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Jan 25, 2009 11:00 AM
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Dubbed the "Lamborghini of snowboards" by Cheetah, this $1,900 board is heavy on the hype until we can get resident rider and Editorial Director Brian Lam to test it out (*cough* winter reader meet-up *cough*).
If Cheetah is to be believed, the F-117 will do everything short of take off and do an Immelman Turn, thanks to a huge honkin' hole that runs down the center of the board. Says Cheetah, "the main purpose of the opening is to reduce the amount of surface which comes in contact with snow. Smaller surface means less drag, which translates into more gliding speed."
Then there are the supports, which would no doubt do Christopher Nolan proud with their nod to Batman's Tumbler. However, unlike the Tumbler, one thing this board cannot conquer is heavy powder, which the makers say one should avoid if you want to buy. A heli-skiing and boarding piece of gear this is certainly not.
The board is limited edition and available for preorder now. Shipping is expected to begin sometime this month [Cheetah Ultra Sports via Engadget]
[Blam: Not sure I buy this design. "Less surface area for more glide" is a principle that doesn't make sense for me on all conditions. I bet that thing will do alright on a groomer but will sink on powder. I like the fact that weight is placed directly on edges, for focused turning power, but depending on the rest of the geometry this board could be very twitchy. And while some makers are focusing on reducing the distance between a boarder's boots and the ground, this design clearly raises you. It might have the same type of instability you'd get from stilts, albeit to a lesser degree. Regardless, a lower center of gravity is your friend in this sport! But I'd have to test it to find out more.]
Send an email to Jack Loftus, the author of this post, at jloftus@gizmodo.com.
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