Mountainboarding


Mountainboarding is an action sport that combines elements of snowboarding, skateboarding, and mountain biking. Riders use a board with four pneumatic tires, bindings, and trucks to ride over a variety of off-road terrain. The sport developed in the early 1990s and has since gained international recognition with competitions, freestyle events, and recreational communities around the world.

History

Mountainboarding began in the early 1990s when snowboarders looked for a way to ride during the summer months. Innovators developed off-road boards using pneumatic tires and skateboard-style trucks to simulate the feel of snowboarding on dirt and grass. Companies such as MBS Mountainboards and NoSno were among the first to produce commercial models, helping formalize the sport. Organized competitions emerged in Europe and the United States by the mid-1990s, eventually leading to the creation of national associations and world championship events.

Equipment

A mountainboard typically consists of a composite or laminated deck, two trucks, and four pneumatic tires. The deck length varies depending on riding style; shorter for freestyle, longer for downhill stability. Most boards include bindings or footstraps to keep the rider secure during jumps and on rough terrain. Riders commonly wear protective gear such as helmets, wrist guards, and pads.

Disciplines

Mountainboarding consists of four main disciplines:

Downhill (DH)

Timed one-man descents. Usually relatively long courses in the mountains. Sometimes referred to as big mountain.

Boardercross (BoarderX, BX)

Two to four-man racing on a specifically designed track.

Freestyle (FS)

  • Slopestyle: Performing tricks on a slopestyle course consisting of multiple jumps, rails and innovative features.
  • Big Air: Performing tricks including grabs, spins and inverts over jumps.
  • Jibbing: Similar to Slopestyle except with the focus on smaller more technical features such as rails, quarter pipes, drops and smaller kickers.

    Freeriding (FR)

Non-competitive riding over a range of natural terrain including woodland.

Similar Sports

Similar all terrain boardsports include Dirtsurfing and Kiteboarding.

Crossover Sports

The following are some of the numerous publications Mountain Boarding has had in various news media outlets and other media, including for the annual Mountain Board US Open in Snowmass and the Twighlight Showdown Mountainboard Championships.

Historical Magazines

  • Off-Road Boarding Magazine founded in '99 with its editor Brian Bishop and other dedicated riders. It ran numerous pictorials, US riding spots, rider profiles and carried virtually no ads. It started small, and was given away at comps and shops. The last issue of the mag was printed in full color and a new name "Mountainboard Magazine". The new title was later adopted by a UK publisher.
  • All Terrain Boarding Magazine aka ATBMag: The longest running, 4 years, and only Mountainboard magazine to make it onto mainstream newsagent shelves. Distributed worldwide it ran to 39 copies and one photo album featuring the work of Paul Taylor. ATBMag was also responsible for the creation of the World Freestyle Championships, running it for the first 2 years. It also created the World Series, taking place in 12 countries. ATBmag sponsored a team of riders, who were later sponsored by EXIT. The team featured Tom Kirkman, Laurie Kaye, Alex Downie, Oli Morrison, Arno Van Den Vejver, Ig Wilkinson, Jack Chew and Tuai Lovejoy. 2005 saw the team take to Europe and ride in 7 countries following the World Series Tour. In 2006 the magazine made its final issue.
  • Scuz Mountainboarding Zine was first published in July 2004 as a paid-for magazine, however subsequent issues were published and distributed for free both as a printed hardcopy version and on the internet as a downloadable PDF. It was announced in October 2006 that issue twelve would be the final issue.
  • Mountainboard Magazine was produced by the same people who created scuz, and it was re-branded to suit changing trends in mountainboarding, and a cover charge was introduced to help pay for the costs involved in producing the magazine as the advertising featured was sufficient. Only one issue was ever printed.
  • Mountainboarding Video Magazine The only video mag to showcase mountain boarding from around the world. This publication only made nine issues, co-produced and edited by Justin Rhodes, Van DeWitt, and Brett Dooley.
  • UKATB ran for 6 years between 2000 and 2006 and was the first website to feature in-depth advice and tips from board maintenance to ramp building and trick tips. At its peak the site attracted over 10 000 unique visitors a month.

    Movies

  • Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board is the 70th Disney Channel Original Movie and is the sequel to the 1999 film Johnny Tsunami. Its popularity encouraged people to take interest in the extreme sport.

