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Big Smile from the ride
Posted by Christian (42):
Review Rank: 5/5
I finally got on the Airboard. I took a running start and jumped onto it belly first and took off. I was able to make turns immediately. I couldn't believe it. I was going over chopped up snow and it ate it up. If you ever thought about getting a sled get the Airboard instead it's way more fun and you can turn it. It's easy to control speed by dragging your legs. I'm not sure how it will work on a groomed slope but it rocks in powder.
Way too much fun.
Posted by Techweenie Todd (56): Review Rank: 5/5
Simply put, these things rock. As previously mentioned, the control you get is surprisingly good. It does take some work, however, to get used to it. Testing at (closed) Deer Valley with my brother, we both noticed what he refers to in skateboarding terms as a "death wobble" where the board starts to shake at speed. Laying flat on the board rather than leaning back seems to counteract this. I tested the board on corn snow conditions, and it performed extremely well. The Air gives nice cushioning too, which is a plus since it is particularly good on iced up corn, where it absolutely rips. Helmets are an absolute must.
Best designed sled there is
Posted by jimminz (79):
Review Rank: 5/5
I've used my airboard in both hardpack and powder conditions. It's fast and quite maneuverable. Because the air board is inflated, it stays on top of the snow. The air factor also makes for a much smoother ride than you'd get with a regular old lame sled. The airboard is also much easier to jump than a common sled as you have a cushioned landing. When the resorts close you can hike up and rip it. The airboard comes with a runaway strap and a hand pump that easily inflates it in about 2-3 minutes. There's a one way valve that allows you to inflate it without worrying about air escaping. I always inflate it at the top as it's so quick and easy. The airboard stows handily in a pack or in the small carrying case. These things are great fun. -36 yr old guy from Utah.
What a blast!
Posted by Armando (22):
Review Rank: 5/5
Just rode the airboard for my first time--can't say it was better than sex, but it beats heavy petting! Rode on moderately steep terrain in about 8-10" of fresh, and it's such a blast. Face shots the whole way; absurdly fast without getting out of control. You can catch air off any bump, and the landings are butter-soft. Light, easy to pack and inflate. Would be insane behind a snowmobile.
The Coolest Sled Ever
Posted by Ann-Elise Emerson (1):
Review Rank: 5/5
By Chris Barge, Staff Writer, Boulder Daily Camera. September 17, 2003 Every once in a while a piece of outdoor gear is created that demands its own self-named sport. Think snowboarding. Thing surfing. Now, think airboarding. Weighing in at 6 pounds, including the pump, and small enough to fit inside a backpack when deflated. the Airboard enters the American snow-sports market this winter. Keystone Resort has already agreed to give it a try. Once inflated, the Airboard becomes a high-speed, steerable, stoppable, cushy sled fit for the backcountry or any ski resort. Riders just lie down on their chests, grab the handles, and fly... "I got to test one last year," said Keystone spokesman Mike Lee. "They are so fast it's amazing. My patrol escort couldn't catch me -- and he's a ripping skier."
Crazy fun!
Posted by out4fun (5):
R
eview rank: 5/5
OK, look: if you want the coolest snow tool ever, stop right here. This is it. The Airboard Classic is such a great ride! It turns with the shift of your body weight so easily, and when I say "turns", I mean beautiful arcing S-turns that you see in skiing magazines! The best part of the Airboard is that it can ride in any kind of snow! My first run ever was on a mogul slope at one of my favorite Colorado ski resorts (OK I poached!). But for you backcountry powder hounds, this is another seriously fun way to scream down the hill! Don't wait another second to add another snow tool to your quiver!
Will last you a lifetime
Posted by aeemer (0):
review rank: 5/5
Our Airboards have taken a beating over the past two seasons and hardly have a mark on them. These sleds are tough, not to mention the favorite winter equipment of my daughter and her friends. They turn and stop easily and are super fun. My husband who is too big for most sleds loves his Airboard too.
hell of a toy, an expensive toy
Posted by divvy (1):
review rank: 5/5
The classic sled is fantastic. It provides a cushioned, stream-lined ride that puts traditional sledding to shame. The only improvement I would highly suggest is that the handles must be moved toward the front of the sled. The current placement of the handles makes it awkward for holding on while riding on one's stomach at high speeds. Also, what about possibly incorporating a rigging system so one can be pulled by a snow mobile? Perhaps a small loop at the front to complete a triangle rig through the handles? Lastly, when the price gets lower, I'll recommend it to my friends. All in all, I had a blast when we took it out to Gore Pass in CO.
