Anarchist Athlete

Katal Inc Testing Out Their Landing Pad on Blackcomb Glacier 2009. Image © www.katalinnovations.com

Katal Inc launch revolutionary freestyle snowboard landing pad.  This thing is so sick [...]

From my perspective, the Katal Inc freestyle landing pad is a huge development for coaches and athletes looking for an innovative method of enhancing elite-level snowboarding performance.  Ok, there are other methods of providing a safe environment in which both developmental and elite-level athletes can try out new tricks without the threat of seroius injury (namely foam pits, water-based jump training facilities, circus like acrobtaic rigging) but in my opinion Katal Inc has trumped them all for one main reason, That if you successfully land the new trick you are attempting, you can ride out as you would on a normal park kicker.  This is a huge benefit and advantage over the other methods.

Born out of  a tragic snowbarding accident where Aaron Coret, one of the inventors, ended up in a wheelchair after slamming on a solid park booter, the landng pad has the potential to be used in every snowboard park in the world in an attempt to provide a safe and fun environment where beginners and elite alike can push their own performance levels.  From a coaching perspective this tool is invaluable.  Athletes can practice new tricks without the treat of injury before taking their new found skill to a real park booter.  This is a huge advantage over the current aproach where if you want to try out a new trick, you just have to psych up, throw it down and hope it all turns out like you imagined. 

As far as I am aware, the current landing pad model is designed especially for park booters however I wonder if it has the potential to also be utilised within a half-pipe snowboarding situation.   I am sure a smaller version of the landing pad could be somehow draped over a section of  a snowboard half-pipe and work in a similar manner.

I have no idea of the cost assoiatd with he Katal Inc landng pad but I really do not think it matters. 

If you are a coach or support staff member working within a national high performance snowboard program.  Beg, borow or steal.  Just find a way to get your greasy hands on one of these landing pads.  Before every other country beats you to it.

Check out Katal Inc’s website www.katalinnovations.com for the full low down on this product and to get in touch with them ASAP.