They will also have straighter sides than stiffer, longer freeride boards. Freeride boards are made for a little bit of everything, from powder to avoiding trees, the occasional jump to carving down the hill. Race, or carve, boards, also known as alpine, are for going downhill fast on groomed surfaces. Davis asks his customers. You gotta know.
Good boots can protect both ankles and bindings.
Sorels do not provide much in the way of support to protect against ankle sprains, one of snowboarding's most common injuries. Hard plastic mountaineering boots seem to work fairly well for freeriding. Freestyle riding is easier with a more flexible boot. As far as differences between a man's and a woman's boot, snowboard manufacturer Burton makes the latter with a narrower forefoot, a higher arch, and room in the cuff for a lower calf muscle. One typical difference is that women's boots will have a narrow heel, to keep the foot from wobbling, Davis said.