Land Paddling Freebord

Freebord is a skateboard that’s been modified to ride more like a snowboard. It has two extra wheels on the center axis that spin freely, allowing you to swoop and slide around on the pavement.

Freebord was started in 1996 by Steen Strand in Palo Alto, CA while studying for his master’s in product design at Stanford University. Steen wanted to find a way to bring the snowboard ride to the street and began developing prototypes of a skateboard that could slide, drift and stop just like on snow.

He patented his design and began assembling and selling the first “Alpha” Freebords in 1997 out of his garage in San Francisco, CA. Since then, Freebords have evolved to become shorter and lighter, with bindings to hold the rider’s feet while carving and sliding.

An interesting fact :

Freebords didn’t always have bindings. They were added when a rider who had lost his leg to cancer wanted to ride, so he slapped some skyhooks on and the rest is history. That rider was Tim Seward.

I got my first freebord in ~2009, and it was impossible to ride without the bindings !

Freebord bindings serve the same purpose as snowboard bindings by giving the rider more control and leverage over the board. The biggest difference is that riders are not strapped into these bindings, so you can step on and off the board as needed.

But even with the bindings, you won't get the feeling of safety since taking a fall on pavement is more painful than on the snow.

That's why, no matter how experienced of a rider you think you are, always wear a helmet ( at least until you get the hang of riding your freebord ). 

To shorten the learning curve, and to make it a bit safer, I decided to use a land paddle to learn to ride my freebord.

Last winter, my 10 y.o son used Kahuna Creations Big Stick with their new Snow Grip to learn snowboarding. It was a great success, and a lot of fun ! It helped him build confidence, and more interest in snowboarding ( failure could be very frustrating and discouraging for kids ! ).

After a few failed attempts to learn to ride my freebord, I was ready to give up... then I picked up my trusted land paddle stick : 

I believe learning how to ride a freebord with a land paddle could make the transition to learning snowboarding easier, faster, and safer !

But just like riding a snowboard on flats is not fun, riding a freebord on flat ground is frustrating, and weird even with a land paddle. So when it comes to comparing freebord vs longboard, the latter definitely wins.

BUT...

There is a reason they say: "Freebord is for those who never learned how to slide".

Back in the days, when I was learning how to slide on a longboard, it was very frustrating, and dangerous. On my freebord, it literally took me just a few runs to figure it out !

In conclusion : this post wasn't about which was better: freebording/longboarding/skateboarding/land paddling...

If you love riding, a freebord is a great addition to your big boy/girl collection !

Read more =>>> Kahuna Creations Snowboard Paddle Helps Beginners Learn The Basics

Apparel by ExtraHyperActive

Land paddle from Kahuna Creations

Sources : freebord.com