Difference between snowboards?

Freestyle snowboards are wider and shorter and lighter than freeride boards.Best board for beginners because it is more flexible and designed for performing tricks. Freeride Boards are used in halfpipe snowboard. This board is designed to float well in powder and generally has a narrow, shorter and flatter tail than the tip of the board. Alpine or Race Snowboards look like an enlarged ski. Designed for higher speeds and generally reserved for more experienced snowboarders.

Heres a simple breakdown Park Boards - Light, flexible, catch free edge, V rocker, easy and fun for beginners and experts. Freeride Boards - Heavy, speed demon, stiff, camber and reverse camber, very experienced riding in back country. Freestyle Boards - Wide, moderately heavy, spring-loaded, its the best of both worlds, GREAT FOR BEGINNERS to see if they want to go to park or back country.

Free style boards: relatively short, soft and bendy, both ends of the board are rounded, and the edges are rounded. Free ride boards: stiff, sharp edges, front end is rounded, back end is squared, medium-long length. Alpine boards: long, stiff, front end is pointed, back end is squared, usually no graphics on the base of the board.

free style is more of a park persons board (rails and jumps) free ride is for just crusing around and alpine is for fast things like doing races, i am 510 and ride a 156 so a 152-156 would be good for you as well. if i were you i would get a burton twin or a rome

Alpine boards make you go faster. freestyle boards are more flexible free riding(all-mountain) boards are almost the same thing as freestyle. There are 2 main ways companies make snowboards. The first is called v-rockers. they help a lot with turning. The next is called Cambers. On camber boards the center is not touching but the tip and tail are. those offer better edge hold and more pop. Theres alot more detail about it. Some good snowboarding brands are Burton, Ride, Forum, Rome, Stepchild, and K2.