Sports

Two feet, two snowboards: Dual Snowboards split your width

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Dual Snowboards create a familiar but totally new on-snow experience
Is two really better than one?
It's not hard to imagine an entirely new arsenal of tricks
Dual Snowboards create a familiar but totally new on-snow experience
Dual Snowboards go pro with Scotty Lago
Is two really better than one?
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Dual Snowboards delivers a unique twist to the world of snowboarding by cutting the traditional snowboard in half along the waist, giving you a board for each foot. With this simple move that effectively sees a lunch-tray-like board strapped to each foot, the company says riders get more freedom to move and conceptualize new tricks like ninja-like flip-n-kicks, but they'll also be able to pull off Gore-Tex-ripping splits, nut-demolishing pole wraps and devastating banana-peel falls. Proceed with care.

Ever since its conception and popularization, the snowboard has been one of the premier tools for speed, adrenaline and big air. What the snowboard has never been is all that maneuverable on the ground. Yes, once you get the hang of it, it is easy to turn, carve and stop, but a large board is difficult to move forward on flat terrain and can feel like a big, immobile plank to newer riders. Skiers have a little more freedom in having both legs pointed naturally forward and free to move individually, but snowboarders are locked into a less natural stance.

Dual Snowboards sets out to even the playing field and give riders the "freedom to move around the snow in ways not thought possible."

CEO Scott Rickett told Gizmag, "Dual Snowboards were invented as a way to bring the best of both skiing and snowboard[ing] together. You have the fun and ability to ride like a snowboard with comfortable boots and bindings, but now your feet are not locked together so you have the freedom and mobility of skis without the bulky size and cumbersome poles."

The boards feature a what's what of traditional snowboard components - sintered base, poplar wood core, ABS sidewalls, stainless steel edges and standard binding inserts. You can use your traditional snowboard bindings and mount them with your preferred stance.

Is two really better than one?

Both of your legs will be free to move independently so you'll be able to walk over the flats - assuming you can get some grip on the slick snow. According to Rickett, some riders have even used them in place of snowshoes when hiking through back-country powder.

All the photos and videos show a clear freestyle focus. Rickett says that carving is possible with a little practice and muscle control, but two short edges seem far less ideal for carving and speed than a long single edge. Although, the average Dual rider probably won't venture far from the park or pipe.

Dual Snowboards could very well suffer the same fate as the monoski, snowlerblades and other obscure snow sport equipment that attempted to combine the advantages of several pieces of gear only to spend more time combining their pitfalls. Maybe they'll gain a tiny, passionate cult following, but I don't see many people selling off their quiver of snowboards and putting all chips on Dualie.

That seems to be okay with the company. Even company execs have no plans of abandoning more traditional gear and see Dual Snowboards as more of a complement than a replacement.

Rickett said, "I will never stop snowboarding. Dual Snowboards makes you a better skier and snowboarder - when I put my traditional snowboard on after 2 hours of riding the Dual boards I feel like superman; I ride stronger and harder."

Dual snowboards cost US$265 per pair, a price that's cheaper than the majority of snowboards on the market this year. You can order through Dual's website.

Watch Dual Snowboards in action and decide if they're an improvement upon snowboards and skis bound for greatness or an unnecessary tweak that will disappear quietly by the 2012-13 season. You'll find more videos on Dual's YouTube channel.

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12 comments
Michael Johnson
the fact that your feet aren\'t locked into a single position like on a regular snowboard is extremely dangerous. Considering the angle and momentum, if you were to catch an edge with say just one of these boards you will do irreversible damage to your knee, and or hip joint. Just sayin... stick to ski\'s or a regular snowboard people
Alan Belardinelli
This product does push the boundries of how hard it is possible to eat it. This seems only slightly better than strapping two saucers to your feet...then again.. Son of Saucer Boy!!!
Slowburn
Dual Snowboards because you can\'t hurt yourself enough with regular snowboards.
Jim Parker
Nut-mashing mayhem! Glorious groin tears! Like standing sideways on short, fat skis! I can\'t wait until somebody combines this with wing-suit base jumping!
Ethan Brush
It needs a couple rubber ties about the length of a board connected to the boots. They would prevent the splits, nut smashing, but still offer more freedom than a conventional board.
yrag
\"Two feet, two snowboards\"
At this point aren\'t we just talking about dwarf skis?
bradleydad
Soooo, how \'bout dual skateboards? (Pavement rash in all new places!)
Eli Anderle
I expect great youtube content caused by these things.
Mark Johnson
How many people here have actually ridden them? I doubt any have. Skeptics look at it from a sideline and say what they see wrong and call their speculation \"fact\". Groin tears, knee and ankle damage dont happen like you think they would. Nut smashers are possible on rails but its the same with skis. In the grand scheme of snow sports, these are very low profile so lower body damage is less than both snowboarding and skiing. Im not saying you cant get hurt, you are doing a sport, and just like any other. Its better to talk to someone who knows the product and take it from them rather than some biased, inexperienced skeptic.
Debra Rincon
I really don\'t know how beneficial this would be to skiers or snowboarders? It looks like it would most certainly cause more severe damages to your body when accident\'s occur that\'s for sure!