Understanding Rockered and Cambered Boards OR, For Those About to Rock(er)? Snowboard Tech

With all this new snowboard technology emerging, deciding on the right board is a more difficult choice than ever. This article is going to cover rockered (reverse camber)boards, their variety and how they differ from traditional cambered boards, which is what have dominated the market for the last 25 years or so.
NOTE: Companies are using many different terms for rockered, or reverse cambered boards, so pay attention to the stat sheets on each board. Names like Banana, Chilidog, Iroc, LowRize, are all terms for rockered boards.
CAMBER. If you lay a traditional board on the ground, it will bow up slightly in the middle, off of the ground. This is camber.
WHAT IT DOES. When you turn, the middle of the board is forced along the sidecut to touch the snow, allowing the board to bend in the direction you are turning. By forcing the flex of the board against that of the camber, the board achieves better pressure on the edges, giving you 'grip' through your turn. By nature, the camber is creating constant pressure on your tip and tail, the widest points of the board. Typically, these points are where you will catch an edge and fall, as the camber forces them into the ground. A stiff board, or one with a lot of camber increases this likelihood.
BENEFITS OF CAMBER. By the same token, these characteristics are also what give the board it's 'pop'; for better ollies or spring off of the tail, whether it be springing off the lip of a jump or springing you out of a turn. For a competent, aggressive rider, this is often preferred when jumping, carving, riding the pipe, racing, or just enjoying the feel of a solid edge in the snow for a stable feeling ride.
ROCKER. Ok, now picture a board laying flat on the ground. With rocker, the middle of the board is touching, and the tip and tail are off the ground. Hence, reverse camber. These boards have a 'loose' feel to them compared to one with camber, as it is much easier to release the edges of the board when turning or shifting your weight front or back.
BENEFITS OF ROCKER (REVERSE CAMBER)
1. They work great in powder. The turned up tip allows the board to stay afloat in soft snow, while the turned up tail sinks more easily at the rear, putting much less strain on the back leg. This can eliminate the need for a longer, powder specific board. Also with this type of board, it is not as important to move the binding stance towards the rear. This is very appealing to the freestyle rider, as they can ride more of a centered stance, making tricks in powder much easier, not to mention making it much easier to ride switch in pow.
2. Great for beginners. Since the tip and tail are off of the ground when your weight shifts, it is almost difficult to catch an edge. Actually, great for anyone who wants to make easy turns without a lot of effort, or someone who wants a loose, surf- style feel to their turns.
3. Great for jib- style park riders. Nose presses and manuals almost feel like you are cheating on one of these, but make for some super fun and stylish box and rail tricks. Also, when doing spins on jumps, the lifted edges can save you if you hit the ground without completing your spin; you can just pivot the board around to land without snagging the edge.
That being said, there are many variations of this technology. A rocker with one continuous curve ( think of a smile) has a very loose feel. Whenever you shift your weight off of a foot, that end of the board will lift, releasing the edge from that end of the board. This is great for beginners as it is almost hard to catch an edge, as well as being a good shape for powder. The downside to this is that it is somewhat difficult to actually set an edge once a turn is initiated. Companies have solved this issue by adding 'bumps' along the sidecut of the board. If you look down at the top of a board, it is somewhat hourglass shaped due to the sidecut. The 'bumps' bring out the edge along the sidecut, usually around where the binding inserts are, and towards the center. The most widely recognized of this technology is Lib Tech's Magne-Traction, which has a series of 'bumps' along it's edge to maintain edge hold. Burton calls their tech Pressure Distribution Edges, which bumps the edges out where the binding inserts are. This tech holds great when on edge, as there are several contact points of the edge in the snow. Again, each company has their own name for this technology, so do your homework when shopping. One other way to add edge hold to a full rockered board is to add camber in two separate spots, under each foot. This gives the board a loose feel when flat, but the camber kicks in when the board is put on edge. This also returns some of the 'pop' feel to the tail. Looking at one of these from the side, think of it as a 'W' shape; rocker in the middle, then camber on each side, then lifted tip and tail. Other boards are flat through the middle and are rockered from around the binding area towards the tip and tail. Again, this gives the board a loose feel when flat, as the edges are slightly lifted, but the flat center of the board allows it to hold an edge. Many of the park specific boards are using this tech.
ZERO CAMBER. Like it sounds, these boards are completely flat. They have a loose, neutral feel, but since the tail is on the ground at all times, they still have somewhat of a 'pop' when doing ollies, jumping, or coming out of turns.
There are other variations of this technology out there, and all of this being relatively new, expect things to change slightly over the next few years as companies dial in riders' needs. For some, one may be better than the other. Others may prefer a 'quiver' of boards, with a cambered deck for one application and a rockered one for another. Me? I'm just giving you some insight into what to look for the next time you shell out your hard earned cash on a new deck!