Sandboarding

Sandboarding is a board sport similar to snowboarding. It is a recreational activity and takes place on sand dunes rather than snow-covered mountains. This boardsport has adherents throughout the world, most prevalently in desert areas or coastal areas with beach dunes.

It involves riding across or down a dune while standing with both feet strapped to a board, though some sandboarders use a board without bindings. It is less popular than snowboarding, partly because it is very difficult to build a mechanised ski lift on a sand dune, and so participants generally must walk back up to the top. Alternatively, they may ride a dune buggy or all-terrain vehicle back to the top of the dune. On the other hand, dunes are normally available year-round as opposed to ski resorts, which are usually seasonal.

Josh Tenge, professional sandboarding champion, holds the Guinness Book of World Records entry for the longest-distance back flip at 44' 10". Tenge is also a four-time world sandboarding champion and holds three world records. Erik Johnson, a professional snowboarder and sandboarder, holds the Guinness World Record for Speed on a Sandboard at 51 mph (82 km/h). Unofficial speeds of 60 mph (97 km/h) have reportedly been clocked.

The sandboard base is much harder than a snowboard, and is built mostly out of formica or laminex with special base materials now being made for this sport. To glide in the sand, the board bottom is often waxed, usually with a paraffin-based sandboard wax, before a run. Afterwards, the bottom of the board may have a lightly sanded look to it, while 'Race Base' tends to polish smoother and glossier with use. Most terrain sandboards are composed of hardwood ply, while 'full-size' sandboards are a wood, fiber glass, and plastic composite. However, a snowboarding base will sometimes work on steeper dunes.

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