Snowboard Camber Profiles Explained

Ever since the reintroduction of rocker in the late 2000’s snowboard camber profiles has changed a lot. Nowadays there are so many different ways a board has contact with the snow. Here are some of the more common profiles out there.

*** One thing to remember is Camber is created by bending and then trying to hold that wood in place and not all wood will bend the same way. You might find that the camber of your board is different from your friends. For example, I’ve come across many of the same boards made at the same time with variances in the bend of all types of camber profiles.***

Traditional Camber

This was the most common shape until the late 2000′s.  This is a fast stable poppy ride but its less forgiving than any other shape so you have to be on your game. In general, it’s also a lot more work to stay afloat in powder and really taxes the back leg.

Mostly Camber

Camber in the tip and tail but also rocker that touches equally in the middle.

 Directional Camber

There is what many call S-Rocker that has camber from the tail to around the front binding and then rocker to the nose. There are variations of this with more or less camber or rocker.

These are boards that might have some new hybrid camber tech but mainly ride like a camber board.  They might be more catch free but generally, have the same float or only slightly better float than camber.  Here are some common types of mostly camber.

Hybrid Camber

These are boards with camber between the feet and rocker after that float well in powder but also have similar properties to a camber board when it comes to stability. They are also more catch free than camber. There are many types but most are similar to hybrid rocker when it comes to having a forgiving feel underfoot.

Many have a balanced amount of camber and rocker.

There are also a lot that is mostly rocker with a small camber profile between the feet.

Camber to flat or sometimes camber to flat to a little bit of rocker.

There is even camber with the sides lifted. This makes the edges catch free but also helps with a float.

Hybrid Rocker

This is what we call a snowboard that has rocker in the center and then a camber bend at the tip and tail.  The end result is the tip and tail are still off the ground and only make contact when it’s weighted.  It can have a very loose feel similar to continuous rocker but because of the camber in the tip and tail, you can make turns that have some of the characteristics of a camber board.

Flat to Rocker

This has a flat spot starting in the middle and ending somewhere before or after the bindings. There are many variations of this shape and they have a design for just about any riding style and shape.

Continuous Rocker

this is the exact opposite of camber. With rocker, the center of the board is usually touching the snow and the nose and tail are usually above the snow.   This technology was re-introduced in 2007.  These designs are very loose, catch-free and very forgiving. They are great for park and powder play, but not great for high-speed mountain riding or carving out a real turn.