Mountain Boarding
Mountain boarding is a new summer sport, derived from snowboarding. It is intended to take the place of snowboarding during warm months when there is no snow available. It was only recently that it was made a separate sport, rather than for these snowboarders.
A Mountain Board is a large snowboard / skateboard. The size of the deck is about the average size of a snowboard, approximately 120cm in length with four wheels. The Wheels are large tyres, just like on a mountain bike, however not as large. They are around 8" to 10". Each size depending on which type of riding is done. For example an 8" wheel would be for freestyle riding and trick jumping. The larger wheel is used for the downhill rider. The wheels are equipped with a pneumatic suspension much like those on mountain bikes, as the terrain covered by the mountain board is not smooth like snow. Like a snowboard (and unlike a skateboard) the feet of the rider are attached to the board deck with bindings, however boots are not required.
Downhill riding was what was originally meant for mountain boarding, as this is what snowboarders do, however only very recently "Big Ramp" has been introduced.
Downhill riding is usually done on snowboarding slopes when there is no snow and on mountain biking tracks. Big Ramp is where the mountain boarder rides down a large wooden 'roll in' transition and off a 'fly off' ramp, landing on another 'flat bank' which would be, on average, a gap of 20-25 feet. Freestyle riding is just general riding, which usually consists of a mix between downhill riding and big ramp, however the ramps are not as steep and neither are the slopes. A good place to ride freestyle would be at the mountin boarding centre in Halifax, England ()
The Big Ramp and freestyle riding terrain is usually grass, wooden ramps and thin gravel layers, which is why the treads on the smaller tyres are much thinner. The terrain for downhill riding would be rougher, for example, very muddy ground and thick dirt layered tracks.
