Snowscoot

Snowscoot is a gliding sport on snow invented by Franck Petoud in 1991.

A Snowscoot is a mix between a BMX bike and a snowboard. It has two skis, the rear one being two times longer than the other. The position is standing and the feet are placed into a footstrap. Boards are made like high tech snowboards with fiberglass, 100% woodcore, and ptex soles, as well as regular stainless edges. The Snowscoot has a weight of between 8 and 11 kilograms, although some models designed for more strenuous use may weight as much as 14-15 kilograms.

History

After having obtained a patent and an honor diplome at an the invention contest Concours Lépine by Franck Petoud its original inventor, it was decided to industrialise the product in collaboration with the Mountain Bike company Sunn SA in 1996. Two years later the Snowscoot was being sold in 10 countries and the first international competitions were being organized, such as the Snowscoot World Championships. Many countries now have their own Snowscoot Association.

Approximately 20 000 Snowscoots have been sold in total. The original trademark of the Snowscoot is "Insane Toys" and is owned by Franck Petoud. He has started his own company in Switzerland, It Snowscoot Sarl, which is still the largest Snowscoot producer.

References

* [http://www.snowscoot.com/index.php Snowscoot Insane Toys]
* [http://www.snowscoot.co.jp/ JYKK Japan]