As any snowboarder knows, the board does not just float dreamily across soft, puffy snow. It bangs and it shakes and it chatters against the hard-packed slopes, which is exactly where the shock-absorbing ShredLORD is designed to come in.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the ShredLORD (Load Oscillation Reduction Device) is made by outdoors startup FusionRide. The gadget utilizes tunable polyurethane bushings sandwiched between anodized aluminum plates, and it mounts between the rear boot binding and the board, leaving the front binding in direct contact with the board for maximum control.
And while it's said to be "snowboarding's first suspension system/shock absorber," the inventors of The Whip FR-II board and the SANKIboard system would likely disagree with that claim. However, whereas those devices are limited to vertical suspension travel (like a mountain bike fork), the ShredLORD concentrates more on tilting from side to side.
According to the designers, this feature allows it to better absorb the hits that come through the edges of the board as users are carving. As a result, there's reportedly less stress on their ankles, knees and hips, plus they're able to go faster, maintain better edge contact, and thus maintain better control.
The ShredLORD has been tested in collaboration with the Sports Engineering and Ergonomics faculty at the University of Applied Sciences Vienna, where it was reportedly found to reduce impacts of over 10g by more than 40%. It tips the scales at less than 500 grams (1.1 lb).
Assuming the ShredLORD reaches production, a pledge of US$99 will get you one. The planned retail price is $149.
Sources: Kickstarter, FusionRide
