Boogie Board Shield

A type of shield made from a Boogie Board. In its simplest form it is simply a boogie board with a handle and an arm strap. MOre elaborate ones could be painted up, covered in cloth, and modified in other manners. The shield tends to be longer than a round shield, affording some extra protection for the legs, but this also makes it slower.

History

The first one known in the southeast was made by Olok Blackstar, in Silverwater. He popularized its use and they were a staple throughout the lands that would go on to become Neverwinter for many years. At the time this happened, the most popular shields in other parts of amtgard were made using snowboards, but these were not commonly available in Florida, whereas boogie boards were available everywhere in Florida.

In time concerns with the composition and the rise of plank foam shields lead to a decline in their usage, but you still see some on occasion.

Foam Controversy

Boogie Boards do appear to be made of foam, but it is not the same foam as you typically find on weapons or even typical plank foam shields. And even then, not all boogie boards are the same. Some are a much denser and harder foam than others, and all tend to give less than other types of foams used in shields. In addition, the top edge often tapers to a narrower point. Not enough to make the shield dangerous, but enough to cause them to tear up weapons that hit them, causing them to tip out much more quickly, and the potential exists for this to happen before it is noticed (e.g., during a single fight).

Because of this, Neverwinter ruled that boogie boards, while allowed, were not considered to be covered in foam, and thus required that an additional layer of foam be placed over the edges (much as you would with a plywood or snowboard shield). This resulted in boogie board shields, already larger than most shields to begin with, to be even larger and heavier.

Pictures

In this 1990sSilverwater group picture you can see many boogie board shields.