Sidecut, as used in snowboarding terms, is the amount of curvature built into the side of the board. Usually sidecut is measured as a radius, being the radius of a circle the board could lie tangent to and have the curvature match the edge of the circle. Sidecut helps a snowboard edge into the snow and turn. Since the rider's weight is distributed in the center, the sidecut allows the board to flex when the rider leans, turning the board in a carve. A new type of sidecut displayed by the Nitro company is a progressive sidecut. This sidecut changes in curvature from the tip to the tail, giving a different amount of edge according to what phase of a turn the rider is in.

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