What is The Board Riders?
The Board Riders (TBR) is a social network built exclusively for board sports athletes and enthusiasts. Share your sessions, connect with riders worldwide, discover spots, and be part of the global board sports community.
Frequently asked questions
How the TBR app works, from your first post to deleting your account.
01Getting started
Which sports are supported?
TBR supports 9 board sports: Kitesurf, Skateboard, Snowboard, Stand Up Paddle (SUP), Surf, Wakeboard, Wakesurf, Windsurf, and Foil.
How do I create an account?
Registration happens on a single screen: enter your username, email, password and name, choose your country and add a profile photo, then pick your sports with ability levels and board details. Sponsors, club and date of birth are optional. You must be at least 16 to use TBR.
What are the username rules?
Usernames must be 3-20 characters long and can contain lowercase letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), underscores (_), and periods (.). Usernames must be unique — if yours is taken, we suggest similar alternatives.
Is TBR free?
Yes! TBR is 100% free. All features including posting, Spot Radar, CAPTURE, and video tools are available at no cost.
02Account & profile
How do I edit my profile?
Go to your Profile tab and tap "Edit Profile". You can update your avatar, cover photo, bio, sports, equipment details, sponsors, and personal info.
What are the photo requirements?
Your avatar is cropped to a square (440x440 pixels) and your cover photo to a wide format (1200x400 pixels). Both can be up to 10MB. Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP.
Can I add or change my sports?
Yes! In Edit Profile, you can manage up to 3 sports. For each sport, set your ability level (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, or Pro), board brand, board length, and other equipment details.
What do the ability levels mean?
Beginner: just starting out. Intermediate: comfortable riding, working on techniques. Advanced: strong skills, handles challenging conditions. Pro: professional or expert level.
How do sponsors and gear work?
For each sport, you can add your board brand, board dimensions, and sponsors. If your brand or sponsor is not in the list, use "Can't find?" to suggest a new one. Other riders can see your gear on your profile.
What is the profile grid?
Your profile shows all your posts in a masonry grid layout — a visual gallery of your sessions. Tap any photo or video to open it in full screen.
03Feed & algo
How does the feed work?
The feed shows posts from all TBR riders. You can switch between "All Posts" (everyone), "Buddies' Feed" (only people you follow), and "Athletes" (browse rider profiles).
Is the feed personalized?
Yes! TBR uses a smart algorithm that learns your favorite sports. Posts about sports you practice appear higher in your feed. Posts you have already seen move down so you always discover fresh content.
Can I sort the feed?
Yes. Tap the sort button to order posts by: newest first, oldest first, most Shakas, least Shakas, most comments, or least comments.
Can I filter the feed?
Tap the "Filters" button to filter by sport, country, gender, ability level, and stance (Goofy/Regular). You can also save your favorite filter combinations for quick access.
04Photos & carousel
How do I post a photo?
Tap the "+" button in the bottom navigation. Select a photo from your gallery, add a description, choose your sport, and post. Your photo will appear in the feed for all riders to see.
Can I post multiple photos at once?
Yes! When creating a post, select multiple photos to create a carousel. Riders can swipe through your photos. You can rearrange the order before posting.
Can I zoom into photos?
Yes. When viewing a photo in full screen (lightbox), use pinch-to-zoom to see details up close. Double-tap to zoom in and out quickly.
What are the photo limits?
Photos can be up to 10MB each. Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP. Photos are automatically optimized for fast loading while maintaining quality.
05Video & player
How do I post a video?
Tap "+" to create a post and select a video from your gallery. You can trim the video before posting to keep only the best part. Videos are compressed automatically for optimal quality and speed.
Can I change playback speed?
Yes! Tap the speed button to cycle through: 0.25x, 0.5x, 1x, 1.5x, 2x. Slow motion (0.25x and 0.5x) is perfect for analyzing tricks and techniques.
How do I use the seekbar?
