Two-Edged Hobie Board

Hobie's boards are carbon now, but Vance says in production they will be made more affordable.

After nearly four years of development Mark Vance has finally brought his step-edge snowboard to market. It's a board with the edge of a normal snowboard, but Vance added a second set located about one inch in from the outer edge. "What I was trying to do is make a board that felt like a covex base board with the performance of a flat board," Vance says.

Vance started working with a step-deck idea because he wanted to make a snowboard that would roll from edge to edge with the same fluidity and speed that a surfboard turns. Vance believes he's arrived at the perfect board. "This board was supposed to be for advanced snowboarders, but I've found that the doubled edges actually makes it easier for beginner to learn to snowboard," he says. "It keeps you away from those brutal heelside edge catches."

The boards work best on hardpack and while the double edged boards may look strange, Vance is pretty optimistic about the design. "We're just getting a few boards out there on the hill and see what happens. "