December 15, 2008 Developed in the 60s and 70s and first appearing as a Winter Olympic Sport in 1998, snowboarding has now well and truly taken a hold on the ski-slopes. But despite the growing popularity of the sport, slicker graphics and better board construction have been the only notable innovations in recent times, with the core design of the snowboard not undergoing any major changes since steel edges were added two decades ago. That's the argument put forward by Cheetah Ultra Sports, a company that is set to reveal what it calls the most advanced snowboard ever - "The Whip".
The Whip promises improvements in pretty much every element of snowboard riding including a better fit, a faster, more stable and smoother ride, superior edge holding and sensitivity, plus higher jumps, softer landings and quicker turns. The only caveat - its not designed for deep powder.
The lockable, lightweight design is also easy to store, can hook onto a bike rack for transport and according to its makers it's not only the pros who will benefit from the new design as it is easy for beginners to learn and master.
The list of benefits makes impressive reading. So how does it do it? Many of the details are being kept under wraps ahead of the official launch on December 20th, but stay tuned and we'll bring you the full story as soon as more information comes to light.
