We are so used to ski and snowboard in vertical position that it wouldn’t even come to our minds to ski in horizontal position. Hangboarding is a combination of skiing and snowboarding, invented by Canadian Don Arney. Because of the horizontal skiing position, hangboarding reminds me from hang gliding. Instead of bindings hangboard has a system with a T-shaped bar from which skier hangs in a harness. Controlling the board is mostly done by shifting weight, but also by pushing rudders. Push one rudder and the hangboard turns, and push both rudders and the hangboard stops.
Hangboard is made of aircraft aluminium, and the whole system weights only about 11 kg (snowboard not included). T-shaped bar is 32 cm high and 47 cm wide. It took years for Don Arney to develop the hangboard, but finally his company is going to launch the product.
There are only a limited numbers of hangboards available for sale on 2008, but probably more on the following years. One hangboard costs $1495, which sounds pretty high price, but may be price will come down as soon as hangboard starts selling more.
Hangboarding is part of the future of skiing
Is hangboarding going to be the next big hit? May be it won’t become as popular as traditional skiing, but for a number of dare-devils hangboard will definitely provide lots of fun on snow. I guess hangboard is a bit too technical for the masses, so the product might stay as one kind of “special skiing equipment”. I also guess that many ski resorts will purchase few hangboards, so you don’t necesserily need to buy one in order to try hangboarding. If you think you’re not ready to buy your own hangboard, wait a while and your local ski resort might start renting hangboards.
I am really excited to try hangboarding. I’ve skied since 1980 and I have tried probably all kinds of formats of skiing, but nothing like hangboarding. Would you give it a try?
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not a chance that will catch on. it looks fun, but it also looks like a hassle.
I believe you’re right Ptor. Hangboarding looks really fun, but I agree it might be too “complex” for most skiers.
Fun? As a skier who still has repressed sledding anxiety, flying down a hill, face-first, seems terrifying. I would really love to hear about what it’s like if anyone has tried it though!
Julie, check YouTube for hangboarding videos. Those few videos show that someone has already tried hangboarding
You’re right, hangboarding position is strange. I would really like to try it to tell how it feels. I hope we can get one hangboard, but I’m afraid it won’t happen during this season.
I hang glide and I’d love to give that a try just to spend a whole day feeling like I was flying just off the ground. I don’t think it looks like something I would ever buy, first because it looks like a mess, and second because I don’t like sticking my face out front when I’m flying, and I don’t need to when I’m skiing.
Peter, I agree with you that it looks like a mess but would be nice to try. It really is a weird thing, but I’d like to try how it feels to hang board. Must be like hang gliding, but right above the ground
Anyhow, I would definitely give a try, but most probably wouldn’t purchase. I’ve never seen anyone hangboarding. Just wondering if anyone in Europe owns a hangboard??