Mountain boards are much bigger and heavier than skateboards. They are a cross between snowboarding and skateboarding. The sport is of recent origin and is also called dirt boarding, or all-terrain-boarding. It started developing as a substitute for snowboarding during the summer months .And though it’s called mountain boarding you don’t quite require a mountain to take part in it. You can practice riding it on just about any surface with an incline.

The boards are a combination of a wooden core with a synthetic crust. Riders stick their feet in open-ended bindings, through which the feet can slip out of in the event of any danger or while performing tricks. While mountain boarding is like snowboarding, it does not have the benefit of a powdery snow landing rather its fall is on a bed of dirt, gravel and rocks.

The boards are outfitted with four eight- or nine-inch inflatable tires, available in various treads for different terrains. The wheels are put on to the board, inclusive of springs for additional steadiness. Mountain boarders wear helmets and further protect themselves with hard plastic padding on their knees and elbows. Sue Way, children’s director for the Aspen Skiing Company in Colorado, said that,

“People need to recognize it’s not a reckless activity,”, “You can control what’s happening out there and be at one with the mountain.”

It is difficult to agree with her considering that mountain boarding remains on the fringe of the extreme sports scene. The next event as put up by the All Terrain Boarding Association is to be held on the 12/13th at Brecon, Powys.