Ergonomic sportsboard

Abstract

A sportsboard having an ergonomic upper surface. The upper surface of the sportsboard includes at least one upwardly angled portion with respect to a center of the sportsboard adapted to contact the extremities of a rider, e.g., the feet, boots and/or bindings. Preferably, the angle is between about 1° and 20°, more preferably between about 4° and 14°, and most preferably between 5° and 12°. The angle preferably accounts for an amount of flex in the sportsboard when ridden, and thus may be, e.g., more preferably in a range of between about 4° and 7° in a flexible sportsboard. The extremity contacting sections may be laterally arcuate, may be laterally rotated, and/or may be tilted about a lengthwise axis of the sportsboard. In another aspect, to reduce stiffness in the sportsboard, a plurality of grooves are formed widthwise across the sportsboard, particularly across thicker portions of the sportsboard, to reduce the compression forces necessary to bend the sportsboard in a lengthwise direction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An ergonomic sportsboard comprising: 
 a lower surface for contacting a medium to be ridden; and    an upper surface having a first extremity contacting section and a second extremity contacting section, said first extremity contacting section being adapted to receive a first extremity of a rider in a riding position, and said second extremity contacting section being adapted to receive a second extremity of said rider in said riding position;    at least one of said first extremity contacting section and said second extremity contacting section forming an upward angle from a center of said sportsboard of between 1° and 20° at a point of contact with said extremity of said rider with respect to an imaginary plane passing through contact points of said first extremity with said first extremity contacting section and said second extremity with said second extremity contacting section.    
     
     
         2 . The ergonomic sportsboard, according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said at least one of said first extremity contacting section and said second extremity contacting section forms an angle of between about 5° and 12° with respect to said imaginary plane.    
     
     
         3 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said at least one of said first extremity contacting section and said second extremity contacting section forms an angle in a range of between about 5° and 7° with respect to said imaginary plane.    
     
     
         4 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said first extremity contacting section and said second extremity contacting section are adapted to receive respective feet of a rider in an upright stance.    
     
     
         5 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said first extremity contacting section and said second extremity contacting section are adapted to receive respective knees of a rider.    
     
     
         6 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is adapted to be ridden on snow.    
     
     
         7 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a snowboard.    
     
     
         8 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is adapted to be ridden on water.    
     
     
         9 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a wakeboard.    
     
     
         10 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a mono water-ski.    
     
     
         11 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 at least one of said first extremity contacting section and said second extremity contacting section form a radius of curvature with said center of said sportsboard, said radius of curvature being approximately equal to a rotation radius of a leg of said rider in said riding position.    
     
     
         12 . A snowboard comprising: 
 a lower surface adapted for contact with snow when said snowboard is ridden; and    an ergonomic upper surface, said ergonomic upper surface including at least one upwardly angled extremity contacting section with respect to a center of said snowboard, said upward angle corresponding to a generally unstrained extremity of a rider in a riding position.    
     
     
         13 . The snowboard according to  claim 12 , wherein: 
 said at least one upwardly angled extremity contacting section forms an angle of between approximately 1° and 20° at a point of contact with said extremity with respect to an imaginary plane corresponding to said snow when said snowboard is ridden.    
     
     
         14 . The snowboard according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said angle is between about 4° and 12° with respect to said imaginary plane.    
     
     
         15 . The snowboard according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said angle is in a range between about 4° and 7° with respect to said imaginary plane.    
     
     
         16 . The snowboard according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 at least one of said first extremity contacting section and said second extremity contacting section forms a radius of curvature with a center of said sportsboard, said radius of curvature being approximately equal to a rotation radius of a leg of a rider.    
     
     
         17 . The snowboard according to  claim 13 , wherein said upper surface further comprises: 
 at least one downwardly angled portion with respect to said center of said snowboard, beyond said at least one extremity contacting section.    
     
