refers to an enclosed-cab, truck-sized vehicle that is specifically designed to move on snow. These are typically used to groom resort trails, or to access the backcountry in approved zones.

Cat Track: A cat track (or catwalk) is a flat trail that traverses across the fall line (downward slope) of a mountain. These may be long and straight or short and zigzagging. Cat tracks are typically used as service roads in the summer and allow snowcats to climb steep sections of mountain in the winter. Note that cat tracks are usually the “easy route” down the mountain and are good for beginners.

Catboarding: A form of mountain approach in which riders access terrain with the assistance of a snowcat.

Centered Stance: A type of snowboard stance in which the bindings are mounted so that the distance between the nose and tail is equal is called a centered stance. A centered stance is sometimes preferred by riders who often ride switch because they like the consistency of having the same amount of nose or tail whether they’re riding backwards or forwards.

The Channel: Burton’s proprietary snowboard binding mounting system is called The Channel. The Channel system consists of two slots running parallel to the edges of the snowboard (one for each binding). It allows nearly infinite binding mounting options. Using two screws per binding, it is possible to adjust stance width, angle, centering, and setback to nearly any setting without the constraints of a four-screw pattern.

Chatter: Vibration in the snowboard or skipping of the edge as one rides at high speed, attempts tight turns, or experiences bumpy and/or icy conditions is referred to as chatter.

Cheese Wedge: A slang term for a step-down jump, a cheese wedge is a jump in which the lip is higher than the landing, causing the triangle takeoff to stick out like a wedge of cheese.

Chunder: Chunder is a type of snow surface that consists of irregular chunks or clumps of snow that collect on the surface of the snowpack.

Chute: A steep gorge or gulley on a mountainside that is bordered by rock and snow is called a chute.

Coldsmoke: Coldsmoke is a designation for snow conditions that are airy and light.

Contact Points: The areas of a snowboard that touch the ground when the board is not weight-loaded are called the contact points. Most cambered snowboards will have two contact points (one on the nose and one on the tail).

Coping: A term borrowed from skateboarding, coping refers to the material at the top of a transition that provides a surface to grind or stall on. In snowboarding, the area at the top of the transition is called the coping whether or not there is actually any different material there (it may just be snow).

Corduroy: The freshly textured lines left in the snow by groomers at ski resorts are called corduroy.

Core: In reference to snowboard construction, the inner layer(s) of wood that makes up a board is called the core. Common snowboard wood core materials include beech, birch, aspen, and bamboo. More generally, some people also refer to “core” (short for “hardcore”) as a sub-category of snowboarders, but the exact definition for this usage of "core” appears to be under constant debate.

Cornice: A cornice is an overhanging mass of snow on a ridge or crest of terrain. Cornices are created by wind-loading and are considered an avalanche hazard (as they can break off unexpectedly).

Cork: In snowboarding, cork refers to rotating a spin off-axis in the air so that the rider’s feet pass above their head. Variations of corked tricks include additional off-axis rotations, like a double cork 720 (which includes two off-axis inversions and two complete rotations) and triple cork 1080 (which includes three off-axis inversions and three complete rotations).

Corn Snow: Often found in the springtime during heavy freeze/melt cycles, corn snow refers to snow with a rough granular surface that is soft and forgiving, but not too wet and slushy.

Couloir: French for “chute,” a couloir (pronounced kool-wär) is a steep, narrow gulley on a mountainside.

Crail Slide: A variation on a boardslide, a crail slide is when a rider does a crail grab (back hand reaches across the body to grab the nose of the snowboard) while boardsliding a rail, box, or jib.

Crippler: A crippler is an inverted 540-degree spin done in the air off the frontside wall of a halfpipe or quarterpipe.

Cruiser Run: A cruiser run is a casual run, typically on a trail that isn’t very challenging.

Crust: In reference to snow conditions, crust is a hard layer of snow that forms on top of the softer snow underneath. Snow crust may be formed by sun, rain, or wind.

D

Damp: An attribute of some snowboards, damp refers to a board’s ability to reduce vibrations and chatter. A damp snowboard is structurally designed for increased performance at high speeds by “dampening” chatter.

Delam: Short for delamination, delam refers to the separation or peeling of the layers of a snowboard. The most common type of delam is when the topsheet separates from the secondary layers underneath. Got a question about a delam issue with a Burton snowboard? Hit up the Burton Guides.

