Mountain boards (also known as All Terrain Boards) are essentially very similar. They all consist of a deck with a special grippy surface and a set of footstraps, trucks (the mechanism that attaches the wheels to the deck) and wheels with air inflated tyres. Mountain boards can be ridden in both directions and the rider is held securely by a set of footstraps. The board can be steered by tilting your weight forwards or backwards and the steering resistance can be easily adjusted to suit rider weight and style.
A typical mountain board Now this is where things can get complicated... There are currently two major designs of mountain board trucks. One, the "skate style" truck, is a beefed up version of a regular skateboard truck that uses urethane bushings to provide steering resistance. Skate trucks are fitted to most junior mountain boards and mid range adult mountain boards, as well as some freestyle models.
The other design is the "channel" truck - these use steel springs instead of the urethane bushings, and are built much stronger than skate style trucks, but are heavier. Channel trucks offer much more adjustment and are fitted to all top end mountain boards. Please refer to the 'Truck' section within the Mountain Board Buyers Guide for a simple but detailed explanation of the differences. Mountain Board Types Mountain boards can be broken down into a number of categories:
Junior mountain boards are generally designed for riders weighing less than 60 kg. These boards are shorter in length by about 15-20 cm than adult boards and have a narrower foot stance. The narrow foot stance is designed specifically to allow shorter riders with smaller legs to manoeuvre the board in a safe and controlled manner. Shorter, lighter adults will be perfectly ok with the stronger junior boards, but bear in mind that some of the boards do have a specified weight limit. Downhill mountain boards are around 115-120cm in length, with the extra length making them significantly more stable at higher speeds. Freestyle downhill boards (designed for riders wishing to concentrate on aerial manoeuvres and tricks) are shorter in length than standard downhill boards at around 105-115cm. The shorter length means a reduction in spin weight making them much easier to manoeuvre. Kite specific mountain boards. Kite landboarding combines a mountain board with a powerful kite, enabling the rider to gain forward momentum by using the kite to generate power from the wind. At around 105-115cm, kite specific boards are shorter in length than standard downhill mountain boards. Designed to offer better performance for tricks and jumping, the shorter length means a reduction in spin weight making kite specific boards much easier to manoeuvre. It is possible to use any mountain board with a power kite, although the shorter, lighter boards will provide optimum performance.
Not sure which mountain board to choose? Read through the summary below and click on a board for additional product information. Need more advice? Just give us a call on 0845 108 5200 or email us!
Downhill Mountain Boards
Junior Mountain Boards
Kite Boards
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