     
         18 . A method of providing an ergonomic sportsboard, said method comprising: 
 providing a sportsboard with a lower surface adapted for contact with a medium to be ridden; and    providing an upper surface on said sportsboard, said upper surface including at least one upwardly angled extremity contacting section with respect to a center of said sportsboard, said upper surface being adapted to receive at least one extremity of a rider in a riding position at a corresponding at least one extremity contacting section;    said at least one extremity contacting section forming an angle of between about 1° and 20° at a point of contact with said at least one extremity with respect to an imaginary plane corresponding to said medium to be ridden.    
     
     
         19 . The method of providing an ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 18 , wherein: 
 said upper surface is of a continuous molded construction.    
     
     
         20 . The method of providing an ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 18 , wherein: 
 said medium to be ridden is snow.    
     
     
         21 . The method of providing an ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 20 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a snowboard.    
     
     
         22 . The method of providing an ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 18 , wherein: 
 said medium to be ridden is water.    
     
     
         23 . The method of providing an ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a wakeboard.    
     
     
         24 . The method of providing an ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a mono water-ski.    
     
     
         25 . The method of providing an ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 18 , wherein: 
 said angle is in a range between about 5° and 12°.    
     
     
         26 . The method of providing an ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 18 , wherein: 
 said angle is at least 6°.    
     
     
         27 . An ergonomic sportsboard comprising: 
 lower surface means for contacting a medium to be ridden; and    upper surface means for providing substantially unstrained support of at least one extremity of a rider in a riding position, said upper surface means including at least one upwardly angled extremity contacting section with respect to a center of said sportsboard adapted to receive a corresponding at least one extremity of said rider in said riding position;    said at least one extremity contacting section forming an upward angle of between about 1° and 20° at a point of contact with said at least one extremity with respect to a plane corresponding to said medium to be ridden.    
     
     
         28 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 27 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a snowboard.    
     
     
         29 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 27 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a wakeboard.    
     
     
         30 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 27 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a mono water-ski.    
     
     
         31 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 27 , wherein: 
 said angle is in a range between about 5° and 12°.    
     
     
         32 . The ergonomic sportsboard according to  claim 27 , wherein: 
 said angle is at least 6°.    
     
     
         33 . A sportsboard, comprising: 
 an upper surface adapted to contact at least one extremity of a rider; and    a lower surface adapted to contact a medium to be ridden;    said sportsboard having an increasing thickness at an extremity contacting section adapted to contact an extremity of said rider; and    said sportsboard having a decreased thickness outwardly beyond said increasing thickness at said extremity contacting section.    
     
     
         34 . The sportsboard according to  claim 33 , wherein: 
 said increasing thickness forms an angle of said extremity contacting section with respect to a lengthwise axis of said sportsboard of between 1° and 20° at a point of contact with said extremity.    
     
     
         35 . The sportsboard according to  claim 34 , wherein: said angle is between 5° and 12°.  
     
     
         36 . The sportsboard according to  claim 34 , wherein: 
 said angle is at least 6°.    
     
     
         37 . The sportsboard according to  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 at least one widthwise groove in said upper surface, said at least one widthwise groove increasing flexibility in said sportsboard.    
     
     
         38 . The sportsboard according to  claim 33 , wherein: 
 said medium to be ridden is snow.    
     
     
         39 . The sportsboard according to  claim 33 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a snowboard.    
     
     
         40 . A sportsboard, comprising: 
 an upper surface adapted to contact at least one extremity of a rider; and    a lower surface adapted to contact a medium to be ridden;    said sportsboard including a plurality of grooves formed widthwise in an upper surface of said sportsboard, said plurality of grooves increasing lengthwise flexibility in said sportsboard.    
     
     
         41 . The sportsboard according to  claim 40 , wherein: 
 said sportsboard is a snowboard.    
     
     
         42 . The sportsboard according to  claim 40 , wherein: 
 said plurality of grooves are formed in an area of said sportsboard having an increasing thickness with respect to a center of said sportsboard.