Night Life
Posted by Effley Brooks (1): review rank: 5/5
Yo future riders I received my AirBoard last month, in time for my vacation to Breckenridge, Colorado (one of my favorite resorts for snowboarding). After a full day of riding the mountain, my brother and I hiked the slopes after dark with the AirBoard. It was incredible. I discovered a different kind of night life. The AirBoard rode like a dream - fast and cushy. To add to the excitement of the fast ride, wear a headlamp. It gives you a great view of the slope's bumps and turns. We caught great air. My suggestions: Wear a helmet and goggles. Try riding at night wearing a headlamp. Get an AirBoard for your riding buddy and watch out for the SnowCats.
Airboard in the Press
For full article see
CNN.com HERE
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
The
ultimate in sledding
Airboards take off on the slopes
SNOWMASS VILLAGE,
Colorado (AP) -- The first time Kate Duncan rushed down a
mountain on an Airboard, she liked it so much she bought her
own 'board the next day.
This past Christmas vacation, she and her sister got mom to
try it, too. One "Oh, god" and an expletive later,
Eliza Duncan, 51, slid head first on her 4-foot-long, 9-inch-thick
air cushion into a powdery snowdrift as her family cheered
her on.
"A lot of my friends wouldn't do it," she said afterward
on a clear, sunny day on gentle slopes on a public trail,
not far from the Snowmass ski resort near Aspen. "I thought
it was fun. I just didn't like losing control."
From tubing to Airboards to snow bikes, mountain resorts and
guides have been looking for new excuses to get people outdoors
and new diversions to keep them entertained. Reviews are mixed
on whether the Airboard can bolster ski visits the way snowboarding
has, but supporters talk it up as a niche snow sport that
doesn't stress the knees.
Some say riding an Airboard is like ultimate sledding. People
who ride the six-pound Swiss invention slide down snowy mountain
slopes face first on polyurethane air cushions that look like
blowup rafts with handles and a ridged bottom. Riders have
been known to reach speeds of more than 80 mph.
"I call it the endorphin
adrenaline cocktail," said Sun Dog Athletics owner Erik
Skarvan, the only guide in Colorado to offer Airboarding.
Airboards got their start
in Europe, where engineer Joe Steiner of Zug, Switzerland,
spent 10 years perfecting their design. So far a handful of
U.S. resorts allow them.
Hoodoo Ski Area in Oregon
started allowing snow bodyboards three seasons ago as something
new. Of the 869 season passes the ski area had sold by mid-December,
two were for people who only do snow bodyboarding, general
manager Matthew McFarland said.
"The reality is, I
think Airboarding is going to be a small niche market. It's
never going to be like snowboarding," said McFarland,
citing complaints from skiers and snowboarders who are reluctant
to share the mountain or who think that it's a kids' sport.
Growing interest
Still, it's a fun pastime
for families with one person who doesn't ski or snowboard,
or for people with weak knees, he said. In Aspen, more than
half of winter visitors don't ski or ride, making Airboards
a more inclusive activity, Skarvan said.
"If we get 5 percent
of our business from it, that could be the difference between
bankruptcy and having a good thriving business," McFarland
said.
"It's like snowboarding.
Twenty years ago, everybody thought snowboarders were the
devil," he said. "Now everybody's saying hallelujah
for snowboarding or we'd be out of business."
No resorts in Colorado or
Utah allow Airboards, although Keystone in Colorado tried
it for a season. Tubing, ice skating, sledding and snow bikes
have been more popular, representatives for Keystone and the
trade group Ski Utah said.
Interest is growing though.
Emo Gear, the only licensed distributor of the Airboard in
North America, started with five U.S. retailers in its first
season in 2003. This year it has 90 in the U.S. and Canada,
and President Ann-Elise Emerson says this is the first profitable
year for the Berkeley, California-based company as Airboards
earn their own competitions.
Canaan Valley Resort in
West Virginia began offering 18 rental Airboards this season
and has sold out a couple of days, spokesman Bryan Brown said.
"We hope that by offering guests one more winter activity
that they'll be more inclined to come to Canaan Valley,"
he said.
"It's new, exciting,
anybody from 6 to 66 can do it. Unlike skiing or snowboarding,
the learning curve is not as steep," Brown said.
For full article see
CNN.com HERE
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