Detune: Dulling the edges of a snowboard or splitboard so that they are not as sharp or “catchy” is called detuning. This is a common practice for park riders and beginners who desire a more forgiving ride.

Ding: A scratch or dent in the edge, base, or topsheet of a snowboard is sometimes called a ding.

Directional Snowboard: A directional snowboard features a non-symmetrical shape between the nose and tail (typically a longer nose than tail, and/or a set back sidecut).

Directional Stance: Shifting snowboard bindings back towards the tail creates a directional stance, where there is more nose than tail.

Directional Twin: A snowboard with a similar shaped nose and tail and a setback stance or bend is sometimes called a directional twin snowboard. Because life is just too easy without a little confusion.

Donkey: The short kink at the very end of a handrail is called a donkey. Don’t ask where this one comes from...

Double Grab: A double grab is a snowboard grab trick where two separate grabs are completed during a single air, usually at the same time.

Doubles: When two riders drop in at the same time on a course or feature it is sometimes referred to as a “doubles run” or “going doubles.”

Down-Flat-Down: Sometimes abbreviated as DFD, a down-flat-down is a type of rail or box feature that includes two kinks with a flat section in the middle.

Duck Stance: Also known as “duck-footed,” duck stance is a snowboard stance where the back binding is angled towards the tail and the front binding is angled towards the nose so that the feet are turned slightly outwards (like a duck’s feet).

DWR: An acronym for Durable Water Repellent, DWR is a special coating that is applied to fabric to improve its water resistance.

E

Edge: The smooth metal sides that run along the perimeter of a snowboard are called edges. Think: No metal, no edge. Yes metal, yes edge.

Effective Edge: Effective edge refers to the length of the metal edge on a snowboard that comes in contact with the snow when making a turn. Typically, effective edge is the distance between the widest point on the snowboard’s nose and the widest point on the snowboard’s tail, measured in centimeters. A longer effective edge helps for faster riding, while a shorter effective edge is advantageous for turning and spinning more easily.

Ender: The last trick shown in a video part, and/or the final (and most coveted) part in a snowboard video is referred to as the ender. Sometimes a trick is shown after the part or video seems to have ended, which is called an “ender ender.”

EST: EST stands for Extra Sensory Technology and is a snowboard binding mounting option that is unique to Burton bindings. EST bindings are exclusively designed for use with The Channel.

Euro Carve: Originating in the Alps during the 1980s, the Euro carve is a style of carving in which the rider makes wide, deep carves, with their body very close to the ground (often outstretched and parallel to the snow).

Photo Credit: @peterbauersnow

Extruded Base: A type of snowboard base made by melting polyethylene pellets, an extruded base is essentially one piece with medium permeability. Characteristics of extruded base snowboards include low cost of ownership, low cost of repair, and less frequent maintenance.

F

Fakie: A term adopted from skateboarding, snowboarding fakie (or switch) means riding the opposite of a rider’s natural stance. For example, if a snowboarder normally rides goofy (right foot forward, left foot back) and then spins around to ride with their left foot in front, they are riding fakie. Some snow and skateboard purists argue that it is not possible to ride fakie because the word “fakie” in skateboarding is a distinction between different foot placements on the board while riding switch (not to be confused with the simple act of riding switch in and of itself), which is irrelevant in snowboarding because the rider's feet are stationary on the board.

Fakie Ollie: A rare snowboard maneuver in which a rider going switch (backwards) leaves the ground by popping off of the leading end of their board (technically the tail).

Fall Line: The fall line of a slope refers to the route leading straight down a slope based on its topography relative to gravity. If you were to drop a ball down a trail, it would roll downhill following the fall line.

Feature: Any natural or man-made obstacle that can be used to perform a trick is called a feature.

Five-O: A snowboard trick adopted from skateboarding, five-o is another word for “tailpress.”

Flat Spin: A flat spin is a snowboard trick where the rider performs rotations in the air without any cork (inversion). Note that this term is generally used to describe higher rotations where spinning flat increases the difficulty of the trick.

Flat Bottom: The section in the middle of a halfpipe at the bottom of the two quarterpipe walls is known as the flat bottom.

Flat Based: Flat based riding refers to snowboarding without using the board’s edges. "Staying flat based” can be helpful for maintaining speed through low angle terrain.