The seekbar appears below the video in the lightbox. Drag it to jump to any point in the video. The current time and total duration are displayed on each side.
Can I trim videos before posting?
Yes! After selecting a video, the trim screen lets you choose the start and end points. Drag the handles to select the section you want to keep, then confirm.
What video formats and limits?
Videos can be up to 100MB. Most common formats are supported (MP4, MOV). Videos are automatically converted to H.264 for maximum compatibility across devices.
07Shaka & comments
What is a Shaka?
A Shaka is TBR's version of a "like". The shaka hand sign is a universal symbol in board sports culture, representing the "hang loose" spirit. Tap the Shaka button on any post to show your appreciation.
How do comments work?
Tap the comment icon on any post to open the comments section. You can write a comment, reply to existing comments, and react to comments with emojis.
What reactions can I use on comments?
Long-press any comment to see 7 reaction options: Shaka, Heart, Fire, Clap, Laugh, Wow, and Sad. Your reaction appears below the comment.
How do @mentions work?
Type @ followed by a username in a comment or post description. A dropdown will suggest matching users. Tap to select — the mentioned user will receive a notification.
Can I see who gave a Shaka?
Yes! Tap the Shaka count on any post to see the full list of riders who gave it a Shaka.
08Buddies & followers
What is a Buddy?
A Buddy is someone you follow on TBR. When you add someone as a Buddy, their posts appear in your "Buddies' Feed". Think of Buddies as your riding crew.
What's the difference between Buddy and Follower?
Buddies are people YOU follow — you see their posts. Followers are people who follow YOU — they see your posts. It's not always mutual: you can follow someone who doesn't follow you back.
How do I add a Buddy?
Visit any rider's profile and tap "Add Buddy". You can also add Buddies from the Athletes tab or from the Spot Radar user panel.
What is the Buddies' Feed?
The Buddies' Feed shows only posts from people you follow. Switch to it using the tab bar at the top of the home screen. It's a focused feed of your riding crew.
09Spot Radar
What is Spot Radar?
Spot Radar lets you plan and discover riding sessions with other athletes on a map. Declare where and when you'll be riding, see who else is going to the same spot, and coordinate sessions. Privacy-first: we don't track your GPS — you manually choose your spot.
How do I create a session?
Tap the "+" button on Spot Radar. Select your sport, search for a spot, choose date and time, optionally add vibes and set visibility (Public or Buddies Only). Tap "Create" and your session appears on the map.
How do I join a session?
Tap any pin on the map to see session details. If you want to join, tap "I'm In!" and you'll be added. The creator and other participants will see you're coming.
What are session vibes?
Vibes are optional tags that describe your session mood: Send it! (going hard), Sunrise, Sunset, Night session, Beginners welcome, Group ride, Photo/video shoot, Party after. They help others know what to expect.
Are there limits on sessions?
You can have up to 3 active sessions at a time (created + joined combined). If you need to change plans, cancel one and create or join another. Sessions expire automatically when the end time passes.
Can I cancel or leave a session?
Yes. Cancel sessions you created, or leave sessions you joined. After canceling, you can immediately create or join another one within the 3 active sessions limit.
Who can see my sessions?
When creating a session, choose "Public" (visible to all TBR users) or "Buddies Only" (visible only to people who follow you). Your spot location is shown on the map.
Can I filter sessions?
Yes! Filter by sport using the quick filter icons. Toggle "Buddies Only" to see only your buddies' sessions. Switch between "Today" and "Upcoming" tabs. The map also filters geographically — only visible sessions in your map view are shown.
10Club pages
What is a club page?
It is the public page of a club, a school or an instructor: what they do, where and when, contacts, courses and rentals, camps and staff. It is created by someone who represents that business, and it stays linked to their personal account, shown as the manager.
How do I create a page for my club?
