A freeboard is a specialist skateboard designed to closely simulate the behavior of a snowboard. Freeboards were developed to allow snowboarders to transition to skateboarding (as non-winter transport) without the need to adapt to a smaller deck and narrower wheel-base.
Steen Strand conceived the idea for a freeboard as part of his master's thesis in product design at Stanford University, which he expanded into the freeboard style skateboard in 1996. After releasing an Alpha series featuring kicktails and longer decks (100 – 112 cm) than his more recent versions, [1] Strand began retailing his freeboards under the brand name Freebord in the late 1990s. By the mid-2000s other freeboard styles and brands had emerged and were developing strong retail track records in mainstream sporting goods stores. [2]
After developing the freeboard in 1996, Strand released two models under the Freebord brand in 1998; the FB-112 and the FB-110. [3] The company patented designs relating to the Freebord brand freeboards. Though other companies have since developed their own freeboards and marketed them under alternate brand names, Freebord remains one of the largest producers of freeboards in the world. By 2000, the company had sold 4000 boards. [4] In 2005, the company signed deals to have their product distributed to snowboarding enthusiasts in Europe [5] The company continues to produce and market freeboards under the Freebord trademark.
A freeboard typically has six wheels: four normal longboard-style wheels at each corner and two spring-locked center wheels. The wheels on the central axis are able to turn freely in all directions, allowing the board to "slide" laterally provided none of the four corner wheels are touching the ground. This mimics the traditional "side-to-side" motion of snowboard riding. By exerting pressure on the corner wheels, the rider is able to control the board. [6]
Decks are usually constructed with seven-ply cross-laminated Canadian maple, although now there are bamboo models available as well. Modern decks vary in size, but most are 7.5 to 9 inches wide and between 29 and 36 inches long. Snowboard-style bindings are used to provide more control over the board and allow the rider to exert more pressure on the corner wheels and edges. As on a snowboard, the rider is able to perform both carve and slide turns (skidded turns).
"Freeride" and "freestyle" both refer to the way in which a freeboard is used. The term "freeride" refers to plain riding with little or no tricks, usually consisting of carving and sliding. Another name for freeride can be "Downhill". A bigger board is used for downhill freeboarding or freeriding as this gives you better balance allowing you to go faster. The term "freestyle" as used in other boardsports such as skateboarding means doing tricks like skating off ramps, grinding rails, jumping, etc. Smaller boards are usually used for freestyle as not only will they be lighter making them easier to jump with, but the rider can more easily push his feet outwards so as to make sure that his feet stay in the bindings.
Snowboards are boards where the user places both feet, usually secured, to the same board. The board itself is wider than most skis, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards widths are between 6 and 12 inches or 15 to 30 centimeters. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user. In monoskiing, the user stands with feet inline with direction of travel, whereas in snowboarding, users stand with feet transverse to the longitude of the board. Users of such equipment may be referred to as snowboarders. Commercial snowboards generally require extra equipment such as bindings and special boots which help secure both feet of a snowboarder, who generally ride in an upright position. These types of boards are commonly used by people at ski hills, mountains, backcountry, or resorts for leisure, entertainment, and competitive purposes in the activity called snowboarding.
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games.
Boardsports are active outdoor sports that are played with some sort of board as the primary equipment. These sports take place on a variety of terrains, from paved flat-ground and snow-covered hills to water and air. Most boardsports are considered action sports or extreme sports, and thus often appeal to youth. Some board sports were marginalized in the past. However, many board sports are gaining mainstream recognition, and with this recognition, they have enjoyed wider broadcast, sponsorship and inclusion in institutional sporting events, including the Olympic Games.
A Snakeboard, also known as streetboard, or pivotboard is a board that was invented in South Africa in 1989 by James Fisher, Simon King and Oliver Macleod Smith. The concept was to fuse the original skateboard with elements of snowboarding and surfing to create a fun riding experience. The first prototype was constructed using two square wooden boards, an old roller skate chopped in half, and a piece of plumbing pipe to join them together. Many variants were tried before manufacturing began. The first boards to be mass-produced were made from a strong plastic nylon known as Zytel ST801.
A longboard is a type of skateboard typified by longer decks and wheelbases, larger-diameter and softer (lower-durometer) wheels, and often lower riding height compared to street skateboards, though there is wide variation in the geometry and construction of longboards. Among the earliest types of skateboards, longboards were inspired by surfing, with early longboards drawing from the design of surfboards, resembling and mimicking the motion of riding a surfboard, but adapted to riding on streets in a practice known as sidewalk surfing.