    TV

  • Mountainboard Aux Saisies TV coverage of the 2009 noSno World Downhill Championships, from the French TV channel Savoie ACTU.
  • History Channel. The history of extreme sport on the History Channel. Featuring Mountainboarding and many other board sports.
  • They Think It's All Over. Pete and Dave Tatham from noSno taking part in "Guess the sportsman" on BBC's sports comedy program "They think it's all over"
  • Park City TV: What is Mountainboarding? The Utah DirtStar Army team on Park City TV in late 2005.
  • Good Morning Utah. The DirtStar Army live on Good Morning Utah 2005.
  • US Open Mountainboard Championships 2006, held in Snowmass, Colorado. JSP TV talks with the youth division winner and the director of the Dirt Dogs.
  • Toasted TV. Interview with Munroboards team rider Ryan Slater on the Channel 10 show toasted TV.
  • Domino's Pizza. "That was Puff" commercial featuring mountainboarders: Ryan Slater, Clint Farqhuar, Markus Lubitz, Adam Zemunic.
  • Horizon TV. Willingen D-MAX World Series Mountainboard 2007.
  • Rockon. TV report on WDR on the mountain board park opening in Winterberg.
  • At Your Leisure: The DirtStar Army. TV report on Utah's DSA mountain board team ripping up the Park City dirt jumps.
  • Top Gear. TV item showing a staged race between Tom Kirkman and a Mitsubishi Evo rally car and Bowler Wildcat.
  • Friday Download. Kids TV report on mountain boarding.

    Newspapers & Magazines

  • The Guardian. What do snowboarders do when faced with the perennially powderless slopes of the UK? They find the nearest verdant hill and hurtle down it. Tim Moore and son go gung-ho in Surrey.
  • The Telegraph. Jonny Beardsall loses balance and bottle as he faces a 40 mph slalom on a mountain board.
  • Men's Health. Fancy traveling at speeds of 60 mph on a board down a mountain? Read on…
Chad Harding features in Stroud news and journal about his win in the under 14s UK championship freestyle.

Public service/Community (online)

  • Atboarders. UK based mountainboarding badasses who reignite the hype. Always Fresh. Always A Ting
  • The Dirt. US based mountainboard blog & news site.
  • Surfing Dirt. International mountainboarders community forum.
  • Remolition. Free mountainboard webzine with regular features.
  • MountainboardingUK. Beginner mountainboard-riders website

    Global Development

Mountainboarding has developed on every continent, with active communities in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Oceania. National associations such as the All Terrain Boarding Association and the International Mountainboard Association promote competitions and rider education. Annual world championships and regional contests help unify the sport globally.

Competitions

World Freestyle Championships
From 2005 to 2008 was named Fat Face Night Air WFC
From 2009 to 2010 was named Battle of Bugs
  • 2004 - Leon Robbins, USA
  • 2005 - Tom Kirkman, UK
  • 2006 - Alex Downie, UK
  • 2007 - Arno VDV, Belgium
  • 2008 - Renny Myles, UK
  • 2009 - Tom Kirkman, UK
  • 2012 - Matt Brind, UK
  • 2017 - Matt Brind, UK; Natasha Chernikova, RUS
  • 2018 - Matt Brind, UK; Simona Petrò, ITA
  • 2019 - Nicolas Geerse, NLD; Maja Bilik, POL
  • 2023 - Matt Brind, UK
  • 2025 - Matt Brind, UK; Margaux Rolland, FRA
World Downhill Championships
  • 2009 - Pete Tatham, UK
  • 2010 - Pete Tatham, UK
  • 2011 - Pete Tatham, UK
  • 2012 - Jonathan Charles, UK
  • 2023 - Pete Tatham, UK; Margaux Rolland, FRA
World Boardercross Championships
  • 2013 - Kody Stewart USA; Martina Lippolis, ITA
  • 2014 - Matt Brind, UK; Martina Lippolis, ITA
  • 2015 - Matt Brind, UK; Simona Petro, ITA
  • 2016 - Matt Brind, UK; Sonya Nicolau, ROM
  • 2017 - Matt Brind, UK; Senka Bajić, SRB
  • 2018 - Kody Stewart USA; Senka Bajić, SRB
  • 2019 - Matt Brind, UK; Vanja Rakovic, SRB
  • 2023 - Matt Brind, UK; Suzy Rolland, FRA
Overall World Champions
  • 2017 - Matt Brind, UK; Ola Tomalczyk, POL
  • 2018 - Matt Brind, UK; Simona Petrò, ITA
  • 2019 - Matt Brind, UK
  • 2023 - Matt Brind, UK; Margaux Rolland, FRA
European Downhill Championships
  • 2009 - Pete Tatham, UK
  • 2010 - Jonathan Charles, UK
  • 2014 - Matt Brind, UK
European Mountainboard Tour
  • 2010 - Arno VDV, Belgium
  • 2014 - Matt Brind, UK
European Mountainboard Challenge
  • 2010 - Marcin Staszczyk, POL; Senka Bajić, SRB
  • 2011 - Marcin Staszczyk, POL; Senka Bajić, SRB
  • 2012 - James Wanklyn, UK; Sonya Nicolau, ROM
  • 2015 - Dawid Rzaca, POL; Senka Bajić, SRB
  • 2016 - Matteo Andreassi, ITA; Senka Bajić, SRB
  • 2017 - Nicolas Geerse, NED; Senka Bajić, SRB
Major competitions include the Mountainboard World Championships, national events organized by ATBA-UK, and freestyle festivals. Judging categories typically include boardercross, freestyle, and downhill. Many riders also participate in local freeride gatherings and film projects that showcase progression in the sport.