history

MOUNTAINBOARDING INFO.

Mountainboarding is one of the fastest growing action sports worldwide. Often described as a combination of snowboarding, skateboarding and BMX the sport is widely participated in, visually stunning, and definitely extreme. The top Mountainboard riders are pushing the limits of the sport further and further each year with the top freestyle riders doing inverted aerial maneuvers and multiple spinning freestyle tricks, all while riding over dirt, grass, asphalt, and even ski resort slopes during the summer months. Tracing it’s roots back to the 1970’s the sport is actively participated in by over 1 million athletes worldwide *(cited by the Wall Street Journal, April 16th, 1998, pg.1, sec. a). Many of the active participants in All-Terrain Boarding come directly out of the snowboarding, skateboarding, BMX, Surfing, Mountain Biking, and Wakeboarding. Mountainboarding is a huge cross over sport, and has drawn attention and participation from all of these other sports.

History of the Mountainboard:

Mountainboards have been around in one form or another since the early 1970’s. For many years skateboarders have attempted to ride their boards off road and on unpaved surfaces using various board designs that universally employ oversized wheels capable of handling rough all-terrain surfaces. The sport has developed principally through grass roots participation and individual riders and companies who have developed their own unique board designs and who’ve contributed to the sport through furthering participation in the sport in their respective regions. Mountainboarding received worldwide interest in 1995, as the first high performance Mountainboards became available at specialty retailers around the globe. Technology in the sport has steadily increased. New board technologies include complex suspension and steering mechanisms, brake technology and composite materials. Most Mountainboards sold use four wheels; however there are companies and individual inventors who have promoted three wheels, two wheels and even six and eight wheel designs over the past five years. From the sports earliest days there has been a competitive element encompassing two distinct disciplines: Racing and Freestyle. Competitions within the sport have been organized and held regionally since 1994 in the USA and the sport has made great strides due to its competitive aspects.

Present day Mountainboard Industry and Competitions:

The present state of Mountainboarding is very exhilarating as our sport is sweeping the globe. Mountainboard riding has established itself as one of the fastest growing sports worldwide with over 1 million participants riding in over thirty countries around the globe.

Presently there are 25+ All-Terrain Board Manufacturers / Brands and the sport is not showing any signs of slowing down. The sport regularly has been featured on assorted board sports specific TV shows, in Sports Magazines, network television shows like Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and CNN. There are several of the worlds top extreme athletes using All-Terrain Boards, even several members of the United states Olympic snowboard team have used and endorsed all-Terrain Boards. The level of competition has increased dramatically with riders pushing the limits of safety and sanity within the sport and throwing huge tricks in freestyle events and speeds exceeding 50 mph in Racing disciplines.

The typical All-Terrain Board Racing and Freestyle competitive disciplines that have been organized to date include:
Freestyle: Big Air, Slope Style and Distance Jumping.
Racing: Boardercross, Dual Slalom and GS, Street –X (cross), cross-country racing and Banked Slalom
Note *There are numerous other ATB disciplines and types of competitions.

Types of Competitions:

FREESTYLE DISCIPLINES

BIG AIR: Riders are judged for difficulty of trick, style, height and landing. This is a thrilling event with huge tricks being done with complete abandon for self-preservation. It is pure “No Guts, No Glory” type of competition. Rider’s approach the tabletop jumps at speeds approaching 25 miles per hour and hit the jumps reaching heights of 15 feet in the air and traveling 60 feet in distance. Tricks being done by Riders include every grab variation done in snowboarding, one footers, spinning jumps of 180-360-540 and even 720’s are being successfully landed by top riders. Complex Inverted aerial maneuvers are landed frequently by the world’s top riders and the level of freestyle tricks get more intense with each competition. Requirements include an adequate In-Run (acceleration area), a large dirt jump and dirt landing area with adequate Run-Out.

SLOPE STYLE: Riders hit successive freestyle jumps and are judged for difficulty of trick, style, height and landing of each maneuver. The same exciting format as Big Air but with consecutive jumps that get progressively bigger with each jump. This is a favored event by freestyle riders around the world due to the pressure and skills needed to complete three or more successive tricks. An awesome and exciting spectacle. Requirements: Open inclined slope, multiple dirt jumps and dirt landing area with adequate Run-Out.

RACING DISCIPLINES:

STREET-X (CROSS): Riders challenge one another in a head to head format. There can be any combination of 2-4 and up to eight riders all competing simultaneously. The Street-X is done very similarly to Stand-Up skateboard competitions but often include Pro Jumps in at least two areas of the course. This format has been successfully organized in San Francisco for a demonstration competition sponsored in part by Red Bull earlier this year. It is extremely fast paced, high action with riders hitting top speeds of forty miles per hour plus and catching huge air on the rolling streets of San Francisco. Pro jumps can easily be incorporated into the course that add to the thrill factor (the Pro jumps also offer great sponsorship opportunities as the riders fly directly over a sponsors banner / logo). Races are organized as Heats with an elimination format. Requirements are essentially the same as in Stand-Up Skateboarding with the addition of wooden Pro jumps, which are inexpensive to fabricate.

DUAL SLALOM (GIANT SLALOM): Two riders square off head to head on identical Slalom Courses. The course is set-up with gates that the riders must go through in succession. Pro Jumps are often part of a dual slalom that add to the thrill factor (the Pro jumps also offer great sponsorship opportunities as the riders fly directly over a sponsors banner / logo). Races are organized as Heats with an elimination format. Requirements are essentially the same as in Stand-Up Skateboarding with the addition of wooden Pro jumps, which are inexpensive to fabricate.

BOARDERCROSS: Riders challenge one another in a head to head format on a dirt course that has bumps, berms, tables, speed zones, jumps and other obstacles running the length of the course. Courses can be set up similar to downhill profile BMX tracks. Boardercross can also be run down ski resort slopes or open downhill areas. There can be any combination of 2-4 and up to eight riders all competing simultaneously. Requirements: Track obstacles constructed in dirt, course markers set-up and more detailed course preparation is needed.

EXISTING SYNERGIES

Mountainboarding is extreme and hardcore. Our sports’ followers are Extreme sport’s viewers. The sport is growing rapidly and it’s full potential is gigantic. Since All-Terrain Boards are ridden by Snowboarders, Skaters, Surfers, Mountain Bikers, and other Extreme sports enthusiasts; our total market potential is in the hundreds of millions of riders worldwide. There are 25+ companies producing boards in 9 countries, the sport is growing rapidly and will only get much bigger in future years.

MOUNTAINBOARDING WILL ADD VALUE TO SPONSORS: We offer the newest, most hardcore, extreme sport to hit the action sports scene. All-Terrain Boarding is increasing in popularity rapidly and will sustain extended growth for many years to come. The sport is visually compelling form a competitive standpoint. It is high action, eye catching and perfect for the X-Games. The sport has a rich history and tradition, which gives it total depth in coverage and makes it highly marketable The sport clearly has an entertaining story behind it. Our sport is currently used as a marketing vehicle for many products such as automobiles and sneakers. SPONSORS will get high ratings from its core audience by covering Mountainboarding.