It is not always necessary to have a slope to pull off a few tricks on your board, all it takes is a tow rope and a vehicle. Now, not only is the hill unnecessary, but so is the vehicle. In what may appear to be an ACME rubber band used by Wile E. Coyote, Banshee Bungee is producing a bungee cord that can be anchored to a fixed object, pulled backwards and released to tow a rider on a snowboard up to 35-miles per hour.
Currently Banshee Bungee is offering three bungee cord tow packages: a 10-foot youth, 10-foot regular and a 20-foot option. The 10-foot Banshee Bungee Youth Package has a top speed of around 12mph, the 10-foot package around 20mph and the 20-foot around 35 mph. Unlike the Coyote who was able to pull the band back by himself, the Banshee Bungee works better when more than one person pulls it back. Typically it takes 1-2 people to use the 10-foot models and for the 20-foot model, it is recommended that 2-3 people help pull the bungee into place. Once the bungee is fully stretched, an optional Banshee Bungee Quick Release can be used to hold a fully stretched bungee in place while the rider attaches to the board and final adjustments are made prior to launch. The metal clip on the quick release attaches to the metal eye on the handle and is released by pulling the red strap.
It should be noted that the Banshee Bungee is a braided, unprotected latex band. While the system consists of three bands, if any one band is cut by an edge or foreign object, it should be immediately discarded. But, if properly cared for, Banshee Bungee claims that “a rider should get between 1,000-1,500 pulls out of a banshee bungee.”
Banshee Bungee 2011 Snow Edit “THE Shots.” from Banshee Bungee on Vimeo.
The Banshee Bungees range in price from $124.99 to $229.99 and are available directly from their website. The optional Quick Release will add $34.99. If for some reason the bungee does break, replacement bands are available, but with the 20-foot band costing $194.99 it may make more sense to just replace the entire system. If this winter in bringing you more snow that we are seeing on the Front Range in Colorado, but you lack a hill near you to board, an ACME… I mean, Banshee Bungee may just be what you need!