A tourist volcano surfs down the slopes of the Cerro Negro volcano, one of the most active in Nicaragua, in Leon, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest from Managua July 23, 2012. REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas.OSWALDO RIVAS/REUTERS/Newscom. Find it at Newscom.com: rtrlfive375575
“The motto for today is have fun, and don’t die.“ Apparently this is the motto every day for those who speed down the side of an active volcano. Wait. What?
Volcano surfing, ash boarding, volcano boarding or simply pure insanity; call this new sport what you will but take a good look into it because this is the new way to surf. So far the only place for surfing is Nicaragua’s Cerro Negro: ash boarding’s birth place. It was in 2005 when Australia’s Darryn Webb visited Nicaragua and, as a seasoned sand-boarder, realized the potential thrill a volcano’s slope could offer, that this new sport was born. Webb explored several different options for a sled-surface including boogie boards and mattresses; he finally decided on plywood with metal and formica support.
It doesn’t take long to crash at the bottom of Cerro Negro, but it’s a forty-five minute trek to the top, lugging your sled, goggles and jumpsuit. The volcano on which they slide down is a relatively new specimen; born in April 1850 the Cerro Negro has spewed about twenty times since; the last time being in 1999. To some the thought of racing an active volcano might be a bonus motivator in coming to grind ash; to others it could be the red flag which signals certain death and a warning to avoid at all costs. This most certainly isn’t a sport for the faint of heart or those with survival instincts intact.
The journey down the 2,400 foot high volcano lasts only about a minute or so, depending on your speed. Those who brave the ferocious incline can go up to 50 mph and arrive at the bottom black-faced and grinning. The record speed is held by a girl from Israel who maxed 87 km per hour, which translates to roughly 54 mph. For those daredevils, who coasting down at a slant of 41 degrees while sitting isn’t enough, there are standing boards offered. For awesome pictures of this developing sport scroll down. You can find more great and interesting photos back at Newscom.
A man slides down the Cerro Negro volcano in Leon City, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Managua May 26, 2009. The volcano, with a height of 2,264 feet (690 meters), is one of the most active in Nicaragua. Hundreds of tourists visit the area to “sand-board” down the slopes of the volcano. OSWALDO RIVAS/REUTERS/Newscom. Find it at Newscom.com: rtrlthree431093
Anry Ramirez, a staff of tour company Tierra Tours, “sand-boards” at the Cerro Negro volcano in Leon City, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Managua May 26, 2009. The volcano, with a height of 2,264 feet (690 meters), is one of the most active in Nicaragua. Hundreds of tourists visit the area to “sand-board” down the slopes of the volcano. OSWALDO RIVAS/REUTERS/Newscom. Find it at Newscom.com: rtrlthree431090
Forget The Snow! Volcano Boarding is the New Hottest Sport! Nicaragua�s Cerro Negro volcano has erupted 23 times in the past 100 years, burying homes, crops and people in lava and ashes. But recently the menacing black mountain has become a tourist draw, thanks to a newly invented extreme sport: volcano boarding. Thousands of thrill-seekers have climbed to the top of Cerro Negro, peered into its crater, then zipped down its rough-and-rocky 41-degree slope on homemade toboggans. The volcano-boarding speed record, set by an Israeli woman, is 54 miles per hour (87 kilometres per hour) Nicaragua – January 2012. CB2/ZOB/WENN.com/Newscom. Find it at Newscom.com: wennoddpix056710
Forget The Snow! Volcano Boarding is the New Hottest Sport! Nicaragua�s Cerro Negro volcano has erupted 23 times in the past 100 years, burying homes, crops and people in lava and ashes. But recently the menacing black mountain has become a tourist draw, thanks to a newly invented extreme sport: volcano boarding. Thousands of thrill-seekers have climbed to the top of Cerro Negro, peered into its crater, then zipped down its rough-and-rocky 41-degree slope on homemade toboggans. The volcano-boarding speed record, set by an Israeli woman, is 54 miles per hour (87 kilometres per hour) Nicaragua – January 2012. CB2/ZOB/WENN.com/Newscom. Find it at Newscom.com: wennoddpix056706
Forget The Snow! Volcano Boarding is the New Hottest Sport! Nicaragua�s Cerro Negro volcano has erupted 23 times in the past 100 years, burying homes, crops and people in lava and ashes. But recently the menacing black mountain has become a tourist draw, thanks to a newly invented extreme sport: volcano boarding. Thousands of thrill-seekers have climbed to the top of Cerro Negro, peered into its crater, then zipped down its rough-and-rocky 41-degree slope on homemade toboggans. The volcano-boarding speed record, set by an Israeli woman, is 54 miles per hour (87 kilometres per hour) Nicaragua – January 2012. CB2/ZOB/WENN.com/Newscom. Find it at Newscom.com: wennoddpix056701
Forget The Snow! Volcano Boarding is the New Hottest Sport! Nicaragua�s Cerro Negro volcano has erupted 23 times in the past 100 years, burying homes, crops and people in lava and ashes. But recently the menacing black mountain has become a tourist draw, thanks to a newly invented extreme sport: volcano boarding. Thousands of thrill-seekers have climbed to the top of Cerro Negro, peered into its crater, then zipped down its rough-and-rocky 41-degree slope on homemade toboggans. The volcano-boarding speed record, set by an Israeli woman, is 54 miles per hour (87 kilometres per hour) Nicaragua – January 2012. CB2/ZOB/WENN.com/Newscom. Find it at Newscom.com: wennoddpix056709
A tourist volcano surfs down the slopes of the Cerro Negro volcano. OSWALDO RIVAS/REUTERS/Newscom. Find it at Newscom.com: rtrlfive375578
A tourist volcano surfs down the slopes of the Cerro Negro volcano, one of the most active in Nicaragua, in Leon, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest from Managua July 23, 2012. REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas. OSWALDO RIVAS/REUTERS/Newscom. Find it at Newscom.com: rtrlfive375585
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Tags: ash boarding, Cerro Negro, extreme sports, Nicaragua, surfing, volcano, volcano boarding, volcano surfing