Air-cushion sled
An air-cushion sled is an inflatable sled , also known as an airboard or snow bodyboard .
On the top of the bodyboard there are two handles that the athlete, lying on his stomach and head first, holds on to with his hands. There is a reinforced rubber layer with longitudinal grooves on the underside. You steer by shifting your body weight, braked by placing the board sideways (90 ° to the direction of travel) or dragging your feet.
There are different models for slopes, tours and freestyle. For safety reasons, a fabric-reinforced model should always be used for sporty descents. Often only TÜV / GS tested devices are allowed in races.
Experienced athletes can reach speeds of up to 100 km / h on groomed slopes. Off-piste, the toboggan has advantages over other variants, as it runs well in deep snow as well as on hard snow and even rough terrain thanks to its large sliding surface . When folded, the sledges are easy to transport. They weigh about three kilograms and can be stowed in a backpack.
Laurent Matthey from Geneva currently holds the world speed record : the speed measured at the Open Gliss 2005 in Les Arcs was 141.79 km / h .
The prevalence is so far low, but is growing steadily. Individual winter sports locations in Switzerland , Austria and Bavaria have already designated air-cushion sled runs . In 2004 an international competition took place in Belalp / Switzerland for the first time . In the meantime, various winter sports locations organize a series of air cushion sled events with disciplines such as boardercross , speed race , rat race , team race and others.
When driving you should wear a sports helmet and protectors (knee pads, back armor).