Patent ID: 7708302

Claim:
A snowboard comprising: a snowboard body, having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface being constructed to slide on snow, the snowboard body having a width of at least 9 inches and a length of at least 4 feet; and mounted on the upper surface of the snowboard body, a boot binding mounting and suspension system comprising a generally horizontal mounting platform defining two boot/binding mounting locations each for attachment to a boot binding, wherein each boot binding is adapted to receive and secure a snowboarder's boot to the mounting platform within that boot/binding mounting location during use, the boot binding mounting and suspension system fixedly attached to a longitudinally central location of the snowboard body in a cantilevered manner that maintains a clearance distance between the mounting platform and the snowboard body in the area under each of the two boot/binding mounting locations, each boot/binding mounting location being on opposite sides of the longitudinally central location; a spring suspension system comprising a spring in a compressed state when the snowboard is free of external forces, the spring applying a force to at least one longitudinal end of the snowboard, wherein the spring suspension system is configured to provide the snowboard with a spring rate that diminishes at least 10% as the snowboard is flexed from a normal unloaded state or a predetermined state of deflection to a state of higher deflection.