Open your Profile and tap the club page row. One account can have one page. You can save it as a draft — only you see a draft — and publish it when it is ready: the first time you publish, you are asked to accept the Page Manager Conditions (you can read them any time in Settings → Legal).
Who can see my page?
Once published, everyone: no account is needed, and the page may appear on theboardriders.com and in search engines. Your username, name and profile photo are shown as the manager. While it is a draft, nobody sees it but you.
Can I take bookings or payments?
No. Nothing is booked or paid on TBR: prices, courses and rentals are information you write, and it can age — keeping it up to date is your job. Any agreement is between you and your customer, and TBR is not a party to it.
How does the staff of a page work?
You invite other TBR riders and give them a role. An invitation is a request: a person appears on the page only after accepting, and can leave whenever they want. Up to 40 people per page. The role is a label you write, not a qualification verified by TBR.
What are the Fans of a page?
Riders who follow the page; the number of Fans is public. When you announce a camp, the Fans get one notification, once per camp. There is no other way to message Fans.
Why am I asked if a page is my club?
Because a page was published whose name is similar to the club in your profile, or whose place is within 2 km of it. You decide: tap Yes and your profile links to that page; tap No, or ignore it, and nothing changes.
What happens if I delete my page or my account?
The page and its content (about, logo and cover, courses, camps, Fans, staff) are deleted. The club entry created by the page stays as a shared community resource, so the riders who had selected that club do not lose it.
11Contests
What is a Contest?
A Contest is a real competition, run inside TBR by the page of a club, a school or an instructor. The organiser opens entries, picks the judges and decides how riders compete; athletes enter from the app; during the event the judges score from their phones and the bracket updates by itself, all the way to the podium. "Contest" is the name of the feature in every language.
Who can create and manage a Contest?
You need a published page: Contests can be created and managed by the page owner and by the staff members who accepted their invitation. A Contest starts as a draft and only you can see it until you open entries. Only the owner can delete it, and no one can delete a Contest once it has been finished. Each page can have up to 10 unfinished Contests at a time, and 100 in total.
How do I create a Contest?
Open the Contest section of your page and tap "Create the Contest". The name, the time, the message to your Fans and at least one category are required; dates, sport, discipline, price and format are optional. Then choose how riders compete (the format) and how they are scored. While it is a draft you can change everything: as soon as you open entries, the Contest becomes visible to anyone who can see your page.
How do I enter a Contest?
Open the Contest and tap "Enter the Contest", choosing your category. Your request goes to the organiser, who accepts or declines it: either way you get a notification. You can enter one category per Contest. While your request is still pending you can withdraw it; once it has been accepted, ask the organiser to remove you.
What are categories for?
Every Contest has at least one category — for example Men and Women, with the age groups used by the rulebooks if you need them. Each category runs its own bracket and has its own podium, and every athlete competes in one category only. For each one you can set a minimum number of entries: at the start, if a category is below its minimum, you decide whether the Contest waits until you sort it out or starts without that category.
What happens when I start the Contest?
TBR builds the brackets of every category, draws the heats of the first round and notifies the athletes who entered. From that moment you can still change the name, the dates, the time, the price and the message, but no longer the sport, the format, the scoring mode or the judges: those are decided beforehand. Categories are also set up before the start.
How do I read the bracket?
Rounds are read in order: qualifying, quarter-finals, semi-final, final. In each heat you see the athletes and, once the heat is closed, everyone's score or time together with the attempt that produced it; a line marks who moves on to the next round. Anyone left without a result carries their code — DNC, DNF, DNS or DSQ — instead of a score.
When is a Contest over?
Publishing the podium and finishing the Contest are two separate actions, on purpose. When the final heat is closed TBR publishes the podium and notifies everyone taking part, but the Contest is still running: if someone appeals you can still reopen the last heat, fix it and close it again. When everything is settled the organiser taps "Finish the Contest": from then on the Contest is closed and cannot be changed. If you don't, TBR finishes the Contest by itself at midnight on the last day.
