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A snakeboard (also called ''streetboard'', or "pivotboard") is a board that was invented in South Africa in 1989 by James Fisher and Oliver Macleod Smith. The concept was to take the original skateboard, and to fuse it with elements of snowboarding and surfing to create a fun riding experience. The first prototype was constructed using two square wooden boards, an old roller skate chopped in half and a piece of plumbing pipe to join them together. Many variants were tried before manufacturing began. The first boards to be mass-produced were made from a strong plastic nylon known as Zytel ST801. == Performance == The rider of a snakeboard stands with one foot on each footplate, the feet are usually fixed to the board using bindings, and by moving his/her feet in and out in conjunction with the shoulders and hips- the rider is able to propel the board in any direction using only body weight. This transfer of energy is called non-holonomic locomotion. The board moves in a motion similar to that of a snake, hence the sports original name of snakeboarding. The rider of a snakeboard can ride the board on almost any terrain (depending on the set-up and model of board) and even propel themselves up-hill and perform extreme stunts similar to those done by skateboarders and snowboarders. Snakeboards allow the rider to gain momentum without the need to push themselves with their feet like skateboarders. Quoted directly from the Snakeboard patent Abstract and Claims: "This invention relates to a skateboard comprising two footboards each of the footboards including a foot platform and wheel-set which carries two wheels in axial alignment fixed to the underside of the platform, a spacer element for holding the footboards in a spaced relationship and a pivot arrangement having a vertical pivot axis connecting each footboard to the spacer element to enable both footboards to pivot relatively to the spacer element, each wheel set including a wheel body, wheel axles which are fixed to and project from the opposite sides of the body with the wheels being journaled for rotation on the axles, a first pivot pin being attached to the wheel body with its axis in a vertical direction, a support member on the wheel body, a second pivot pin pivotally connecting the foot platform to the support member with its pivot axis normal to the wheel axis, and resilient suspension means between the support member and the underside of the foot platform for holding the platform horizontal, said pivot arrangement being pivotally engaged with the first pivot pin." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Snakeboard」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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