Flat Ground: An adjective adopted from skateboarding that describe a genre of riding, flat ground snowboarding refers to the collection of tricks that can be performed without the assistance of a feature, such as a butter.

Flex: Flex refers to the degree of stiffness of a snowboard. Flex can be used to describe the longitudinal stiffness (nose to tail) or the torsional stiffness (across the waist from edge to edge) of a snowboard.

Flying V: Flying V is a hybrid board bend from Burton that has rocker between the feet and small sections of camber underneath the feet. The rocker in this profile makes the board loose and lifts up the nose and tail while the camber under the feet provides extra edge grip on hardpacked conditions.

Follow Cam: An approach to filming snowboarding, a follow cam involves a filmer holding a camera behind the subject as they ride.

Forward Lean: Forward lean is the amount of forward angle on a snowboarding binding highback. Most bindings have a dial that allows riders to set the amount of forward lean.

Freeride: Freeride is an adjective that is used to describe snowboarding on ungroomed terrain without a

Longitudinal Flex: Longitudinal flex refers to the stiffness of a snowboard from tip to tail.

M

MAGNA-TECH®: Anon’s proprietary MAGNA-TECH quick-change lens system uses rare earth magnets to secure goggle lenses in place in the frame.

McTwist: Named after professional skateboarder Mike McGill, a McTwist is an inverted trick done on a halfpipe or quarterpipe. A McTwist is a front flip combined with a 540-degree rotation.

Mid Layer: In terms of winter layering, the second layer of clothing (that is worn over the base layer) is referred to as the mid layer. Mid layers provide warmth and insulation. Common mid layer materials include down, synthetic, fleece, and wool.

Miller Flip: A Miller Flip is snowboard trick that is an inverted frontside 360 combined with a handplant.

Misty Flip: A snowboard trick done off a jump, a misty flip is an inverted backside 540.

Moguls: Prized by skiers, and generally avoided by snowboarders, moguls (or bumps) are mounds of snow that form on trails.

N

Noboarding: Technically not to be confused with powder surfing, noboarding is a type of snow surfing in which the rider uses a traditional snowboard with the bindings removed. "Noboards" will often include grip pads and bungee straps to either hold or place over the feet.

Nollie: A term borrowed from skateboarding, a nollie is a snowboard trick in which the rider pops (or jumps) into the air off of the nose of their board rather than the tail, hence the name which is an abbreviation of “nose ollie.”

Nose: The nose of a snowboard is the front tip of the board that points downhill when being ridden in your preferred stance.

Nosepress: A nosepress is a snowboard jib trick in which the rider presses all of their weight downwards into the nose of their board while sliding on a box, rail, or other jib feature so that the tail lifts up, leaving the nose as the only part of the board in contact with the feature.

O

Off-piste: Piste is French for “trail” so off-piste can be loosely translated as “off-trail.” Off-piste snowboarding refers to riding any terrain that is not designated as a trail.

Ollie: A term borrowed from skateboarding, an ollie is a snowboarding trick where the rider transfers their weight to the back foot and pops the board up off the snow. The ollie is a foundational trick that is used in many other areas of snowboarding.

One-Footer: Any trick that a rider executes with only one foot strapped in may be referred to as a one-footer. Variations include grabs, spins, slides, flips, and foot plants, many of which have their own names.

Opener: The first segment or “part” in a snowboard video is referred to as the opener.

Outer Layer: In terms of winter layering, the exterior layer of clothing (worn over the base layer and mid layer) is referred to as the outer layer, or outerwear. Outer layers are typically engineered to protect the wearer from rain, wind, and snow.

P

P-Tex: Short for polyethylene, P-Tex is a tradename for the base material that is used in skis and snowboards.

Park Laps: Park laps refer to runs through the park at the resort, as in “Let’s meet up for some park laps tomorrow.”

Piste: French for “trail,” piste snowboarding refers to riding any terrain that is groomed.

Poach: One of Jake’s favorite activities, ducking ropes or riding closed terrain is called poaching and someone who poaches terrain is known as a poacher. Thankfully, there’s no connection to animal poaching.

Poke: A poke is a way to add style or finesse to an air by exaggeratedly poking the nose or tail of the board in a direction.

Pop: As a verb, the act of using the snowboard to spring up into the air off of the ground is called popping.