Longboarding is a variation of skateboarding typified by the use of longer boards ("decks") with longer wheelbases and softer wheels. While longboards vary widely in shape and size, compared to street skateboards longboards are designed to be more stable at speed and to have more traction due to larger wheel sizes and softer wheel durometers. While standard street skateboards may typically be between 28 and 34 inches long, longboards can range anywhere from 32 to 50 inches in length. Ride characteristics of longboards generally differ from that of street skateboards due to the use of specialized longboard trucks that have different properties than those typically used with skateboards; while street skateboards use "traditional kingpin" (TKP) trucks that are optimized for tight turning radii, ollie and flip tricks, slides, grinds, and transition skating, longboards are typically paired with "reverse kingpin" (RKP) trucks that are designed for increased stability at higher speeds, more "surfy" carving characteristics, and/or greater ride comfort for commuting over longer distances.
Mountainboarding ]] Mountainboarding, also known as dirtboarding, off-road boarding, and All-Terrain Boarding (ATB), is a well-established, but little-known action sport derived from snowboarding. The sport was initially pioneered by James Stanley during a visit to the Matterhorn in the 1990s, where snow was not available. A mountainboard is made up of components including a deck, bindings, four wheels with pneumatic tires, and two steering mechanisms known as trucks. Mountainboarders, also known as riders, ride specifically designed boardercross tracks, slopestyle parks, grass hills, woodlands, gravel tracks, streets, skateparks, ski resorts, BMX courses, and mountain bike trails. It is this ability to ride such a variety of terrain that makes mountainboarding unique from other board sports.
A snowskate is a hybrid of a skateboard and a snowboard, intended primarily to allow for skateboard-style tricks on the snow. There are many types depending on the brand or style of snowskate.
A flowboard is a variation on a skateboard, combining aspects of surfing, skating and snowboarding. There are three sizes made by the brand Flowboards: 32", for tricks and smaller riders; 36", the standard size; and 42", the large downhill bomber.
In human biology, footedness is the natural preference of one's left or right foot for various purposes. It is the foot equivalent of handedness. While purposes vary, such as applying the greatest force in a certain foot to complete the action of kick as opposed to stomping, footedness is most commonly associated with the preference of a particular foot in the leading position while engaging in foot- or kicking-related sports, such as association football and kickboxing. A person may thus be left-footed, right-footed or ambipedal.
Dirtsurfing is the sport of riding a Dirtsurfer brand inline board. This new Australian boardsport is correctly known as inline boarding because Dirtsurfer is a trademark protected brand name.
Freeriding is a style of snowboarding or skiing performed on natural, un-groomed terrain, without a set course, goals or rules. It evolved throughout the sports' formative early years as a contrary response to the highly regimented style of ski competition prevalent at the time. Snowboarders primarily refer to freeriding as backcountry, sidecountry, or off-piste snowboarding, and sometimes big mountain or extreme riding.
A slide is a skateboarding trick where the skateboarder slides sideways either on the deck or the trucks.
A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. It is usually made of a specially designed 7–8-ply maple plywood deck and has polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks.
A skateboard style refers to the way a skateboarder prefers to ride a skateboard. Skateboard styles can be broadly divided into two different categories: skateboarding to perform tricks and skateboarding as a means of transportation. Styles of skateboarding have evolved and are influenced by a number of factors including sociocultural evolution, mass media, music, technology, corporate influence and individual skill level.
Street skateboarding is a skateboarding discipline which focuses on flat-ground tricks, grinds, slides and aerials within urban environments, and public spaces. Street skateboarders meet, skate, and hang out in and around urban areas referred to as "spots," which are commonly streets, plazas or industrial areas. To add variety and complexity to street skateboarding, obstacles such as handrails, stairs, walls, flower beds, bins, park benches, picnic tables, and other street furniture may be traversed as single tricks or as part of a series of consecutive tricks called a "line."
Carveboarding is a boardsport that takes place on hard surfaces such as roads and sidewalks. It combines elements of surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding, providing a riding experience that resembles surfing and snowboarding.
This glossary of skiing and snowboarding terms is a list of definitions of terms and jargon used in skiing, snowboarding, and related winter sports.
Surfskating, or surf skateboarding, is a form of skateboarding that replicates the experience of surfing on dry land. A surfskate system is distinguished from a traditional skateboard system by the utilization of two different trucks, front and back, with specific functions and geometries that, together, yield thrust, just like a surfboard.
