Average Snowboard Speed: Racing Against the Elements on the Slopes

Snowboarding is perhaps the most entertaining way to enjoy the snow of winter. One of the most entertaining things about snowboarding is its speed.

The average snowboard speed is quite amazing and sometimes can be a bit unbelievable. Riders who love speed often want to reach the high and try to test their limit.

But when they want to reach their top speed they can realize that the speed varies for many reasons. Skill is the main variable that differs the speed among the riders.

Statics show that a rider’s average speed can be reached to 20 to 40 miles per hour which is equal to 32kmp/h to 64kmp/h.

But things to remember are that the skill conditions of snow, slope, terrain and board’s material affect the speed of the snowboard.

Factors that Affecting Average Snowboard Speed

How fast do snowboarders go? Well, it is impossible to answer this question with a definite number.

There are many factors that affect average snowboard speed. We can consider the Rider’s skills, equipment, snow conditions, and terrain as the main variables.

Riders Skill Level:

An experienced rider is able to use his experience to boost the speed while riding the board.

Experience riders use their body weight and keen knowledge of snowboarding to exhilarate the board speed. They use some techniques to do so.

Carving and tucking are two common techniques used by experienced riders. However, carving is a way where riders use the edges of the board to create a smooth ride.

By carving back and forth riders cut the ice off the slope so that the slope becomes more smooth which increases the speed of the board.

Tucking is a technique used by snowboarders to reduce air resistance which helps to increase snowboard speed. Riders crouch down low to do this trick. Usually, we see this practice by professional riders.

Equipment:

How fast the average snowboarder goes on a snowboard very much depends on the equipment that he uses in snowboarding.

There are many types of snowboards nowadays that are designed based on their purposes. Snowboards that are often used to reach high speed are usually long and narrow.

Such kinds of design remain more stable and allow more control while going fast.

Sniffer boots are perfect for fast driving the board as they give more control at high speed rather than the soft ones.

Snow conditions:

Snow condition is a key factor in average snowboard speed. Different type of snow creates a different kind of friction.

Fresh snows are powdery and softer which decreases the board speed. On the other hand, old and strong snow or ice helps to top up the speed.

Terrain:

Terrain plays an important role in snowboard speed. It is hard to top up the speed on flat surfaces as gravity doesn’t help in this condition. But on a downhill surface, gravity provides extra benefits to riders that top up the average speed of the board.

If you want to set a new record of your speed on a snowboard then remember these important factors that affect the speed of a snowboard.

Average Snowboard speed by skill level

How fast snowboarders go can be judged by their skill level. We can see the chart below to understand the difference in the average speed of snowboarders by their skill level.

(The measuring unit of speed in miles per hour)

A beginner has less control over the board and finds difficulties when topping up the speed. Usually, a beginner can go between 20 to 30 miles per hour.

An intermediate rider has more control over the board and speed and can top up the speed up to 45 to 50 miles per hour.

An advanced rider knows the tactics of speeding up and has control at the same time and can go up to 50 to 55 miles per hour.

On the other hand, an expert can reach up to 100 miles per hour with their board. But that doesn’t mean they do this daily. Normally a pro rider rides their board at nearly in 50 to 55 miles per hour.

However, these speeds can change because of trails, snow, and any other reason.

Importance of controlling your speed while snowboarding

Speed is definitely fun while doing snowboarding but it is more important to control your speed rather than how fast you can go on a snowboard.

We can see some reason why controlling your speed is important.

Safety Considerations:

While a rider goes straight in a slope he should remember the power of gravity that increases every second. If you can’t control the speed you will fall from the board and injure yourself as well as the other riders of the park.

You may even have to stop all of a sudden because of an unwanted situation. So you must have to learn how to control the speed.

Performance Benefits:

Controlled speed can help you much in your performance and maneuver. Especially when you are doing tricks on board you have to speed up and down.

For example, when you are performing in halfpipe and want to flip in the air you have to top up the speed. It allows you to go and stay in the air for a long time.

But when you land after flipping you have to lower your speed to avoid the fallover from the board.

Tips for speed Control:

You can use some techniques to control your speed in snowboarding like carving, skidding, and using the fall line.

1. Carving: Carving is a way where riders use the edge of the board like a break. Riders can do this by bending their knee back and forth and contacting the edge of the board with ice by their heel or the front side of the feet. It increases the friction and helps lower the speed.
2. Skidding: Don’t skid your board straight while going down with the board. Better drive your board a bit vertically. You can intensify the friction of the board by this and control the speed.
3. Using the fall line: You have to understand the fall line to control your speed.  Your board should be perpendicular to the fall line to slow down your speed.

However, controlling the speed is more important than top-up the speed. So be careful about your speed and learn to control it.

Measuring your Snowboard Speed

There is nobody who doesn’t want to know his speed while riding on something. Snowboarders are never exceptional in this case.

Now it is very easy to measure the speed and track the full trip with much other information. Let’s see some way to do so.

Smartphone App:

The best way to measure your speed can be your smartphone. Now there are many apps to measure your snowboard speed.

