About Dented Snowboard Edges

If you ride a snowboard on the park, or over rough terrain in the back country, at some point you are going to encounter dented snowboard edges. This is a problem that can affect your snowboard's performance and it also can be dangerous on icy conditions. These dented edges can be filed or filled, but it is very hard to replace an edge and expensive to do so.

Significance

A dented snowboard edge will affect your snowboard's ability to grip icy surfaces. Because the edge is made to lay flat on the slope when the board is flexed, a dent in the edge will cause the board to slide across the snow, without cutting into it. This reduces the ability of the board to carve across hard paced snow, and can also cause wobbling.

Size

There are large and small dents that can occur in a snowboard edge. Large dents or chips can be gouged out by rocks or clashes with a metal rail. These dents are serious and affect performance. Smaller dents or scratches are no larger than the width of a penny. These dents do not have as big an affect on carving, unless there are several of them in once area of the edge. Then the board's ability to carve is affected.

Types

Dents come in several varieties including the deep scratch caused by a rail, and the large chunk that is sliced off by a boulder. The worst dents that can occur in a snowboard's edge actually go under the metal edge and into the base. The reason is that this can also weaken your board and cause large more serious cracks.

Effects

Dents in your edge are a sign that it is time to get a new board. It will not only effect your carving, they can alter the flex of the board. Since the board core is designed and built to flex with the edge intact, a cracked edge will really alter the way the board torques and flexes. Imagine a picture frame that has a broken corner, or small dent in the edge. It will be easier to twist and eventually break that frame by twisting it back and forth several times.

Expert Insight

It is best to leave most dents alone. Trying to file down a dent could smooth out the edge, and reduce the chance of it "catching" on the snow, but you have to remove metal to do this. That is going to weaken the board. The best remedy would be to install a new edge, however this is very expensive and difficult to do. You have to remove the entire edge which is built into the board deck. That is almost a guaranteed way to cause further damage to your board.