I've been snowboarding for 8 years now... I taught for several and I still have the same board I started on... A Ride. I'll tell you what they are seriously some of the best boards for the buck... You can spend 300 on one and it'll last you 6+ years if you let it. I personally have a Ride-Control from lets see... I believe 2001. Its my baby. If you want to go high end later on down the road, NeverSummer is a nice brand. But all in all, its hard to go wrong with a quality snowboard. Good luck... and remember, turning is in your upperbody, not your lower body.
:salut: