My name is George Schuellein and I was invited to be a guest author here at boardtests.com. I live in Narragansett, Rhode Island; a beautiful seaside town in North East USA with plentiful access to ocean beaches, bays, and inland lakes. I am an electrical engineer working in the semiconductor industry.

Wordens Pond provided world class conditions with a 2015 speed record

I have been windsurfing since 1985 but only began ice boarding in 2011. I sail every month of the year getting in typically 50-100 total sessions. Ice board season here usually starts in early January and ends in mid-March. Although there are many nearby lakes the favored spot for ice boarding is Wordens Pond. Wordens is the largest lake in Rhode Island and has the strongest wind in the west and northwest conditions that prevail in winter. This past January Wordens provided world class conditions with a 2015 speed record posted by King-of-the-Ice Jeff Brown.

Smaller sails are used compared to windsurfing allowing fast development

For me the attraction of land boarding is the same as ice boarding. One can go fast in light winds that would not be exciting for windsurfing greatly increasing the number of potential sailing days. Also much smaller sails are used compared to windsurfing allowing fast development of sail handling skills and board maneuvers while staying dry. Although swimming is enjoyable in the summer, it is not pleasant in cold air and water conditions while wearing a thick layer of rubber.

Hiberna CompEdge ice board provides a much better overall ride compared to a Freeskate

I first attempted to build a land board by converting my Freeskate ice board by attaching axles and wheels to the skateboard type trucks with hose clamps. Although functional, it was far from ideal. In 2015 I upgraded to a Hiberna CompEdge ice board that provides a much better overall ride compared to a Freeskate. It was immediately obvious that the design of this board allowed for a quick, easy, and robust conversion to a land board.

Land Board Conversion

– Enables year round use of an ice board
– Light wind alternative to windsurfing
– Develop your sail handling and freestyle skills using small sails in light wind
– Hiberna CompEdge design allows simple and quick land board conversion
>> Less than $100 material expense
>> Ice/Land board conversion in less than 10 minutes

Hiberna CompEdge Blade Configuration

Ice board vs Land board brackets

>>  In Ice Board configuration, brackets attach each blade to the bridges. 4 Additional brackets are needed for Land Board configuration.

>>  Brackets can be fabricated or purchased from Hiberna. Drill mounting hole size to match wheel axle diameter.

Land board wheels

Many wheel options are possible, I used standard pneumatic wheel barrel tires for use on paved, sand, or grass surfaces. The following items was Purchased from amazon.com:- 12 inch diameter – ball bearings – ½ inch axle

 Land board Axles and Assembly

I used the following items:

– ½ inch threaded rod for axles to match wheels
– Appropriate nuts and lock washers
– Bridge & Bracket design allows adjustment for straight tracking

Ice board Blades vs Land board Wheels

– Wheels have slightly wider track than blades – Increased stability for rough surfaces but also increased turning radius – Blades in back, wheels in Front. Might be useful for ice conditions Grade 1 or worse?

Hiberna CompEdge Landboard