levels. When choosing which of their boards may be best for you, your main considerations should be your skill level, favorite type(s) of terrain, your preferred board size, and budget. These considerations will help to narrow down your options and get you the perfect board.

I’ve spent more than half of my life snowboarding and working in the industry. I’ve worked as a snowboard rental technician at multiple mountain resorts, as well as in a snowboard shop where I helped customers decide on the best boards to demo and purchase. At Curated, I’ve worked with thousands of customers to help them get all kitted and fitted with the best possible snowboard gear for their riding preferences, ability, and budget.

Who is Decathlon?

Decathlon is a French sporting goods retailer founded in 1976, with the goal of making affordable, innovative, and quality sports gear. They design, manufacture, and sell gear for over 70 sports, including snowboarding, and have over 1,500 stores globally. While they may not be the biggest name in snowboarding, they are a reputable brand to consider if you are looking for snowboarding gear that is highly affordable and still good quality. They carry everything from hard goods, such as boards and boots, to accessories like snowboard jackets, snowboard bags, helmets, and goggles!

What to Consider When Buying a Decathlon Snowboard

How Much Should a Decathlon Snowboard Cost?

I’ve already mentioned that Decathlon is a great brand for affordable snowboard gear, and this is true! In fact, it’s one of the best brands to consider if you don’t have a huge budget but don’t want to buy a secondhand board. So how much are we talking about, exactly? Decathlon only has a select few models, but all of them are in the $200-$300 range. For context, the average snowboard typically starts above $400, so Decathlon boards are incredibly affordable in comparison to the rest of the industry! Even other value-focused brands like Rossignol can’t match this (their boards start at $400 on the dot).

Who Are Decathlon Snowboards For?

Decathlon is a value-focused brand. While they do produce snowboards for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders, they are really best suited for the casual rider who just gets out on the hill a couple of times a year and isn’t looking to ride any super specialized terrain, such as large terrain park features or insanely deep powder.

To put it simply, Decathlon snowboards aren’t bad, but they’re certainly no Burton. While Decathlon snowboards do deliver a TON of value for the price tag, they are still a value-focused brand at the end of the day, and not one to consider if you’re looking for top-notch performance.

What Type of Snowboarder Am I?

Two factors will determine what type of snowboarder you are: your ability level and your preferred terrain. Ability level is the easiest to gauge as trails at a ski resort are typically rated as follows:

• Green circle (beginner)
• Blue square (intermediate)
• Black diamond (advanced)
• Double black/triple black diamond (expert)

While these ratings are standardized across all ski resorts, knowing what trail rating you can comfortably ride at your local mountain should give you a decent idea of your ability level.

Your preferred terrain is a little more subjective. Some people only like to ride groomed trails, some like to seek out ungroomed off-piste riding such as in the woods or moguls, and some prefer spending their days in the terrain park doing tricks. Many people also like to dabble in a bit of everything, and that’s alright too! You don’t need to fall perfectly into any of these categories, but take some time to consider what sort of terrain you enjoy the most. Knowing this will come in handy when you’re looking at the different types of snowboards that Decathlon produces.

What Are the Different Types of Decathlon Snowboards?

Let’s explore the different types of snowboard Decathlon offers, and don't worry, it won’t take too long — they only have four different models! These four models are really meant for the rider who’s here for a good time, not necessarily to be the best shredder on the slopes. However, they do have some slight differentiating factors that are worth considering.

Beginner Snowboards

Decathlon carries just two beginner-focused boards: The Women’s Decathlon SNB 100, and the Men’s Decathlon SNB 100. These boards are designed for anyone, from the total newbie to the low-level intermediate, and they feature a soft flex and rocker/flat/rocker profile which are both features that create a forgiving and easy-going snowboarding experience. These are also Decathlon’s most affordable snowboard options.

Benefits:

• Great for complete beginners all the way to up casual intermediates.
• Very forgiving and great for learning or just taking it easy while riding.
• Incredible price-point for the product.

Keep in mind:

• Not ideal for any sort of technical or aggressive riding.
• Limited number of sizes to choose from.

All-Mountain Intermediate/Advanced Snowboards

Think of Decathlon's all-mountain boards as the Swiss Army knife in your snowboarding arsenal. These boards are designed to handle groomed runs, powder, and even terrain parks. They provide great versatility at an affordable price, with the caveat that they’ll be good at everything but not the best at anything. The two all-mountain models that Decathlon carries are the Decathlon Endzone 500 and the Decathlon Park & Ride 500.

The main difference between these two boards is in their profiles. The Decathlon Endzone 500 features a rocker/flat/rocker profile, making it a little more approachable than the Decathlon Park & Ride 500, which features a rocker/camber/rocker profile. Based on this alone, the Decathlon Endzone 500 is better for the intermediate/advanced rider who’s really not looking for speed or crazy performance, and just wants something to go out and enjoy mellow cruising on. The Decathlon Park & Ride 500 is better suited for someone who is looking to be a bit more aggressive, ride faster, and have a more responsive feel.

Benefits:

• Versatility for comfortably exploring most of what a ski resort has to offer.
• Amazing price-point for an intermediate/advanced style snowboard.

Keep in mind:

• Will fall short at the extremes such as high-speed riding, deep powder, or huge freestyle maneuvers.
• Limited sizes available.

Features to Look for in Decathlon Snowboards

When searching for a snowboard, various features can enhance your riding experience. Below I’ll cover some of the technical terminology you’ll find when looking at Decathlon boards, and what it says about how they’ll perform.

Profile

The two different profiles offered by Dechatlon are rocker/flat/rocker and rocker/camber/rocker. Rocker provides easy turn initiation and float in powder, flat provides a forgiving feel that makes the board less likely to catch an edge by accident, and camber provides extra edge hold and responsiveness but is less forgiving.

Shape

Decathlon boards feature either true twin or directional twin shapes. True twin means the board is completely symmetrical, and will feel just the same riding forwards or backward (also known as switch). Directional twin means binding inserts are placed several centimeters back, resulting in a larger nose. This provides better float through fresh snow, but makes it slightly awkward to ride switch (although it is still very doable).

Flex

Decathlon offers soft flexing and medium flexing snowboards. Soft flexes are more forgiving and easier to control. This is because they are less responsive, and therefore won’t punish quick movements such as overcorrections. They also require less effort to turn due to this soft flex. A board with a medium flex is still relatively easy to control, but will be more responsive and require just a bit more energy to get the board to respond.

Remember, all of these features interact with one another, so it’s important to pick a snowboard that has the correct combination of features to match your riding style!

Finding the Best Decathlon Snowboard for You

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of why Decathlon is an appealing value-based brand, and what audience their snowboards are targeted towards (the casual rider)! When choosing which board is the best for you, there simply isn’t a universal “best” option, as it’s highly dependent on your riding style and skill level. Unfortunately, this is where things can get a little subjective, but fear not, because the Snowboarding Experts at Curated are here to help!

Here on Curated, you can chat with me or one of my fellow Snowboarding Experts for free, personalized advice to determine the best board for you based on all your specific needs and wants! It takes only a few minutes to get connected with an Expert and start chatting, and there’s no obligation to purchase anything nor any hidden fees. Get started here!