Freebord Canada, officially launched Tuesday, is bringing to Canada the new concept of “concrete snowboarding,” developed by adding a pivoting wheel to both ends of the standard skateboard.
Jonathan Goldfarb, head of the Canadian licensing and distribution arm of the company and a Western economics grad, said he has been a snowboard and Freebord enthusiast for many years.
“The actual feeling is pretty similar to snowboarding,” he said. “It’s amazing how much [the Freebord] makes you feel like you’re boarding.”
Freebord, established in 2000, promises its riders a smooth and weightless experience, with motions closely simulating those of a snowboard. The technology behind this innovation is the addition of two center wheels that enable the “Freeborder” to spin a full 360 degrees.
“The whole purpose of the board is to serve as a cross-trainer,” Goldfarb explained. “It is designed and made for snowboard addicts who need the summer fix.”
Meanwhile, boarding stores in London have no immediate plans to carry the Freebord.
“Since it was just launched a few days ago, we probably wouldn’t carry it for awhile,” said Tyler Rea, a sales associate at West 49. “Its popularity would depend on things like price and how ‘hilly’ the area is. But it sounds like it would appeal more to snowboarders than to skateboarders.”
Sgt. Stephen Dykeman of the Campus Community Police Service said he is not excited about the introduction of the new sport.
“Skateboarding itself is not allowed on many areas of the campus,” he explained. “Any type of acrobatic moves are definitely not allowed. This board sounds even more extreme than that.”
However, Freebord Canada remains optimistic about the safety and reliability of its product.
“Problems with traffic and the police are not really a big deal,” Goldfarb maintained. “You have so much control on the board; you stop at the drop of a dime.
“It’s an awesome idea. People just need to give it a try,” Goldfarb said.
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