It originated in Australia ten years ago and has since grown to become one of the most popular sports for extreme enthusiasts, said Greg Collins, owner of Pace Designs.

"The first one that came out that I'm aware of was this three-wheel board from Australia," he said.

Collins' company, situated near Loretto, designs protective gear for the risky riders and is in the process of creating a prototype mountain board.

It's being made out of hi-tech fiberglass which will make it lighter, faster and easier to maneuver, he said.

"That's where we're going right now with this design," he said. "You get on these things and you have a ball."

The mountain boards are built out of steel and have four wheels on the bottom, similarly designed to a skateboard.

"It's like snowboarding," said Collins. "(But) you're going down a hill with sand, as opposed to snow and ice."

The boards also have leg straps which are attached by velcro.

"If you bail the velcro comes open and you come away from the board," he said. "Something has to give and it's better the board comes away than the body."

When racing down the hills, the control and steering is essentially the same as gliding down the snow covered slopes on a snowboard.

"You got four wheel steering and you push with your backside," he said. "It's kind of like roller hockey and ice hockey. It's extreme."

The boarders race down slopes usually covered in sand, taking jumps as they go. They also ride rails similar to skateboarding. The sport is very big in the U.S. and England with other countries such as Germany and New Zealand taking an avid interest in it.

Collins is the first person in Canada to design the protective gear which the adventurists wear. All the draft work for his designs are done locally and the gear is manufactured in other countries.

"I sponsor one of the best mountain boarders in the world," he said. "I just started looking at what these guys were wearing and got ideas of what the protective equipment should be."

The gear is designed with protective padding for the tail and hip bones, shoulder area as well as knee pads. It comes in five sizes from extra small to extra large and has two styles - one for the amateur and one for the professional.

"It's like a suit. You put it on and it fits real tight so it's not bulky and it stays to the area you want protected," said Collins. "We're designing helmets right now for mountain boarders and we're doing gloves."

The gloves will be made out of leather which protects the hands when falling on dirt and grass as opposed to pavement. Once the design is completed and a prototype is manufactured, it has to go through an intensive testing phase to make sure it's just right. His designs are in high demand on the international scene.

Collins is also hoping to create a mountain boarding park in southern Ontario. The sport hasn't become quite as popular in Canada since the winter season always brings ample snow for skiing.

"It's really taken off where it's fairly hot and there's big hills. That's where people do it," he added. "I'm looking for a site in southern Ontario and I'm looking for someone to partner with me."