Which notifications does a Contest send?
The organiser gets every entry request. Athletes who entered get the answer to their request, the start of the Contest, the opening of their heat, its closing and the podium. Judges get the opening of the heats they have to score. The page Fans get the announcement of the Contest, if the organiser chooses to send it, and a notice if the Contest is cancelled.
Who sees what in a Contest?
Anyone using TBR sees a Contest from the moment registration opens (only the organiser sees the draft): name, dates, categories, accepted entrants, judges, bracket and heats. In an open heat they see who is competing, never the scores: those appear at closing. Entrants also see the state of their request and get the notices: the reply, the start, their heat opened and closed, the podium; in the Riders vote they are the ones voting. Judges have the scoring sheet: they see their own scores and how many judges have already voted, never the others' votes. The head judge also has the heat commands: opens it, sends in the next rider, marks who is not competing, corrects a vote and publishes the scores. In timed races the jury is replaced by the timekeeper, with start, finish, times and outcomes. The organiser (the page owner and the Staff) sees everything: pending requests, the commands to open, close and reopen heats, the start and the conclusion; notifying the Fans and deleting the Contest are for the owner only. The page's Fans receive the announcement and a notice if the Contest is cancelled.
12Judging a Contest
Who judges, and what does the head judge do?
The judges are picked by the organiser among people with a TBR account, and a judge cannot also be an athlete in the same Contest. One of them is the head judge: they are the only one who moves the scoring from one athlete to the next and who can fix another judge's score. A heat is opened by the head judge or by the organiser, and both of them can mark someone as not competing. Each judge gets an invite and has to accept it: heats don't open until everyone has accepted.
How do I score a heat, step by step?
Open the Contest, tap the heat and you get the judge's card. At the top there is the athlete riding right now: tap their box and type the score on the keypad, from 0 to 100 with at most one decimal (8.5, for example). You score one attempt at a time. You cannot see the other judges' scores and they cannot see yours: the count you read ("2 of 3") only tells you how many have scored so far.
What do the four formats mean?
One score: every athlete rides once and gets a score. Multiple runs: every athlete rides several runs and, if the format says so, some tricks; the best run counts. Waves or tricks: the heat lasts a set time and each athlete tries as often as they like up to a cap, and their best attempts count (for example the best 2 waves out of 3). Timed: nobody scores, you time the athletes, and the fastest time wins.
What is the Riders vote?
It's the way of competing without a jury, born in TBR and not taken from any federation: the entrants decide who goes through. You can only choose it with the "One score" format; with multiple runs, waves or a clock you need a jury. Accepted entrants and the organiser (the page owner and the Staff) vote, but not those riding in that heat: there they just watch, and they vote in all the other heats. Open the heat and tap the riders you think should go through: at most as many as advance from that heat, and three in the final, i.e. the podium. A tap is already your vote, and you can change your mind while the heat is open. The list reorders in real time, but nobody sees how many ticks a rider has. At closing, the riders with the most ticks go through; if there is a tie on the cut line, or in the final for a podium place, the organiser decides with their vote.
How does the stopwatch work in timed events?
A timed event has no jury: it has a timekeeper, who is also the head judge. With a mass start the stopwatch starts by itself when you open the heat, and you tap "Finish" as each athlete crosses the line; if athletes start one by one, you start each of them and then mark their finish. The time is computed by the server, not by your phone. You can also type a time by hand, and when the heat is closed anyone left without a time is marked DNF.
How is the final score worked out?
It depends on the format. One score: the average of the judges' scores. Multiple runs: the best run, plus the sum of the tricks if there are any. Waves or tricks: each judge adds up that athlete's best attempts, then those totals are averaged across the judges. Timed: the fastest time wins, and anyone without a time goes last. Every score is rounded to one decimal.
Why isn't the score the exact average of the judges' marks?
