Sicko

Sizing depends on which part of your setup you are buying. Boards are measured in centimetres and sized mainly by your weight, then your height and riding style, and any size marked W is a wide version of that length built for larger boots. Boots are sized in Mondopoint, which is the length of your foot in centimetres. Bindings come in S, M and L and are matched to your boot rather than your board. Between two board lengths, go shorter for park and quicker turn initiation, longer for stability at speed and float in powder. The size chart on this page lists every size available.

Snowboarding has no formal fit standard, so compatibility is checked physically rather than by norm. Bindings mount to the insert pattern on your board, usually 4x4 or 2x4, and channel systems need a compatible disc. Your boot should sit centred in the binding with the highback flush against your heel. Your boot sole should not overhang the toe and heel edges of the board by more than roughly a centimetre on each side, or it will catch through a turn. Larger boot sizes usually need a wide board.

Every board in the Armada range is built around a riding style. Park and street gear is softer, more forgiving at low speed and easier to press. Resort freestyle gear holds an edge on firm groomers while still riding switch. Natural freeride gear is stiffer and directional, built for speed, bigger terrain and soft snow. Match the gear to where you ride most days rather than to where you ride once a season.

True twins are symmetrical nose to tail and ride identically in both directions, which suits park and switch riding. Directional shapes are built to be ridden forward and give more drive through a turn. Tapered directional boards narrow towards the tail, which sinks the tail and floats the nose in deep snow. Whichever shape you pick, keep board, bindings and boots in roughly the same flex range, since mismatching them is the most common reason a setup feels either vague or harsh.

Dry everything after every day on snow. Wax your board every three to five days of riding, keep the edges free of burrs, and detune the contact points at nose and tail if you ride rails. Check binding mounting bolts a few times each season, since they work loose with vibration. Pull boot liners out and dry them at room temperature, never on a radiator or in a hot car. At the end of the season, apply a thick coat of storage wax and leave it unscraped.