Powder: Powder is soft, freshly fallen snow. Also known as pow, it’s the holy grail of snowboard conditions. Some would suggest that in order to earn the designation of “powder” the snow must be so deep that the rider does not feel the base (or hard snow) beneath the fresh snow. Others would argue that any freshly fallen ungroomed snow can be considered "powder." The debate is ongoing, and for the sake of diplomacy we’re going to leave it up to you to make up your own mind.

Powder Day: Also referred to as a “pow day,” a powder day is any day where there’s so much new snow that you get to ride a whole bunch of powder.

Powder Surfing: Powder surfing (or pow surfing) is the act of surfing on snow without the use of bindings or a handle. Pow-surf specific boards are often referred to as “pow surfers.”

Press: A press is a snowboard jib trick in which the rider presses all of their weight downwards into either the nose or tail of their board while sliding on a box, rail, or other jib feature so that the opposite side of the board lifts up, leaving the "pressed” end as the only part of the board in contact with the feature.

Pretzel: Pretzel, or “pretzel-out” is a term applied to a spin out of a boardslide or lipslide that is in the opposite direction as the initiation of the slide. For example, a frontside boardslide to frontside 270 out (in short: “front board pretzel”) would require a rider to spin their board in one direction to initiate the frontside boardslide, and then the opposite direction to complete the frontside 270 before landing.

Probe: Also known as an avalanche probe, a probe is an extendable rod that is used to locate people or things buried in an avalanche.

Proper: Proper refers to the execution of a trick or maneuver done correctly, or in alignment with the initial execution of the trick in the context of its cultural roots, as in “Proper style.” For example, for a rider to do a boardslide with proper style, the board would have to be perpendicular to the rail at a 90-degree angle throughout the slide.

Q

Quarterpipe: A quarterpipe is a single wall transition feature with a curved riding surface from the bottom to the top.

R

Rail: As a noun, a rail is a metal feature that can be jibbed in the park or at an urban location. Also, like in surfing, the edge of a board can sometimes be referred to as the “rail.” Therefore, as a verb, railing turns on a snowboard means making fast, hard carves that stand the board up all the way on its edge.

Re:Flex: Re:Flex is a snowboard mounting interface from Burton that is considered universally compatible with all modern mounting systems. Re:Flex snowboard bindings can be mounted on 3D, 2x4, and snowboards featuring The Channel.

Reference Stance: The manufacturer’s indicated “standard” stance location on a snowboard is called the reference stance and it is a great place to start when setting up a new snowboard.

Regular: Regular refers to a snowboarding stance where the left foot is in front, and the right foot is in back while riding downhill. Note: Regular does not imply correct.

Reverse Camber: The opposite of camber, reverse camber is another name for rocker.

Revert: A revert is a snowboard trick where the rider shifts their riding direction from normal to switch or switch to normal without leaving the ground. In snowboard contests, reverting to keep yourself from falling will cost you points.

Rewind: A rewind is a snowboard trick where the rider stops and reverses a spin mid-rotation while in the air.

Rider: A person who rides a snowboard. A snowboarder.

Rodeo: A rodeo is a snowboard trick that generally includes one complete flip and a rotation while in the air. Rodeos can be executed frontside or backside with just a 180 spin and a flip, or at least a significant inversion or “cork,” but they can be done with greater spins as well. Although, spinning more rotations than a 720 in a rodeo makes it very difficult for the rider to control the flip.

Rocker: In snowboarding, rocker refers to the downward curve (or bend) of a board. A rocker snowboard has a downward bend between the feet. Note: Some people refer to rocker as “reverse camber.”

Rolling Down the Windows: When a snowboarder gets off-balance in the air, they may wave their arms around wildly in an attempt to recover. This action is known as rolling down the windows because the motion resembles someone using the knob to lower the window in a car.

Rooster Tail: A rooster tail is a high, arching spray of displaced powder or soft snow that gets thrown up behind a snowboarder as they make a turn.

Rotation: In snowboarding, a rotation is a spin of the body, either in the air, on a jib, or on the snow.

Run: A run is a trail or slope that can be snowboarded down, or it can also be a way to refer to a single trip from the top to the bottom of a slope, as in, "I can’t wait for our next run," or "This is an easy run.”

Running Length: Running length refers to the length of the base of a snowboard that touches the snow while it is being ridden, measured in centimeters.

