Mountain boarding is an established sport that originated from snowboarding. The board itself consists of a deck, bindings for the rider, and four wheels. They are designed to ride on boardercross tracks, slope parks, grass hills, streets, and many other types of terrain. Mountain boarding is very different because it can be performed on snow, pavement, gravel, or mountain trails. This sport became popular in the early nineties after two snowboard enthusiasts developed it as a way to snowboard during the summer.

Most of the board components are attached to the deck. Various types of materials and construction methods can be used. Characteristics such as flex, weight, and length are taken into account for the design. Bindings may be Velcro, bars, or heel straps. Wheels are attached to the deck by plastic or metal hubs. Tire types vary by thickness and patterns. Brakes are used for mountain boarding due to an increased need for control of speed during long runs.

Instead of hearing your friends complain about boredom or loss of skills during the warm months, get them involved in a sport that will utilize their snowboarding skills in a whole new way. They can still enjoy everything they love about snowboarding and try their skills on all new terrains. Mountain boarding will allow them to snowboard anywhere and in almost any condition. Your friend will have a new interest to keep them busy all year.

Check out this super site I found for the extreme sport of snowboarding. It gave me chills. Plenty of links here.

http://extremeprosports.com/snowboarding/index.html

Snowboarding has increased in popularity over the years. This is especially so among younger generations. When starting this sport, lessons are recommended. It is very hard to learn the basics of it over the first couple of days. Skiing skills do not help in learning because it is much different of a sport. However, if they have ever surfed or done any skateboarding, these skills are helpful and may make learning easier.

Feet are fixed to the board and this dictates boarding style immediately. Over the first few days there will be many falls and time spent on their butt will be more than time spent on their feet. Many styles of snowboarding exist including free ride, freestyle, and dry slope. Free ride is the most commonly used because it simply means riding down whatever terrain is available. Since the outdoor lover is a beginner, they will either use defined slopes or possibly free ride wherever possible.

After they have learned the basics, it will be very easy and rewarding. They will experience a floating sensation and the gear is much more comfortable than skiing gear. It is also cheaper if they decide to participate in the sport permanently and easier to transport from place to place. Give your skiing savvy friend or family member a gift they can really get into. Maybe they can even tape the initial falls so you can get a good laugh after they try it.

Here are some great web sites to check out.

Extreme Skiing

http://www.extremeskiing.org/

Extreme Snowboarding

http://www.extremenc.com/