Mountainboarding

[citation needed] Mountainboarding (name coined by Jason Lee) began in the UK, the United States and Australia in 1992.

Unknown to each other, riders from other Boardsports started to design, build, and eventually manufacture boards that could be ridden off-road.

[2] Dave and Pete Tatham, Joe Inglis and Jim Aveline, whilst looking for an off-season alternative to surfing and snowboarding, began designing boards that could be ridden down hills.

Extensive research and development produced the noSno truck system which enabled the boards to be steered and remain stable at high speeds.

[citation needed] NoSno boards utilized snowboard bindings and boots, with large tyres for rough ground, and the option for a hand-operated hydraulic disc brake.

John Milne developed a three-wheeled version of a mountainboard in 1992 in his spare time during periods of very poor surf.

In the same year, the ATBA-UK (All Terrain Boarding Association), the national governing body for mountainboarding in the UK, was born.

MBS developed the open heel binding, the channel truck called the "eggshock", and the reverse V-Brake system and sold boards worldwide.

Small gas or electric motors are being attached to allow for mountainboarding to be done on flat ground or to climb hills rather than just downhill.

For example, high specification boards may be made from composite carbon and glass-reinforced plastic, possibly with a wooden core, similar to a snowboard deck.

There are variable characteristics such as flex, weight, shape, length and tip angle that can be custom-made, or stock boards from a variety of manufacturers.

Trucks are the components made up of a hanger, damping and/or spring system, and axles which attach the wheels to the deck.

Skate trucks have a rigid axle and a top hanger, with a single bolt and bushings, also called rubbers or grommets, that provide the cushion mechanism for turning the mountainboard.

Two polyurethane dampers sometimes known as "egg shocks" are mounted between the hanger and the axle housing on each truck to provide resistance to the lean of the rider during turning.

In a channel truck design, this is not the case as the damper sits freely inside the spring—therefore only contraction is dampened, not extension.

Bindings involve adjustable straps that hold the rider on to the board while allowing room to move their feet.

Brakes are generally reserved for big mountain riding where riders need an increased ability to control their speed over long runs.