Runout: The area after the landing of a jump or jib in which a snowboarder has room to ride away is referred to as the runout.

S

Sameway: Sameway, or “sameway out” is a term applied to a spin out of a boardslide or lipslide that is in the same direction as the initiation of the slide. For example, a frontside bluntslide to backside 270 out (in short: “front blunt sameway”) would require a rider to spin their board in one direction to initiate the frontside boardslide, and then spin in the same direction to complete the backside 270 before landing.

Scorpion: Often abbreviated to “scorp,” a scorpion is when a rider falls forwards onto their chest while their feet continue moving forwards above their head like the tail of a scorpion.

Setback: Setback refers to how far back a stance is mounted from the reference stance.

Shell: An outerwear shell is a non-insulated jacket (or pair of pants) that is worn as part of a winter layering system and is specifically designed to repel moisture and keep the wearer dry.

Shifty: A shifty is a snowboard trick where the rider twists the upper body and lower body in opposite directions while in the air.

Shred: As a verb, shred refers to snowboarding hard, as in, “Let’s shred that line!” As a noun, a shredder is someone snowboards aggressively, but can also be endearing to your friends. “Let’s go, shredders!”

Sidecut: The curve along the side of a snowboard is called sidecut. Sidecut is expressed using a measurement called sidecut radius. Sidecut radius is a measurement used to express the sidecut of a snowboard and is equal to the radius of a circle (in meters) that would fit into the sidecut of the snowboard. A smaller sidecut radius makes a snowboard quicker and easier to turn, while a larger sidecut radius make a snowboard steady and consistent at high speeds.

Side Hit: A side hit is a jump, jib, or other feature on the side of a resort run that forms either due to natural conditions or grooming in such a way that a rider may use it to execute a freestyle maneuver.

Sideslip: Sliding sideways down a slope or trail on a snowboard is called sideslipping.

Sintered Base: A type of snowboard base made by forcing polyethylene pellets together at high pressure, a sintered base is highly porous. Characteristics of sintered base snowboards include higher speeds and increased durability.

Skins: Climbing skins (or just skins) are strips of material made from a carpet-like plush that are used during uphill splitboarding to allow the individual split skis to glide forward while preventing them from slipping backward. Skins provide traction that allows riders to climb uphill with split skis on their feet, attaching to the bases of split skis with nose/tail clips and glue.

Slash: When a rider turns in powder or soft snow so that their edge slides across the surface rather than cutting straight through it, typically displacing snow as the board turns more sideways to the direction of momentum, it is called a “slash.” Riders can also turn and slash on non-powder surfaces such as the top of a bank, berm, bump, quarterpipe, or along the edge of a trail.

Sled: Sled is a slang term for a snowmobile.

Slope: A slope is any downhill mountain terrain, regardless of whether or not it can be ridden on.

Slope Angle: Slope angle refers to the steepness of a trail, mountain face, or other uphill/downhill terrain, expressed in degrees from the horizon. Slope angle knowledge is especially important for backcountry travelers, as avalanches statistically occur more on certain slope angles.

Sluff: A small avalanche or slide comprised of loose snow falling down a slope is called sluff.

Slopestyle: Slopestyle is a type of snowboarding competition in which riders perform tricks on a course that contains several features, including jumps, transitions, rails, and boxes.

Snake: A term borrowed from surfing, snaking someone while snowboarding means cutting in front of them on the mountain.

Snowcat: A snowcat is an enclosed-cab, truck-sized vehicle that is specifically designed to move on snow. These are often used by snowboarders to get deeper into the backcountry in approved zones.

Snurfer: A predecessor to the snowboard, a Snurfer is a narrow bindingless board with a rope handle on the nose, invented in 1965 by Sherman Poppen.

Speed Check: In snowboarding, a rider manages speed when approaching a jump or other feature with a speed check, which is a quick turn that reduces momentum (note that speed check can be used as either a noun or a verb).

Speed Zone: Speed Zone™ is a snowboard boot lacing system from Burton that utilizes two pull-laces, routed through the shell of the boot, that allow the upper and lower zones to be tightened independently.

Spin: In snowboarding, a spin is a rotation of the body, either in the air, on a jib, or on the snow.

Spine: A spine is a man-made or naturally occurring snow feature with two transitional walls (like quarterpipes) that come together at the top so that a snowboarder can air off either side and land on the other.

