Abstract: A sports board formed of expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam and a method for making the sports board using a steam-chest molding process includes molding the sports board to finished shape, such that no post-molding processing of the board is required, and such that the sports board is of monolithic construction and fully recyclable. The molding process is configured to form a continuous exterior skin of the board, to resist water ingression, the exterior skin including one or more purchase surface areas, each purchase surface area including a plurality of protrusion clusters, each protrusion cluster formed by controlled extrusion of the EPP foam into steam vents distributed in a predefined pattern within the mold cavity to form steam vent markings. The molding process is configured such that selected areas of the board surface are contoured for undisrupted water flow over the board and to resist breakage or chipping in use.