(3) What slows down a
sandboarder riding down a dune?
Roble was about to join that elite group, but not before a lesson from Tenge, a professional
sandboarder who holds the Guinness world record for the longest backflip on a sandboard - 44 feet, 10 inches.
But a
sandboarder needs to overcome sand's friction (rubbing force).
Josh Tenge, 25, is a former world champion
sandboarder and one of the few riders in the United States who considers himself full time.
This extreme sport involves riding across or down a dune while standing with both feet strapped to a board, though some
sandboarders use a board without bindings.
When we arrive, we take a rest and have tea with a couple of
sandboarders inside one of the round stone huts modelled after Nabataean dwellings, at tables made locally from date-palm leaves.
A great place to watch
sandboarders, or to try it yourself, is at Jesse M.
Sandboarders say the sport offers all the fun of snowboarding without the need to bundle up!
Seasoned
sandboarders are helpful and make you feel part of the community.
"What we know as truth is that
sandboarders are very respectful of the dune's ecosystem.
When the sun begins to set over the south Pacific Ocean,
sandboarders make their pilgrimage to the summit of Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill), the magnificent sand dunes that guard the port city of Iquique (e-KEY-keh) from the parched Atacama Desert.
When sand on the dunes moves--pushed by strong winds or even
sandboarders like Beale--the grains rub together and bounce off each other.