Kheo Boards is one of those brands synonymous with freedom and adventure, offering all-terrain boards that can be used
year-round and almost anywhere: mountainboards. No more need for snow, waves, or smooth asphalt...
This eco-friendly board sport offers endless possibilities for practice locations, tricks, and disciplines (wing, freestyle,
landkiting, freeride, downhill...). From the seasoned rider blasting downhill, to the kitesurfer trying landkiting in the next
field, or even the wing beginner practicing maneuvers on the sand before hitting the water, mountainboarding can be enjoyed on
grass, dirt, rocky ground, asphalt, sand, even in skateparks, all year round, regardless of the weather.
Origins of Mountainboarding
Invented 30 years ago by snowboarders wanting to ride year-round, mountainboarding really began to develop in the late 1990s
in the USA. Initially, the boards were relatively heavy and primarily designed for downhill riding. Mountainboarding for
landkiting quickly appeared in France, spearheaded by KHEO. Every kiteboarder practicing between 2000 and 2010 tried
mountainboarding at least once. Today, wing foiling on the beach has overtaken landkiting due to its simplicity and
accessibility. KHEO develops various versatile models for wing foiling, kitesurfing, and downhill riding (the Eplison remains
a cult classic). Today, the equipment is increasingly high-performance and technically advanced. The construction technologies
used are similar to those for snowboards, and different types of trucks are available. Thus, each part (tires, rims, bearings,
bushings) is adaptable to the rider's needs!
Disciplines
Mountainboarding is one of the most versatile board sports in the world; few surfaces are too challenging for it.
There are many mountainboarding disciplines, but two main trends stand out: downhill and tow-in riding.
Downhill
In downhill, you can distinguish between freestyle, boardercross, downhill, and freeride, but you might also encounter riders
in pumptracks, skateparks, or even on the street.
For freestyle, several mountainboard parks exist in France, and some of the world's best are French riders from the
associations that manage mountainboard parks. In these parks, you'll find a series of jumps, rails, quarter pipes, and other
features borrowed from skateboarding or snowboarding. Some parks have a boardercross course. For downhill, riders head to
resorts at mid- to low-altitudes that offer grassy slopes ideal for riding and carving without feeling like you're going at
Mach 12. The braking technique used is called the powerslide; it consists of a squatting slide perpendicular to the slope.
Contrary to what one might think, mountainboard parks are most often located in plains; examples include
L.A. Mountainboard Park near Nantes, Naranoriders in Brittany, and AMC, the park that hosted the world championships in 2023.
Towed watersports (wingskate, wing mountainboard, landkite, kite mountainboard, wind mountainboard...)
For towed watersports, wing mountainboarding has overtaken landkiting in recent years, but you'll still find die-hard landkite
enthusiasts on the beaches of northern France, Brittany, and inland. The wing, this triangular wing used on the water with a
foil, has the advantage of being very quick to inflate, easy to handle, and safe for slowing down or braking. However, it
requires stronger winds than a kite (for the same wing size).
Landkiting reached its peak around 2005; it's a great option for riding on the beach when the wind is too weak for kitesurfing,
or for avoiding going out on the water in winter.
Another discipline that can be practiced is wind mountainboarding with a windsurfing rig. The principle is the same as speed
sailing, but less fast and better suited for freestyle.
For towed practice, the ideal spot is a deserted beach with hard sand; a field with short grass, a parking lot, or a dirt area
will also work. Towed mountainboarding is also a less expensive option than practicing on the water (no wetsuit required, and
a second-hand sail will do just fine). For beach spots, check out land sailing websites.