‘Ski Tracker’ is a popular app for Android users to measure snowboard speed. Don’t be upset if you are a fan of the iPhone. You can use ‘Slopes’ to measure the speed of the snowboard.

Slope is also available in the Android variant. You also can use ‘Snowfit’ ‘Skifit’ ‘Freedom’ etc app to measure your snowboard speed based on your mobile phone operating system.

Tracker Devices:

if you don’t want to carry your phone during riding you can use “Snowboard Tracker” to measure your speed. It is a device that allows you to track and measure your snowboarding speed.

There is another device named “Trace” that can trace your trips with many details like speed, distance, rotation, and even air time while flipping in the air. It is actually an action tracker device.

Old School Method:

You can measure your average speed without using any device or app. To do this you have to measure your total course with a measuring tape and then divide it by your total travel time.

Yes, it is a complicated way to measure your speed.

However, measuring your speed can have a positive impact on your snowboard speed. You can identify your strengths and weaknesses by this.

Snowboarding speed world records and professional speeds

Professional snowboarders can go really fast with their board. So you can ask now, how fast is fast on a snowboard?

Unbelievably, professional riders can even top up their speed over 100 miles per hour. Let’s look at some world records to support this statement.

Fastest Recorded Speed:

Jamie Barrow is the record holder for fastest snowboarders. He set this record in 2022. He reached up to 131.11 mph which is equal to 211 km/h.

This is really insane yet true. The owner of the fastest downhill record is Edmond Plawczyk. He is a French professional snowboarder.

He set a record of 126.3 mph top speed. He set this record in 2015. It is far higher than the average snowboard speed.

These records are really uncommon but you have to remember that records are made to be broken. So we can hope that we will be able to see new records soon by professionals very soon.

Factors behind their Speeds:

These records never can be everyday scenes. There were some reasons behind these insane speed records.

The fact behind Jamie Barrow’s record was that he was towed with a car while set this record. On the other hand, Edmond Plawczyk used an aerodynamic suit while setting the record of reaching up to 126.3 mph. 

Are these records ideal examples of average snowboarding speed? The answer is “no”. We can call someone pro in this game if someone can go beyond 50 mph with their board having total control.

In the Olympics, we usually see riders with above 70 mph. Practice, snow conditions, experience, and track have impacts on snowboarders’ speed.

You also have to account rider’s equipment while talking about the factors of professional riders’ speed. Using proper boards and boots helps professionals to boost their speed.

Tips for increasing your snowboard speed safely

Everyone wants to improve their speed in snowboarding. But you never should try this too quickly.

If you can learn the process and facts of speeding up thoroughly then it will ensure your safety issues while riding the board. We can see the following tips and tricks.

Training tips:

Proper training is the most important thing you need to increase your speed safely. You should follow some steps during your training session.

Step 1- Set up a plan in your mind based on the trail that you want to ride with your board.

Step 2- Use the edges of the board to break the ice and make the trail smooth. Remember, a smooth trail helps to boost speed.

Step 3- When you are landing from air use your knee like a shock absorber does in a motorcycle. It will save you from hurting your leg without losing speed.

Apply these tips and practice as much as you can.

Equipment Upgrades:

Equipment plays a very important role in snowboarding speed. You should ensure the following equipment before thinking speeding up of your board.

1. Proper Snowboard: Always use proper snowboard for speeding. It is important for both speed and safety. Experts suggest a long nose board to increase speed. A long nose board contains extra weight on its front and works with gravity more to boost speed while going down.

2. Boots: Stiffer and hard boots are also helpful to increase speed. It attaches your feet more perfectly to the board and helps to control your speed.

3. Goggles: Always use safety goggles while riding in high speed. Remember that when you ride with more speed your eyes will face more air and it can frostbite your eyes.

I would like to suggest you use proper and branded equipment while you are trying your speed up in snowboarding.

Mental Preparation:

You should mentally prepare before trying your speed increase. You should be concerned about the issues described below.

• Proper mind set up: Proper mind setup is very important to increase speed. You must set a pre-plan before the ride. Make a plan based on your trail; identify the spots where you can top up your speed.  Enjoy your ride and feel free. 

• Confidence: Always keep your confidence high. You have to believe that you can top up your speed and control your board at the same time. You should never be afraid of fallinging over.

Remember that Snowboarding is not only a physical but also a mental game. If you can apply these tips and tricks and ensure proper equipment you will be able to increase your speed safely.

Conclusion

If you hear something like ‘speed snowboarding’ the first thing you can imagine is a rider going really fast with his board. Every rider loves speed.

But Speed is equally enjoyable and dangerous. It would help if you never went for extreme speed unless you are a master in the game.

Never try to speed up forcefully as average snowboard speed can varies because of many reasons as mentioned in the article. Always use proper equipment like board and boots to increase speed.

Last but not least, use a helmet and goggles to ensure your safety. If you read through the article you already should know the way to increase your snowboard speed and how to control it.

Let us know how you are going to apply these tips in your next ride on the board.