Splitboarding: Splitboarding is a type of snowboarding where the rider splits their snowboard into two individual planks (a splitboard) and uses climbing skins to walk (tour) uphill and access terrain. At the top, the rider reassembles (transitions) the skis back into a snowboard before riding down.

Stair Set: A term borrowed from skateboarding, stair set refers to a group of stairs, either at an urban spot or in a terrain park, that make up part of a freestyle feature such as a rail or gap.

Stall: In snowboarding, a stall refers to the act of coming to a brief stop and holding a trick in-place, often on a transition feature like a quarterpipe.

Stance: In boardsports stance refers to the placement of feet on the board, with one foot in front of the other foot while standing sideways. There are two types of stance: regular and goofy. Regular footed means the left foot is in front, and the right foot is in back; goofy footed means that the right foot is in front, and the left foot is in back.

Steeze: A combination of style and ease, steezy is an adjective used to describe stylish snowboard tricks, or a rider’s gear. While some riders may still say this snowboarding term, it is no longer widely used and is not considered "cool” in some circles.

Step-In Binding: A type of snowboard binding that has no straps, step-in bindings use different types of boot-to-binding interfaces (such as metal bars in the boot and a plate on the board).

Step Down: A step down jump refers to a jump where the lip is higher than the landing.

Step-On: Step On is a proprietary boot/binding interface from Burton that consists of specifically engineered snowboard boots and snowboard bindings. With Step On, the boot is anchored in the binding with three secure locking points: two toe cleats and a heel cleat. You could call it a step-in style binding.

Stomp: When a snowboarder stomps a trick, it means that the landing of that trick was smooth and well executed so that both feet "stomped” back down on the ground evenly.

Stomp Pad: A stomp pad is a no-slip pad that can be applied to the topsheet of a snowboard to provide traction when one foot is unstrapped.

Straight Air: When a rider goes off a jump and does not spin or flip, it may be referred to as a straight air.

Style: Style is the way someone does what they do—their approach, their attitude, their perspective, and their values expressed through action. Because style is the result of individual creative expression, there is much debate as to whether or not it can be qualitatively judged on an objective basis. That said, there are many examples of things that have become known as "good” or “proper” style within the snowboard community.

Switch: Snowboarding switch (or fakie) means riding the opposite of that rider’s preferred stance. For example, if a rider normally rides goofy (right foot forward, left foot back) and then spins around to ride with their left foot in front, they are riding switch.

T

Tabletop: A tabletop is a man-made jump feature where the take-off and landing are connected by a long, flat surface (like the top of a table).

Tail: The tail of a snowboard is the back that points uphill when being ridden in the normal stance.

Two Skip: Short for “take two and skip the last,” two-skip is something superstitious riders say when they’re ready to stop riding for the day because they believe it is bad luck to overtly vocalize that this will be their last run.

Taper: The taper of a snowboard is the difference between the width of the nose and the width of the tail, each measured in millimeters.

Terrain Park: A terrain park is an area that is designated for freestyle snowboarding and includes jumps, transitions, rails, boxes, and other features.

Toe Drag: Toe drag is when the toe of a snowboard boot hangs over the toeside edge of a snowboard while strapped into the binding. Toe drag is often an issue for riders with large feet and the use of wide snowboards can help minimize heel drag.

Toeside: The edge of a snowboard that runs alongside the toes is called the toeside edge. When riders say “approach toeside” or “be more toeside” they are saying to put more weight on the toeside edge than the heelside edge.

Toeside Turn: A toeside turn is when a rider leans up and over the toeside edge of the snowboard to initiate a turn.

Topsheet: The top layer of a snowboard’s construction is called the topsheet. Common topsheet materials include nylon, wood, fiberglass, or composites.

Tomahawk: A tomahawk, also referred to as tomahawking, is a type of fall (crash or bail) in powder riding in which a rider falls forwards into deep snow and then continues to tumble down the slope with their feet cartwheeling up over their head repeatedly until they come to a stop.

Torsional Flex: Torsional flex refers to the stiffness of a snowboard across the waist from edge to edge.

Transition: In snowboarding, the term transition has two common uses. First, transition is a way to refer to the curved area of a feature as it transitions from horizontal to vertical, such as a halfpipe, quarterpipe, hip, or jump. Secondly, in splitboarding, transition refers to the act of switching a splitboard from walk mode to downhill mode.

