To the untrained eye, a snowboard can look the same on both ends with no clear front or back. But one of the first things to master as a snowboarder is knowing not only which side is up but which end should be pointing down the hill as you prepare to ride. The front of the board is known as the nose, while the back end of the board is known as the tail. Keep your feet off that board until you know for sure which end is up.
Step 1
Place the snowboard face up on a flat surface that puts the snowboard at about eye-level. Face-up means that the ends should be curving upward toward the sky.
Step 2
Bend down to look at the snowboard at eye-level if your table or surface is too low.
Step 3
Inspect both ends of the board. Locate the end that seems to curve up higher, this is the front or nose of the board.
Step 4
Look closely at each end of the board if you still can't tell which end is the nose. Some boards such as alpine-style snowboards have a front end that is more pointed at the tip.
