Board for carrying a person across snow

A method of manufacturing a snowboard, comprising providing a board having an upper surface and a lower surface, a first edge and a second edge, and a first and second end,

• arranging on the upper surface locations for a first binding and a second binding to allow the bindings to be arranged transverse to a longitudinal axis extending through the first and second ends, and
• forming on the lower surface a first and a second rail extending along the longitudinal axis and being separated by a recess extending along the longitudinal axis, wherein the rails and the recess each have a width measured transverse to the longitudinal axis and the width of the recess being greater than the width of each respective rail and the first and second rails and the recess extend substantially a length of the lower surface,
• wherein the second edge is located at a periphery of the upper surface, and the first edge is located on the lower surface and closer to the longitudinal axis than the second edge, and
• wherein the first and second rails have surfaces for contacting a snow surface, the first and second rail surfaces being tapered to narrow a thickness of the respective rail from the recess to the first edge of the board.

A snowboard An apparatus for carrying a person across a surface of snow, comprising:

• a board having an upper surface and a lower surface, a first edge and a second edge, and a first and second end,
• the upper surface having locations for a first binding and a second binding to allow the bindings to be arranged transverse to a longitudinal axis extending through the first and second ends,
• the lower surface having a first and a second rail extending along the longitudinal axis at least a portion of a length of the board and being separated by a recess extending along the longitudinal axis, the rails and the recess each having a width measured transverse to the longitudinal axis and the width of the recess being greater than the width of each respective rail, and the first and second rails and the recess extending substantially a length of the lower surface, and the lower surface having first edges and second edges, each of the first and second rails having a respective one of the first edges, each of the second edges disposed at a periphery of the lower surface on a respective side of the longitudinal axis, the lower surface configured such that if the first and second rails rest on a flat surface, the second edges will be displaced further from the flat surface than the first edges, and such that each first edge is a soft edge defined by a first edge portion of the lower surface that will extend away from the flat surface as the first edge portion extends away from the longitudinal axis,
• each of the second edge edges configured to provide engagement with a snow surface with a first coefficient of friction, and
• each of the first edge edges configured to provide engagement with the snow surface with a second coefficient of friction when the second edge is not engaged with the snow surface, wherein the second coefficient of friction is lower than the first coefficient of friction,
• wherein the first and second rails have first and second rail surfaces, respectively, for contacting a snow surface, the first and second rail surfaces being tapered each having a concave portion to narrow a thickness of the respective rail from the recess to between the respective first edge and the respective second edge of the board.

A board for carrying a person across a surface of snow, comprising

• an upper surface and a lower surface, with a centerline extending longitudinally along a length of the board, and being sized for supporting the person traveling across the surface of snow,
• a first and a second end, and
• a first and a second side each of which extends between the upper surface and the lower surface,
• the lower surface including a first snow contact surface disposed laterally from the centerline on a first side of the centerline and a second snow contact surface disposed laterally from the centerline on a second side of the centerline opposite the first side of the centerline, including first and second inner edges disposed on the first and second sides of the centerline respectively, and including first and second outer edges disposed on the first and second sides of the centerline respectively,
• the first and second inner edges being spaced laterally away from the first and second outer edges, respectively, towards the centerline, and
• each of the first and second outer edges being located at a respective peripheral edge of the board,
• wherein the lower surface includes first and second s-shaped surfaces extending from the first and second snow contact surfaces to the first and second outer edges respectively, each of the first and second inner edges comprising an inner-edge portion of the first s-shaped surface and the second s-shaped surface respectively, such that a thickness of the board diminishes from the first and second snow contact surfaces toward the first and second outer edges respectively and such that if the first and second snow contact surfaces rest on a flat surface, then the first and second outer edges will be disposed further above the flat surface than the first and second inner edges, and
• wherein the first and second snow contact surfaces comprise a first material, the first and second inner edges comprise the first material, and the first and second outer edges comprise a second material that is different from the first material.

A method of manufacturing a board for carrying a person across a surface of snow, comprising

• forming the board to include a first and a second end, an upper surface and a lower surface, with a centerline extending longitudinally along a length of the board, and a first side and a second side each extending between the upper surface and the lower surface,
• forming the lower surface to include a first snow contact surface disposed laterally from the centerline on a first side of the centerline and a second snow contact surface disposed laterally from the centerline on a second side of the centerline opposite the first side of the centerline, to include first and second outer edges disposed on the first and second sides of the centerline respectively and disposed at respective peripheral edges of the board, and to include first and second inner edges disposed on the first and second sides of the centerline respectively and spaced laterally away from the first and second outer edges and towards the centerline, and
• forming the lower surface to include first and second s-shaped surfaces extending from the first and second snow contact surfaces to the first and second outer edges respectively, each of the first and second inner edges comprising an inner-edge portion of the first s-shaped surface and the second s-shaped surface respectively, such that a thickness of the board diminishes from the first and second snow contact surfaces toward the first and second outer edges respectively and such that if the first and second snow contact surfaces rest on a flat surface, then the first and second outer edges will be disposed further above the flat surface than the first and second inner edges,
• wherein the first and second snow contact surfaces comprise a first material, the first and second inner edges comprise the first material, and the first and second outer edges comprise a second material that is different from the first material.