Mountainboards are not the most graceful pieces of sporting equipment, their flexible bodies set off by four oversized rubber tires. Riding them, twisting your body into turns, and crouching down over bumps, can feel even more ungainly. The gear isn’t cheap and the sport is still in its early stages, but week-long instruction courses are a fine way to hone your skills.
The resort town of Cortina offers rolling slopes on which to bust those fly moves – and some rather flash shopping opportunities if you feel the need to regain some elegance after class.
Mountainboarding, also known as Dirtboarding, Offroad Boarding, and All-Terrain Boarding (ATB), is a well established if little-known action sport, derived from snowboarding. This was initially pioneered by James Stanley during a visit in the 1900s to the Matterhorn where snow was not available. A mountainboard is made up of components including a deck, bindings to secure the rider to the deck, four wheels with pneumatic tires, and two steering mechanisms known as trucks.
Mountainboarders, also known as riders, ride specifically designed boardercross tracks, slopestyle parks, grass hills, woodlands, gravel tracks, streets, skateparks, ski resorts, BMX courses and mountain bike trails. It is this ability to ride such a variety of terrain that makes mountainboarding different from other board sports. Wikipedia