Traverse: As a noun, traverse refers to a long, flat section of a mountain that runs perpendicular to the fall line. As a verb, traverse refers to the act of snowboarding perpendicular to the fall line. You might need to traverse to get from one ridable zone to another.

Tripod: A tripod is a flatground snowboard trick where the rider places both hands on the ground while riding on just the tip of the board (either the nose or the tail).

Tune: Any maintenance a rider does to their snowboard, such as sharpening edges or running it through a base grinder, may be considered tuning, or giving the board a “tune-up.”

Tweak: A tweak is an extension of the arms and/or legs during a snowboard grab trick. A well-tweaked grab will likely flex the board, boots, and bindings. Hence the phrase, “If you’re bindings aint squeakin’, then you aint tweakin‘.” (Note that tweak can be used as either a noun or a verb.)

Twin: A snowboard that is symmetrical in shape, bend, and flex is called a twin snowboard (or a true twin snowboard).

U

Underflip: An underflip is a snowboard trick that includes one complete backflip on the y axis (as opposed to straight up and down like in a rodeo) and a frontside rotation while in the air.

US Open: The Burton U·S·Open is a snowboard contest that began in 1982 in which the world’s best snowboarders compete in halfpipe and slopestyle events.

V

Vert: The top section of a quarterpipe or halfpipe wall that curves all the way upwards until its peak is perpendicular to the ground, or vertical, is called vert. The amount of “vert” a quarterpipe or halfpipe has is determined by the amount of vertical surface height at the top. For example, a quarterpipe that does not curve all the way up to vertical has zero vert, while a quarterpipe that has three feet of vert is a quarterpipe that curves all the way up to vertical and then continues straight upwards for three feet. If the curve of the surface continues past the point of vertical, that is considered “over vert.”

Video Part: A segment in a snowboard movie featuring footage of an individual rider is called a video part. Often, several video parts from several riders are combined to create a complete snowboard film, and multiple riders may contribute footage to a “shared" video part.

W

Waist Width: Waist width refers to the width of a snowboard at its narrowest point from edge-to- edge, measured in millimeters.

Wall: The vertical section of a quarterpipe or halfpipe is called a wall.

Wall Ride: Riding with the base of your board on a vertical or near-vertical surface (other than a quarterpipe) is called a wall ride.

Wax: Wax improves the performance of snowboards and allows them to slide over snow by reducing the friction of the base material. Snowboard wax is available in different chemical compositions and different temperature ratings to maximize performance for specific uses.

White Room: White room is a term that is used to describe the temporary blindness a snowboarder experiences when plowing through deep powder so that it flies up and covers your line of sight, as in, “It was so deep that I got caught in the white room.”

Wind Hold: On extremely windy days, a resort may choose to suspend the operation of a chairlift out of safety, this is referred to as a wind hold.

X

X Games: Launched in 1995, the X Games are an annual extreme sports event hosted by ESPN that includes summer competitions (skateboarding, motocross, BMX, and surfing) and winter competitions (snowboarding and skiing).

Y

Yard Sale: When a skier crashed while riding and loses both poles and both skis, this is called a yard sale as it resembles a bunch of items spread out on the yard (the only thing missing is the price tags). A snowboarder may achieve a yard sale by losing their helmet, goggles, and mittens.

Z

Zeach: Named after pro rider Zach Leach, a zeach is a boardslide in which the board is not 90 degrees perpendicular to the rail. Zeaches are typically not considered “proper.” For example, a rider might try a boardslide and then ask, “Was that proper, or did I zeach it?”

#

3D Hole Pattern: The 3D hole pattern is a binding mounting interface developed by Burton Snowboards. The 3D hole pattern was phased out following the introduction of The Channel® in 2007.

4-Hole Pattern: A 4-hole pattern is a binding mounting interface that is used by many snowboard companies and features two rows of inserts.

50-50: A trick done on a rail or a box, a 50-50 is when a snowboarder slides a feature with the board parallel to the feature they are sliding on.

Final Thoughts on Snowboarding Terms & Slang

Snowboarding terminology and slang attempts to describe and share the joy and fun of riding. And the words are constantly evolving (a few years ago a “triple cork” didn’t exist). But that’s part of what makes snowboarding so interesting. So, take it all in and feel comfortable talking shop because it’s all part of being a snowboarder.