Snowboarding Glossary

Air: Any jump or leap where the rider lifts off the ground; alternately called an aerial.

Air-to-Fakie: Any trick in the halfpipe where the wall is approached riding forward, no rotation is made, and the boarder lands riding backward.

Alley-Oop: Any maneuver in the halfpipe where a boarder rotates 180° or more in an uphill direction by rotating backside on the frontside wall or rotating frontside on the backside wall.

All-mountain: Snowboards designed for exploring any terrain, from groomed runs to powder to park and pipe.

Asymmetrical Board: Board with unmatched sides designed for regular or goofy stance.

Asymmetrical Sidecut: A board that has a different-size sidecut on either side. In a shifted asymmetrical sidecut board, the center of the heelside radius is shifted back farther than the toeside radius to compensate for uneven weight distribution between the 2 edges.

Avalanche: A large snow slide that is often the result of heavy snowfalls, high winds, warm temperatures or human activity.

Avalanche Transceiver: A radio transmitter/receiver worn by riders in avalanche-prone terrain; its signal aids rescuers in locating buried avalanche victims.