NoseThe front end of the board. It turns up to glide over uneven snow.
TailThe back end of the board. It turns up too, so the board can ride backward.
BindingA binding holds one boot to the board. A snowboard has two.
EdgesA thin strip of steel round the base. It digs into the snow so the board can turn.
BaseThe bottom of the board, which slides on the snow.
Stomp padA textured pad beside the back binding. It grips a boot that is not strapped in.
One binding 5
HighbackA plate that rises from the heel to the lower calf.
BaseplateThe part that joins the binding to the board. The boot stands on it.
Ankle strapThe larger strap. It closes over the ankle area of the boot.
Toe strapThe smaller strap. It closes over the toe area of the boot.
BuckleEach strap closes with a buckle that ratchets it tight.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two independent sources use it: Wikipedia, text only: Snowboard (nose and tail, both upturned; the bottom or base, surrounded by a thin strip of steel known as the edge; bindings; strap bindings with two buckle straps, one across the toe area and one across the ankle area, ratcheted closed; highback; baseplate; stomp pad between the bindings, closer to the rear binding); the Visual Dictionary Online (QA International), https://www.visualdictionaryonline.com/sports-games/winter-sports/snowboarding/alpine-snowboard.php and https://www.visualdictionaryonline.com/sports-games/winter-sports/snowboarding/freestyle-snowboard.php (nose, tail, edge, binding with straps); and a snowboard retailer's guides, https://www.evo.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-snowboard-size-chart, https://www.evo.com/guides/how-to-choose-snowboard-bindings-compatibility and https://www.evo.com/guides/how-to-set-up-snowboard-bindings (nose, tail, edge, base, baseplate, highback, ankle strap, toe strap, ratchet and buckles, stomp pad). Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's graphics, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
A snowboard is one wide board that carries both feet, each held by a binding. The first drawing shows the whole board; the second shows a strap binding from the side.
Read the full guide
The board, then a binding
Numbers 1 to 6 are on the whole board: the nose, the tail, a binding, the edges, the base and the stomp pad. The base shows only from the side, so look at the lower drawing. Open the second drawing for 7 to 11: the highback, the baseplate, the ankle strap, the toe strap and a buckle. The dashed outline is a boot.
The ankle strap is the bigger of the two straps. The toe strap is the smaller one, at the front.
Buckles are also called ratchets. Either answer is accepted.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a snowboard called?
The front is the nose and the back is the tail. The underside is the base, with a steel edge round it. Two bindings hold the boots, and a stomp pad sits between them.
What are the parts of a snowboard binding?
A baseplate that joins the binding to the board, a highback behind the heel and lower calf, an ankle strap and a toe strap. Each strap closes with a buckle that ratchets tight.
What is the front of a snowboard called?
The nose. It turns up to help the board glide over uneven snow. The back end is the tail, and it turns up as well.
What is a stomp pad on a snowboard?
A textured pad on top of the board, between the bindings and closer to the back one. It gives grip to a boot that is not strapped in.