On Feb 14, 11:30*pm, Walt wrote:
It's BAAAACK!!!!

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/02/15...oard.html?8dpc

//Walt

Interesting article; thank you. Some observations:

1. They are giving the "inventor" of the "no-board" too much credit
for starting something new, IMO. What he's really done is resurrect
the Snurfer, as you point out. The only difference between a no-board
and a Snurfer appears to be that the no-board is based on a modern
snowboard rather than a crappy piece of plastic.

2. As trend pieces go, this one is probably a bit premature. The
author claims that no-boarding is "catching on," but also admits,
"Estimates of how many people are abandoning their snowboard hardware
are hard to come by, but Mr. Burns says his company has sold 600 kits
so far. And there are others who make their own kits in cellars and
garages." 600, huh? The Olympics can't be far off.

3. No-boarding seems suitable only for soft, deep snow. I would not
want to attempt it on hardpack, and I don't want to picture the
carnage from trying to ride Eastern ice without bindings. It's awful
even with bindings.

4. No-boarding also doesn't seem like a good fit for resorts. (I
wonder whether resorts might initially ban no-boards if people tried
to use them -- snowboard history might repeat itself.) People complain
about out-of-control riders (and sometimes skiers) on crowded slopes;
imagine a binderless no-boarder swooping down and struggling just to
turn in the right direction. And how would they get to the top of the
slopes? They wouldn't be able to ride a lift in the conventional way;
would they be allowed to carry their boards (and maybe drop them on
someone's head)?

Joe Ramirez