November 20, 2013

Weighing in at under 4lbs., Amplid drops the LAB Carbon Pocketknife board

Amplid has debuted the lightest production board ever made, utilizing topsheet-free carbon construction, low viscosity aerospace epoxy and an almost weightless Paulownia and Birch wood core to build a board that weighs in under 4 lbs.

words: Kelli Lynn Hargrove

Amplid has debuted the lightest production board ever made, utilizing topsheet-free carbon construction, low viscosity aerospace epoxy and an almost weightless Paulownia and Birch wood core to build a board that weighs in under 4 lbs.
1.75 kg (<4lbs)

Find out more in the press release provided by Amplid, below:

Weighing just 1.75 kg (<4lbs) the LAB Carbon Pocketknife makes use of Amplid’s weight shedding technologies pioneered in the LAB Carbon Split to smash the record for the lightest production snowboard ever built. Using topsheet-free carbon construction, low viscosity aerospace epoxy and an almost weightless Paulownia and Birch wood core, Amplid’s R&D team has managed to cut more than half a kilogram of weight from the closest contender. When asked about the inspiration behind the project, Peter Bauer, the brains behind the Carbon PK, said:

“We’ve been building the lightest, highest performance snowboards possible at Amplid since day one. When I’m riding a lightweight snowboard I instantly notice how easy the board is to ride and how responsive it feels. The Carbon Pocketknife is about taking that sensation to a completely new level.”

Like other superlight snowboards on the market the Carbon Pocketknife isn’t cheap, but it’s not nearly as outrageous as its more excessive rivals. Peter had to convince a few people that pricing the Pocketknife affordably and making sure the board got into the hands of die-hard snowboards, was worth the smaller margin.

“I was so focused on the end weight that I didn’t spare a thought to the final rack price. When it came to calculating the retail price with the traditional margins I soon realized we’d produced a $1000 park board! This is an unconventional snowboard and so we had to take a different approach to pricing it. That’s what the LAB is all about; being fresh and innovative in the way Amplid designs, builds and sells its products.”

Availability of the LAB Carbon Pocketknife is limited to just 30 snowboards worldwide. The Carbon PK, which is priced at $650, can be found at a small selection of hand-picked retailers and at www.amplid.com.