Justin Phillips, a member of Team Brand X from California, jumps a ramp with his Snake Board at the University of Utah Friday. The Snake Board is a hybrid version of a skateboard, but the feet are strapped to pivoting platforms and the board is propelled when the rider makes a zig-zag motion with the upper body and legs. "I wouldn't compare it that much to skateboarding. It's more like snow-boarding," said Adam Beatty, a member of Team Brand X, which was in town promoting the board Friday. The motion that's used to move the board is similar to the cutting and turning motion in snow-boarding. As in snowboarding, being strapped to the board allows the rider to perform aerials that can't be done on a skateboard but also commits the rider to the stunt, preventing him from bailing out if he thinks he's going to crash. The invention started in South Africa and has caught on in much of Europe and California, where competitions are held.
