Mountain Boarding

All Aboard

With Mountain Boards

by Chad Ison

Publication Date: July 1999

On a recent visit to Derby City Outfitters in Louisville, KY, I came across something that could only be described as a skateboard on steroids. It was the basic shape of a skateboard, only much larger, and instead of composite wheels, it had tires. After staring at the strange object for a few seconds, I finally asked Matt Gill, owner of DCO, what it was. Matt told me it was called an all-terrain board or mountain board. All-terrain boards look like something you'd get if you threw a skateboard, snowboard and mountain bike into a cooking pot and stirred.

The original mountain boards were designed in 1992 when Jason Lee and Patrick McConnell moved back to their native Colorado from a brief stint in California. Having grown accustomed to surf culture, snowboards kept them content in the winter. Come summer, however, the problems began. But, they were nothing a little garage tinkering couldn't fix.

Early models were roughshod, but they worked. Before long, curious onlookers and friends began hitting the guys up for boards, and they sold about 30 prototypes in a year. Seeing the product's popularity, Lee and McConnell halted production until they officially got their act together and a little liability insurance. By the following year, the two had quit their jobs and founded MountainBoard Sports (MBS) in Colorado Springs, CO. They introduced the first mass-produced mountain boards in mid-1996, and so far, the reception has been warm. In the first year they sold 10,000 boards.

Despite its simple appearance, MBS's MountainBoard actually relies on one rather ingenious mechanism and a number of options that affect performance and ride. The first of these options is the length. The boards, which range in price from $300 to $500, come in four different sizes: 117 cm, 132 cm, 152 cm and 183 cm. The longer boards are faster and more stable. The shorter ones are better for tight turns and trick riding.

The MountainBoard has a spring with an egg-shaped rubber shock absorber inside. The device makes rough terrain feel like packed powder. Another option is the pneumatic tires. There are eight different styles ranging from road slicks to off-road knobbies, to massive tractor treads. The tires also serve another important control function - by adding or releasing air, you can regulate the speed and performance of the board. Hard, full tires provide the most speed, while softer ones will slow you down and soften the ride. You can adjust the speed of the board to fit both your riding abilities and terrain. Tri-spoke polycarbonate wheels provide a strong, durable center, and they have a release that makes it easy to change tires. Sealed bearings inside the wheels connect to a stainless-steel frame made of 4130 chromemoly tubing.

The board itself, or deck, is made of 5-ply, cross-laminated maple with handholds cut into it. The laminated maple provides a combination of toughness and flexibility, while the handholds are good for carrying the board and help in performing certain maneuvers. On top, a choice of Velcro straps, called soft bindings, or hard foot rails, called freestyle bindings, allow you to keep your feet firmly on the board. As an added safety measure, the company has developed a brake for the 1998 model year.

The board's key mechanical elements are the truck assemblies on the front and rear axles. This mechanism forms a central pivot with two opposing springs. Inside the springs sit egg-shaped urethane dampeners that act as shock absorbers on rough terrain and provide smooth transitions as the board pivots from side-to-side. By varying the thickness and durometer, or rebound rating, of these pads, you can change the performance of the board.

The boards were designed by snowboarders for snowboarders, and they serve their function well. Competent snowboarders are already halfway up the MountainBoard learning curve. The weight distribution and turning styles are almost identical, and speed is controlled the same way in both sports, by turning.

"Riding the different conditions, such as asphalt, feels like you're riding hard-packed snow, because you can lay it on edge," describes Jason Lee." And grass or dirt feels a little like other types of snow, because you can slide the 180 real nice."

"As far as cross-training, your body, motions, turning 180's and everything, it keeps you in shape for when the snow does finally come," adds Bob Tate. "You can almost learn new tricks in the off-season so that you have no downtime. If not, you are stronger when you get on the snow."

What sets this all-terrain board apart from the rest is it's huge pneumatic tires and an innovative steel spring dampening system to manage the terrain. "It's a channel system that has two compression springs in it, and they rotate around a central axis," explains Jason.

And, Jason adds, that makes it easier to turn, "It puts the rider's weight in between the wheels as opposed to on top of the wheels." As for steering, you use G forces - or gravity - to keep your speed in check. And, you do what they call "power sliding," which means you zig zag instead of riding in a straight line.

All-terrain boards are easier to learn on than snowboards, and you can take advantage of the ski mountains during the summer when bored boarders get a chance to carve and corner without the costly lift ticket. One thing you really need to keep in mind is that these things are fast. So you need to wear a helmet and wrist guards. Also, it doesn't hurt to get elbow and knee pads too because most of these bad dogs have no brakes. However, we found that you can purchase some models with a hand braking system or add it on later if you feel the need.

The great thing about all-terrain boards is that you can use them in the city. They're great for going off curves, benches, whatever. The downside, though, is that these things are heavy. So, it's not quite the same thing as a snowboard.

On a recent trip to Dog Hill in Cherokee Park, Eric Porter, an employee for DCO, demonstrated the board for us. During one of his runs, Eric sliced down the face of a fairly steep, grass-covered hill, carving back and forth, ending with a 180°. After he carried the board back to the top of the hill, I asked him if it felt like snowboarding.

"It's a little like skateboarding," he said, "but mostly like snowboarding, except you don't need to buy a lift ticket."

"But there are benefits to a chair lift," I said.

"True," he responded, sweating under his helmet.

"And, you also have to have respect for the differences. In other words, you have to remember that the ground can be a lot harder than snow." He then explained that one of his co-workers had busted his tail-bone while riding the board earlier this week.

In a phone conversation with Jason Lee, he informed me that an association called MBA (Mountain Boards of America) was being established to sanction competitions and provide safety regulations and standard rules, similar to other sports. He also said that some members of the U. S. Snowboard Team train with all-terrain boards during their off-season. There's even hope among top riders that ESPN will add Mountain Boarding to its summer X Games' lineup.

Ski resorts seem to be slowly warming up to the idea of hosting mountain boarders during the summer months. Mountain boarders can buy summer lift tickets (and rent boards) at Snow Valley and Mountain High resorts in California, Jack Frost resort in Pennsylvania, Sugar Bush in Vermont, and Snow Shoe in West Virginia.

"I see the sport progressing in much the way snowboarding did," Lipstein said. "Once there's more acceptance at the resort level, you're going to see an explosion of all-terrain boarders. Remember, it took many years for snowboarders to be accepted at resorts, but now when you ask resort owners where the market is, it's snowboarding. They're going to realize that by offering all-terrain boarding, they can draw the snowboard customer back in the summertime."

For more information check out the following web-sites for a store location near you:

MountainBoard Sports at: www.mountainboard.com

Mongoose Boards at: www.mongooseatb.com

Terra Board at: www.terraboard.net