Sandboarding

Sandboarding

Publication Date: 9/2000

Many consider sandboarding to be the "latest" in board sports. In its present form sandboarding is new and still relatively unknown. However, it certainly is not as "late" as the word might imply. Some sources claim that ancient Egyptians, as well as the Chinese, slid down golden dunes of sand on planks of hardened pottery and wood. If this is accurate, one begins to view the slopes of the pyramids and consider the possibilities. Rare, yet still present, black and white photographs of upright sandboarding date even as early as World War II.

Influenced by the surf board, boards of every sort were soon to follow. The sandboard, like its cousin the snowboard, made sense to many and found a permanent place in the hearts of true dune riders. Pieces of cardboard, car hoods, snow discs, surfboards and water skis lent themselves to the quest for twenty years following the war. Through the 60s sandboarding began to gain momentum with the help of surfers and skateboarders who found that riding the dune was not only challenging but was also great fun. Shaping wooden boards specifically for the sand was a natural, and primitive boards were then ridden like a skate or surf board.

By the mid-70s, sandboarding had been introduced in a number of US publications, ads and television sport segments thanks largely to the efforts of sandboard pioneers Jack Smith (to those of you who know your skate history, this is the same man); along with the stylish riding of Gary Fluitt. But sandboarding was not to take its place at this time. Snowboards quickly became the rage and abruptly pushed sandboards onto the back burner for another twelve years. Snow resorts were already operating with full facilities to cater to the masses. The ski industry and others were more than willing to offer a new twist to a proven pastime and greatly boost revenues. And snow, like surf, was available at a good number of locations worldwide. Snowboarding raced ahead.

A passion for the dunes continued to burn for those who preferred to ride sand over snow. One such person was Sandboard Magazine's publisher, Lon Beale. During the spring of 1973 Lon was introduced to sandboarding through a friend who migrated to the Mo-jave Desert (home to many sand dunes). "A board that would glide over sand! I was fascinated and had to know everything I could find out about it," relates Lon with a smile. "The quest had begun."

Learning from the snowboard industry - In their infancy, sandboards were slow and inconsistent performers on various types of sand and terrain. Improvements were necessary if sandboarding was to hold its own. As development of snowboards evolved, so too did sandboards.

"The similarities shared with snowboarding allowed sandboard developers to utilize their research. You might say that sandboards were developed by the finest snowboard designer," states Beale. "By keeping pace with the current technology, we were able to bring the ride of a sandboard to the same level as surf/skate/snow without spending the research dollars."

While snowboards certainly influenced the sandboard's design, various details needed to be rethought. The base surfaces used on snow were excellent but on sand proved to be disappointing. Improvements were vital to bring sandboard speeds up to par. One major improvement came in the form of a familiar surface material most commonly known by its brand name, 'Formica.' Specially formulated waxes pushed acceleration to the next level. In the spring of '98, Venomous Sandboards introduced its 'Race Base' - a base surface made for sand applications allowing sandboard speeds in excess of 50 m.p.h. Now sandboards would streak to the bottom of even modest dunes at speeds that would terrify their passengers. We call it success!

Technology lends a hand - Today "Sandboard Magazine" online is the center for international sandboarding. It was at this point that the world and the media gained access to sandboarding. Through the availability surge of the internet, sandboarders came together for the first time from around the globe. Response came from all parts of Australia, New Zealand, Namibia, Egypt, Arabia, France, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Holland, Belgium, England, Japan, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Canada and most every state of the U.S. "We found that there were several thousand sandboarders out there that were making boards and carving dunes completely unknown to each other, thinking they were the only ones doing this crazy sandboard thing!"

Recognizing the impact, the media quickly pursued. Soon sandboarding was popping up in major publications, television commercials, boards and accessories were advertised, websites multiplied and events leaped to life. It seemed the world was now ready for sandboarding!

For the fifth consecutive year, the World Sandboard Championships were held at Monte Kaolino, Germany (attendance 50,000). The "Sand Master Jam" held annually the second weekend of April at Dumont Dunes, California showcases the extreme in sandboarding; where the best-of-the-best ultimately gather to raise the limits to the next level. Everything that was being done on the snow is now being performed on sand.

The National Sandboard League in the U.S. sanctions six events annually and South American associations schedule a dozen competitions each season. Chilean resorts are even offering sandboarding to their patrons. The easy crossover makes sandboarding appealing to boarders of all types. If you are boarding now, you'll have little trouble adapting, and sand is very forgiving. South Africa boasts a sand surfing school where many are taught the skills to sandboard, which is often considered the best prelude to snowboarding. Interest is further fueled by impressive performances of international competitors such as Peru's, Marco Malaga Muller and American, Zac Dubel. Current national champion, Josh Tenge of Lake Tahoe, Nevada thrills audiences with a wide variety of aerial maneuvers including a double-grab back-flip; leaving nothing for snow boarders to lay sole claim to.

The appeal of the extreme continues to grab the attention of an action-hungry world and this "latest" board sport, sandboarding, has found itself on the international center stage. Yes, by all indications, it appears sandboarding has finally come of age.

If you have enjoyed this brief history of sandboarding and would like to learn more about it, check out Sandboard Magazine at http://sandboard.com or contact Lon Beale at Xwest: (760)373-8861.

Photos courtesy of Lon Beale at Sandboard.com