The re-emergence of the swallow tail

By John LaConte

VAIL — With all the powder we’ve seen this season, the unusual snowboards have been coming out of the snowbank.Among the most noticeable has been the swallow tail, or fork tailed board, named after the bird to which nature has given the same adaptation.In birds, the fork tail is used in the air, offering an aerodynamic advantage in flight. On the water, surfers have long used swallow tail boards for increased drive on the wave. And on Vail Mountain on Jan. 17, snowboarders were using swallow tail boards to sink their weight back easier and keep the nose of the …

Source:: Vail Daily Feed