Snowboard with steering control

Abstract

A snowboard apparatus comprising a snowboard having a top surface, a front lengthwise end portion, a rear lengthwise end portion, and a bottom surface for contacting snow. The snowboard apparatus further comprises front and rear bindings attached to the top surface of the snowboard. The snowboard comprises a front snowboard portion between the front binding and the front lengthwise end portion and a rear snowboard portion between the rear binding and rear lengthwise end portion. The snowboard apparatus further comprises front and rear flexible cords attached to the snowboard adjacent to the front and rear lengthwise end portions, respectively. Each flexible cord has a length that is sufficient to allow a rider to grasp the front cord with one hand and grasp the rear cord with the other hand.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A snowboard board apparatus comprising: 
 a snowboard having a top surface, a front lengthwise end portion, a rear lengthwise end portion and a bottom surface for contacting snow;    front and rear bindings attached to the top surface of the snowboard;    said snowboard comprising a front snowboard portion between the front binding and the front lengthwise end portion and a rear snowboard portion between the rear binding and rear lengthwise end portion; and    at least one front flexible cord attached to the front snowboard portion, the front flexible cord having a length that is sufficient to allow a rider to grasp the front flexible cord with one of the rider's hands; and    at least one rear flexible cord attached to the rear snowboard portion, the rear flexible cord having a length that is sufficient to allow a rider to grasp the rear flexible cord with the other rider's hands.    
     
     
         2 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one front flexible cord comprises two front flexible cords.  
     
     
         3 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one rear flexible cord comprises two rear flexible cords.  
     
     
         4 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising front and rear fastening means, the front fastening means being attached to the front lengthwise end portion of the snowboard, the rear fastening means being attached to the rear lengthwise end portion of the snowboard, the front flexible cord being attached to front fastening means, the rear flexible cord being attached to the rear fastening means.  
     
     
         5 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein the front flexible cord is removably attached to the front fastening means and the rear flexible cord is removably attached to the rear fastening means.  
     
     
         6 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising front and rear fastening members attached to the snowboard adjacent the front and rear lengthwise end portions, respectively, and wherein the front flexible cord is removably attached to the front fastening member and the rear flexible cord is removably attached to the rear fastening member.  
     
     
         7 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein the front and rear lengthwise end portions of the snowboard each have a generally curved perimetrical edge, and wherein the front and rear fastening members each have a geometrical shape that conforms to the generally curved perimetrical edges of the front and rear lengthwise end portions, respectively.  
     
     
         8 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the front fastening member defines a channel sized for frictionally receiving the perimetrical edge of the front lengthwise end portion.  
     
     
         9 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein the front fastening member further comprises means for attaching thereto the end of the at least one front flexible cord.  
     
     
         10 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the rear fastening member defines a channel sized for frictionally receiving the perimetrical edge of the rear lengthwise end.  
     
     
         11 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the rear fastening member further comprises means for attaching thereto the end of the at least one rear flexible cord.  
     
     
         12 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the front fastening member and rear fastening member each have a geometrical shape that conforms to the perimetrical edge of the front lengthwise end portion and the rear lengthwise end portion, respectively, the front fastening member and rear fastening member being positioned on the top surface of the snowboard, and wherein the snowboard apparatus further comprises a plurality of clip members that clamp the front and rear fastening members to the snowboard.  
     
     
         13 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the front and rear fastening members each have a top surface that defines a plurality of groups of teeth, each clip member engaging a corresponding one of the groups of teeth.  
     
     
         14 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein each clip member has a generally “U” shape and defines an interior region that is sized for receiving a portion of a corresponding one of the fastening members and the snowboard.  
     
     
         15 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein each clip member includes a flange member that engages the teeth of a corresponding one of the plurality of groups of teeth.  
     
     
         16 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein each clip member includes a frictional member positioned within the interior region, the frictional member contacting the bottom surface of the snowboard.  
     
     
         17 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising a pair of handles, one handle being attached to the front flexible cord, the other handle being attached to the rear flexible cord.  
     
     
         18 . The snowboard apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising a pair of cushion members, each cushion member being positioned between the top surface of the snowboard and a corresponding binding.  
     
     
         19 . A steering control for a snowboard having a top surface, a front lengthwise end portion, a rear lengthwise end portion and a bottom surface for contacting snow, comprising: 
 front and rear fastening members configured to be attached to the front lengthwise end portion and rear lengthwise end portion, respectively, of the snowboard;    at least one front flexible cord attached to the front fastening member, the front flexible cord having a length that is sufficient to allow a rider to grasp the front flexible cord with one of the rider's hands;    at least one rear flexible cord attached to the rear fastening member, the rear flexible cord having a length that is sufficient to allow a rider to grasp the rear flexible cord with one of the rider's hands; and    a plurality of clip members that clamp the front and rear fastening members to the snowboard.    
     
     
         20 . A surfboard comprising: 
 a top surface;    a front lengthwise end portion;    a rear lengthwise end portion;    at least one front flexible cord attached to the top surface near the front lengthwise end portion, the front flexible cord having a length that is sufficient to allow a rider to grasp the front flexible cord with one of the rider's hands; and    at least one rear flexible cord attached to the top surface near the rear lengthwise end portion, the rear flexible cord having a length that is sufficient to allow a rider to grasp the rear flexible cord with one of the rider's hands.