Northern California-based XBoards reports that the BioBoard combines powerful shock-absorbing properties with improved resiliency and strength for superior performance and rider comfort.

The BioBoard features proprietary FlaxFlex technology, which helps reduce leg fatigue by ensuring consistent flex across the entire length of the board. Flax fibre is lower in density and provides superior vibration dampening properties compared to glass and carbon fibre, the most common snowboard reinforcements, XBoards reports. This means BioBoard riders can navigate uneven terrain more fluidly and with greater speed.

The BioBoard is the only commercially-available snowboard made from Lineo’s 100% renewable and biodegradable flax fabric. Lineo’s flax materials have been successfully applied as vibration dampeners in a number of other sports products, including surfboards, tennis rackets and racing boats.

“We began with a simple question – if you were starting from scratch, how would you build a board that maximised performance while minimising environmental impact?” says Isaac Gradman, CEO and co-founder of XBoards. “We realised we could harness the power of this all-natural material to create a superior riding experience without sacrificing strength or sustainability.”

XBoards expects production quantities of less than a hundred for the BioBoard 2012 snowboard.