I’m not here to tell you I’ve cracked some secret code to snowboarding that no one else knows. That whole “don’t listen to them, listen to me” vibe is exhausting.
What I can tell you is what’s worked for me after years of riding, teaching and blowing money on gear I didn’t need. Stuff that made my days on snow easier, more fun and less painful. If it helps you, great. If not, at least you know it’s coming from someone who’s been there, not a marketing brochure.
Here’s why I stopped following pro riders for gear advice.
1. Pros Ride Totally Different Terrain
A pro is dropping cliffs and hitting 80-foot kickers. You and I are probably linking turns at our local hill and maybe lapping some side hits. Their “go-to board” makes sense for them because of where and how they ride. For you it could feel like steering a tank.
2. Pros Don’t Pay for Their Gear
When your boards and boots are free you can swap setups all season. Pros aren’t worried about dropping $700 on a board that only works in perfect snow. Most of us are. Their advice isn’t bad, it’s just not grounded in the same reality we live in.
3. They’ve Got Perfect Boot Fits
Pros have boot sponsors, custom liners and someone dialing in their fit every season. That heel hold they rave about? It’s not the same boot you grab off the shop wall. When you listen to their “this boot is perfect” take, you’re hearing the version molded to their foot, not yours.
4. They’re Way Stronger Than Us
A pro can muscle a stiff-as-concrete board into submission. You and I can’t. They train, ride every day and have years of muscle memory. Of course that plank feels playful to them – they’re built for it.
5. They’re Paid to Hype Gear
Even the most genuine riders have contracts. Their job is to make a brand look good. If they say every board they touch is “the best board ever,” it’s not because they’re lying. It’s because that’s literally what they’re paid to do. What would you do?
6. You’re Not Chasing the Same Dream
Most of us just want to get a few good powder days, ride with friends and not blow our knees out. Pros want to film video parts, win contests, or huck tricks that make you sweat just watching. Their gear choices are shaped by those goals – yours probably aren’t.
So What Should We Do?
1. Stop Copying Pro Setups
I did this for years. Saw my favorite rider in a movie (shoutout Torstein Horgmo), then went out and bought the same board, same stance, same boots. Spoiler: it didn’t magically make me ride better.
Most pros ride stuff that’s stiff, unforgiving and built for things you and I aren’t doing on a Tuesday groomer. They also ride what they’re told to… or paid to. No surprises there.
You and I don’t need a tank of a board or boots that feel like ski race boots. You need gear that matches how you actually ride – not how you wish you rode in your head.
2. Choose Your Own Damn Stance
Here’s another thing I got wrong. I thought once you set your stance, that was it. Forever. And the stance I set was essentially what my favorite rider rode – which is ridiculously wide (thanks again Torstein). I rode this every, single, day. What a mistake.
Some days you’re riding pow. Some days it’s icy corduroy. Some days you’re just messing around in the park. Adjusting angles, width, or even sliding your bindings back a notch can totally change how the board feels under your feet. It’s not a pain either. Takes five minutes in the parking. My first powder day where I didn’t ride duck stance with zero setback was mind-blowing.
3. Listen to Riders Who Ride Like You
Not every rider is worth tuning out. The trick is finding people who ride the way you actually ride. If you’re lapping groomers, a backcountry pro isn’t your compass. If you’re hitting rails, don’t take your cues from someone chasing Alaskan spines. Pay attention to folks whose style and terrain match yours. They’ll have insights that translate straight to your setup without the noise.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day your setup should feel like yours. Not some YouTube pro’s. Not what your buddy swears by. Yours.
The internet loves to overcomplicate snowboarding with angles and millimeters and secret formulas. But the truth is simpler. Try stuff. See what feels good. Keep what works and toss the rest.
If your board feels better and you’re having more fun then you nailed it. That’s really the only measure that matters.
And if you’re stuck or just tired of the guesswork, you can always lean on us. Yeah I know… after a whole article about not listening to random advice, here I am saying listen to us. Call it the one exception. See you out there.
