Snowboarding the concrete jungle

Snowboarding the concrete jungle

By Kathryn Nelson

Maybe there’s no snow. Maybe you don’t like the cold. Or maybe you can’t afford a lift ticket. Whatever the reason you’ve been sloughing off going snowboarding this year, one company has invented the ultimate tri-curious ride that you really can’t ignore.

Freeboard Manufacturing has created - concept, to prototype, to manufacturer - a half-snowboard half-skateboard (with a bit of longboard in-between) contraption that tackles any concrete jungle, no snow required.

Called the Freeboard – hence the company’s name - the product’s outside wheels act just like a snowboard’s edges, allowing the rider to pivot and carve like they would on snow. Snap-on bindings keep your feet secured, and the seriously sweet graphic designs on the wheels and deck will rock your socks off. But the best feature is it’s slowing mechanism – just lean back and slide until you come to a stop, just like a snowboard.

The boards come in different sizes, so it’s important you’re fitted according to height and weight. But be forewarned, the assembly instructions look like they’re from IKEA, so it’s probably best for someone else to put that together.

Apparently Freeboard Manufacturing has been around since 1996, and featured in a pretty impressive lineup of magazines including Playboy, Time and Spin. But so far, I haven’t seen one of these things in action. Maybe I should move to a hillier city like San Francisco.

As far as learning how to use it, the company has this to say, “riding a Freeboard looks easy. But it’s not.” What they fail to mention is unlike the cushiness of fresh snow under your ass, when you fall on one of these things, you’ll likely sustain some wicked road rash.

Luckily, they’ve compiled a directory of other riders Freeboarding in your neighborhood, just in case you feel self-conscious about your new toy.

The complete package goes for $165.00 to $360.00 - not too shabby considering you can feed your snowboarding obsession for an additional nine months.

For more information visit:
www.freebord.com

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