Indo Board : IndoFlo Cushion

Review:
The Indo Board received a full 5 Star review from Snowboarderguide when we evaluated it a year ago. The board is unbeatable for balance training, and is still used regularly, both in the winter and summer. The IndoFlo is the newest addition to the Indo lineup, and is intended as a tool to help you learn how to balance before trying the roller.

The cushion is well built, with grippy nubs on the bottom that grab into the carpet. You can easily remove the plug and inflate the cushion by blowing into it, or deflate it by squeezing. The rubber on the top grabs the board, but by unweighting the board you can still get it to release the grip and spin. The cushion also makes traveling with an Indo Board easier, as you can easily fit a smaller deck and a deflated cushion into a checked bag.

Everything about the cushion is easier than the roller. You can adjust the cushion’s air pressure to achieve various levels of stability: by increasing the pressure, the board becomes more wobbly, by letting air out, the board becomes stable enough to teach a 4-year-old how to balance. Many people who get on the Indo for the first time are worried about the roller slipping out from under the board, making them more timid and cautious. Because the cushion doesn’t roll, there is no danger of slipping out, which relaxes new users, and makes them more willing to use the board. There are also some advantages to the cushion, especially for snowboarders. The cushion allows for toe-to-heel balance as well as fore and aft, something not available on a roller.

I discovered a key benefit to the cushion after wrecking my ankle late last spring. While getting my ankle back in shape, I found the roller required a greater range of motion and strength than I had at the time. By using the cushion I was able to make small movements, and the Indo Board became a large part of my rehab program.