What IS all this about airboarding, anyway??

It's the experience of wind in your face and scenery whipping past as you steer your inflatable winter bodyboard down the packed track or powder slope. You lie on your belly, gripping the handles, and shift your weight in order to steer on the rubber runners beneath the airboard - and because it's inflatable, you can take the little bumps and jumps with all joy and no pain! (Nothing fast and head-first is ever guaranteed to be pain-free -a waiver and helmet is required! Riders should be 12 or over) You don't need to be a good skier to have a great time airboarding - in fact the first male and female Canadian Champions had never been on an airboard before their race!

The first Canadian Airboard Championships held during the Rossland Winter Carnival had about 45 entrants, and raised over $100 in donations to the Red Mountain Racers. The track was a bit slushy due to mild temperatures, but I think that most competitors got a feel for how good it could be.

Kieren is happy to take Red Shutter guests staying 4 days or longer on a complementary airboard tour, and hopefully once we get the cat-ski tenure area, we'll be able to run mechanized airboard tours (that trudge up the hill isn't nearly as fun as the schuss down). Non-guests can also join in the fun for a small fee, and airboards are available for sale at the Red Shutter. Need to learn more? Check out www.airboard.com.