Abstract: The invention relates to a sports or body board for use in gliding or sliding on a fluid surface, such as water or snow and/or both. The board is designed with a step deck rail along the length of both sides of the board to decrease rail drag and to increase performance, speed and maneuverability. The step deck rails are created by removing mass, through routing or other shaping, a preferred depth and width along the outside line of the board. The side rails can be created in a variety of shapes, depths and thicknesses as desired by the manufacturer for a particular use. Mass may be removed from either the top or bottom of the side rail or both as desired, and the width, bevel angle, depth and thickness of the step rail or rails may vary as desired.

Abstract: A sports board, particularly a body board, for surfing purposes, which board is a preformed, preshaped foam board composed of closed-cell foam material, with an inner core of low density foam material and an outer core of foam material of greater density than the inner core. The board has a top and bottom surface and two sides, the sides containing outwardly extending angular side rails thereon, extending from one to the other end of the board, and around the front of the board. The board includes an integral thermoplastic polymer film material heat-laminated only to the bottom surface of the board, and to the lower side rail surface of the board. The polymer film material provides a low-frictional bottom surface and lower side rail surface and provides for enhanced mechanical stiffening of the board.