The Descender from Rockboard is an all terrain adrenaline rush

Remember the “a ha” moment in A View to a Kill when Bond took the blade from his snowmobile and turned it into a snowboard? That feeling is the same as when you step onto a Rockboard Descender.  It’s essentially a skateboard for the dirt.  The Descender from Rockboard uses treads instead of wheels that allow it to move off road with ease.  So, perhaps it’s more appropriate to call it an all terrain skateboard, with wheels like a tank that provides adrenaline and fun.

The Rockboard Descender is such a seemingly simple thing that it shouldn’t be this much fun to use.  The premise is simple and the enjoyment is real, exhilarating, a bit dangerous and quite the workout.  I’ve been snowboarding once (did quite well at it too!) and loved my entire week up on the mountain.  The Descender uses the same muscles and movements as you do snowboarding with a couple obvious differences.

You’re going down dirt and not snow all the time.

There are no straps to hold your feet into place.

What this means to you is that when you fall it’ll hurt more because you won’t be landing on snow all the time.  I use ‘when’ because you will fall, but that’s half the fun.  They say that the Descender can be used on snow, but I’m guessing that it’s splotchy snow; otherwise you’d just use a snowboard, right?

The steeper the hill, the greater the chances that you’ll fall-and we fell plenty of times in trying out the Descender.

The Descender is fun, but it’s not a toy, per se.  It was one of Parenting Magazines Best Toy’s of 2012, Parents’ Magazine Top Pick and is recommended for aged 8 and up.  It’s as much of a toy as a bicycle is a toy.  I think of the Descender as a sport.  If you (or your child…) like snowboarding or skateboarding they will absolutely love the Rockboard Descender.  We took the below video after we had a chance to get familiar with it.  In previous runs (on much steeper hills thank you very much), we fell down numerous times-wear a helmet at all times, OK?

It’s well made and the quality is evident in its weight and construction.  Descender weighs about 15 pounds, has thick metal trucks and beefy threads that are strong and simple to clean.

Active teens and adults will love, absolutely love the Descender.  It takes a moment to figure out that it doesn’t turn as quickly as a skateboard or snowboard, but once you get past that you’re fine. The Descender still turns; it just takes a bit more kick with your back foot than you first think.  Kick it a bit; lean and you’ll be turning in no time.

 

We were provided with a Rockboard Descender for review purpose. All thoughts are our own.