Who would have thought that extreme, hardcore alpine fanatics such as snowboarders would have been so ‘taken’ by such an invention?
But this is exactly what happened at the Zurich Freestyle Festival, with the Airboard being the star of the show. The Airboard is quite simply a modern style toboggan made out of plastic and filled with air. Anyone can do it, and even those not particularly sport orientated, should have at least one go at it. Steering the high-tech sledge is done by use of bodyweight and positioning on the Airboard; by turning across the slope, braking is achieved. In contrast to normal toboggans, the Airboard can also be used in new and powder-snow conditions, doubles up as a small rucksack and is an ideal underlay for that well- earned siesta in the snow.
he airboard was developed by 43 year old Joe Steiner, who worked on the design for 10 years. The idea isnt now, even in the 40's ther es eveidence of such research. "I first sled down a slope 10 years ago on something similar, it was a fantastic feeling."
