HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUR BOARD

Boards can cost up to $1,000 so its important to look after them in order to get maximum Board life. Heres a few tips I have picked up over the years:

Storage: Always store in a dry place, and away from direct sunlight. Leaving your board out in the weather can cause your deck to weaken, rusting of metal components etc.

Transporting: When transporting your board in a car or plane make sure it is not rubbing against anything. The Vibrations caused in a car can not only leave wear marks, but can actually weaken the structure of the deck. Check out the MUNRO board bags for a top way to protect your board in transport.

WD-40: wd40 is your best friend. When assembling a new board I spray every bolt and nut with WD40. This stops dirt build up, around the bolts and prevents rusted bolts etc.

After Use: Hose your board down whenever it has dirt or mud on it. I often go to a carwash and use the high pressure hoses and it normally works a treat.

Tighten Bolts: Not only are loose bolts dangerous, but they can also cause the bolt holes to stretch and loose shape, leading to other problems later down the track

How to teach mountainboarding

With the sport of mountainboarding constantly growing, there is always people learning to ride and wanting to have a ride of your board. Below are some tips you should mention when people are first having a ride on a mountainboard.

STRAPPING IN
This is the most common mistake, as new riders are not used to mountainboard bindings. Here is a video by U.S rider Jon Diurba on how to use bindings correctly

It is important to emphasise to the rider that they shouldn't jump or step out of the bindings while riding. Staying in the bindings significantly reduces the risk of knee and ankle injury.

FALLING OFF
Tell the rider that if they are going to fall, lean back and put their bum on the ground.This is the safest way to fall off when learning.

STOPPING
Most new riders find it easiest to turn heelside, so the best way for them to stop is to turn bakc up the hill in a heelside direction. Tell the rider to get down low, grab the toeside edge of the board and lean back gradually.


These are some steps to ensure new riders can safely enjoy their first mountainboarding experience.

Staying On Board

Mountainboarding is a sport that can be very punishing on your body. Many others share my vision of wanting to ride for as long as there body is capable of, so I am going to give you some tips that I have learned over the many years I have been riding for.

1. Mentality

Many people who have begun mountainboarding, or haven’t been hurt mountainboarding, have the mentality that they are invincible and picture it is hard to get hurt. This is not the case, it is still important to minimise unnecessary risks if you don’t wish to get hurt or it’s just a matter of time before your number comes up.

• Never ride too far outside your limit.
• Practise inverted tricks into water or foam first (the first flips I tried into water I landed on my head)
• Wear pads
• If you don’t have a clear vision of a good outcome don’t try it.
• Don’t fall victim to peer pressure.
• Work up to things, try a 4 stair set before a 6 stair set.

2. Flat Landings

Flat landings are a killer on knees, back and ankles. Although sometimes they cant be helped I think it is important to try and minimise doing jumps, drops to flat landings. When I first started riding 7 years ago I did lots of flat landings, however now my body cant really hack it and I am only 21, so keep that in mind.

When you hit the ground for a landing something has to give, often it is the flex in the boards, however many boards these days are tough and it is your body that gives out. Try to place kickers on hills, do drops onto a slope.

3. Warm up

Warm up by stretching before you start riding and when u start riding do a few mellow runs before you get right into it.

4. Pad up

Always wear protective gear especially a helmet. If you love riding and would like to do it for a while, its best to minimise the risks that you can. Putting pads and a helmet on are very easy steps to minimise the risk of breaking bones etc.

How to use a Platter???

And what is a platter you may ask? It’s a type of ski lift similar to a T-bar used to pull you up a hill. It’s a round rubber pad that you sit/lean your bum on and is connected to a cable been pulled up a hill.
Firstly have your board facing up the hill with your feet in the bindings, as the platter comes past grab it and put it between your legs and hold the cable with your hands.

Make sure your board isn’t bogged behind a rock, as it will catapult you off your board. Shift your weight towards the back of the board and wait until your board starts to gain momentum.

Because of the way you are being pulled up the hill, turning can feel a little different, so if you find yourself heading off line, hop the front of your board around by jumping.

Release the platter from between your legs at the designated points and use your back foot to stop you rolling back down the hill, then jump out the way of other boarders coming up the hill.

AND DON'T GET THE PLATTER WRAPPED AROUND THE CABLE LINE..
Like i did

And enjoy

Ride Life

Simo

Mountainboard Season

Depending on where you are in the world you may be coming in to the summer season. So its time to dust off your board (maybe even invest in a new one) tighten the bolts, pump up the tires and get out there.

Remember where all the safety gear, slop on some sunscreen and be free. The earth is a mountain board park: RIDE IT Ride Life

Simo

The Art of Pumping

A few Blog’s ago I mentioned that pumping is a good way to gain some extra speed. Because this is the only way you can gain extra speed once moving I thought I might give some extra tips.

The object of pumping is to put minimal weight on your board when travelling up and put extra weight into the board while travelling down.

Heres some physics behind why it works.

Les say your coming up to a rollie. To put minimal weight on the board while traveling up bunny hop at the base of the rollie, don’t bunny hop off the ground but just enough to glide you up the rollie. As well as this, as you climb the rollie, absorb it by tucking your body so when you get to the top of the rollie you are squatting.

Now as you start going down this is where you pump, push the board into the ground and straighten your body back out. Really try to work the board into the ground and use you back foot to give one last kick as you leave the rollie.

To make the most of pumping you need to really emphasize the absorbing and pushing your board into the ground, use your arms to help get that extra bit of power from your pump.

Remember to use this technique any time there is a rise or fall in the terrain.

Ride Life

Simo

How to Jump

Ever dream of that floating feeling? Well here’s some tips to get the real thing. This is how to jump a mountainboard.

Jumping is one of the most dangerous things you can do on a mountain board so it is vital that you have good board skills, you know how to fall, you know how to bunny hop and are wearing all the safety gear.

Find a jump that you are able to roll over, such as a rollie or a tabletop. Roll over the jump slowly to get a feel for the environment and your board.

Now with that same amount of speed try bunny hopping at the peak of the jump. Make sure you keep the board straight, your weight centered and try to land with all wheels at the same time.

Once your use to this try bunny hopping higher or going faster so you can get higher and clear the whole jump.

Remember this is dangerous and do not attempt it until you are good with all the basics of boarding.

Ride Life

Simo