r/snowboarding • u/Busy-Worth-416 Iowa • 1d ago

Gear question Instructor Board

Hello! I've never made a post here, but I have some questions and thought I'd give it a shot. I am looking to become a snowboard instructor this year in the midwest (yay!) and wondering about some board recs and advice for the year.

Mainly, I'm wondering how beat up I can expect my board to get.

I have a Nidecker Venus 2023 148/146 cm currently, which I LOVE. But, it's directional, weighted in the back, and it has a fatal flaw for the midwest: it really struggles on sheets of ice.

I'm looking for another board and new bindings this year (unfortunately, have been very disappointed with my Burton Scribes). I'm very drawn to the Burton Yeasayer 144 cm, but I don't want a top-of-the-line board to get totally ruined in lesson teaching. I'm sizing down a bit because the 148 is a bit long for my size. I would pair the Yeasayer with Union Trilogy bindings, I think.

Should I just buy a beater board secondhand and expect it to get ruined, or is it safe to invest in the board I want? Also, any advice for a new instructor would be great! Can't wait for the season start!

Thanks!

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u/SwedishSanta Instructor in Japan 1d ago

For beginner lessons I use a well worn, soft park board that doesn't care that people ride on it. Since you are just becoming an instructor, you will only teach beginners

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u/Busy-Worth-416 Iowa 1d ago

That's what I expect. I'm in Central Iowa at a whopping 300ft elevation ski hill, and the instructors vary significantly in abilities, so I'm not sure what to expect until I try I guess