Because when five or more judges have scored, TBR drops the highest mark and the lowest one and averages what is left: it is the rule used in real competitions, and it keeps one isolated opinion from weighing too much. With fewer than five judges every mark counts. The result is rounded to one decimal.
I gave a wrong score: can it be fixed?
Yes, and the head judge is the one who does it: on the heat card they tap "Fix a score", pick the judge, the athlete and the attempt, and type the score again. It can be fixed while the heat is open; in wave events it also works after the time has run out. If the heat is already closed, the organiser can reopen it.
What do DNC, DNF, DNS and DSQ mean?
They are the ways of saying that an athlete has no result: DNC means they did not compete, DNS that they did not start, DNF that they did not finish, DSQ that they were disqualified. During the heat the head judge or the organiser marks «Not competing» on the athlete's card, and the mark can be removed. Anyone carrying one of these codes stays in the bracket without a score and does not move on.
What happens if I lose connection while scoring?
Your score is not lost: it waits on your phone and a line appears at the top of the screen saying that scores are waiting for a connection, with a button to try again straight away. As soon as you are back online they are sent by themselves, in the order you gave them. Stopwatch times are not queued: they need a connection at the moment you mark them, because the time is decided by the server.
Can a closed heat be reopened?
Yes, the organiser reopens it and it takes two confirmations, because it is a big move: the heat goes back to open, the scores of that heat are cleared and the starting order is drawn again. No notification is sent. A heat cannot be reopened once the next round has been drawn, and nothing can be reopened in a Contest that has been finished.
13Messages
How do I send a private message?
Open a rider's profile and tap the Message button, or tap the chat icon at the top of the Home screen to see your conversations. You can send text, photos and videos.
Do chat photos and videos disappear?
Yes. A photo or video sent in chat disappears about 24 hours after the recipient views it, or after 30 days if it is never viewed. Text messages stay. Reported media can be kept longer while the report is reviewed.
How do I report or block someone in chat?
Long-press a message to report it. From the ⋮ menu at the top of the conversation you can mute notifications, restrict the conversation or block the rider. The other person is never notified of a report.
14Athletes & filters
What is the Athletes tab?
The Athletes tab shows all registered TBR riders in a grid. You can browse profiles, see their sports, ability levels, and country. Tap any athlete to visit their profile.
How do I filter athletes?
Tap "Filters" to filter by sport, country, gender, and ability level. Combine multiple filters to find exactly the riders you're looking for. You can save your filter combinations.
Can I search for a specific rider?
Yes! In the filter drawer, use the name search field to find riders by their first name, last name, or username.
15Notifications
Does TBR send push notifications?
Yes! TBR sends push notifications for Shakas, comments, replies, mentions, new followers, buddy requests, Spot Radar session joins, content moderation alerts, and more.
Can I customize which notifications I receive?
Yes. Go to Settings and scroll to "Push Notifications". You'll find toggle switches for 14 different notification types grouped into Posts, Mentions, Social, Spot Radar, and System categories.
What is the Activity screen?
The Activity screen (bell icon) shows all your notifications in one place. Filter between "All", "Unread", and "Alerts" tabs. Tap any notification to go directly to the related post or profile.
How do I mark notifications as read?
Tap any notification to mark it as read. You can also tap "Mark all as read" to clear all unread notifications at once.
16Privacy & safety
Who can see my data?
Your profile, posts, and sport info are visible to all TBR users. Your email address is private and never shown. Your birth date is used to calculate your age but the exact date is not displayed.
How does content moderation work?
TBR uses a combination of AI detection (Google Vision API) and community reporting. Inappropriate content is automatically flagged or can be reported by users. Flagged content is reviewed by our team.
How is my data used?
TBR uses your data only to provide the service: showing your profile to other riders, personalizing your feed based on your sports, and sending notifications. We never sell your data to third parties.
Where can I read the Privacy Policy?
Go to Settings > Legal > Privacy Policy. You can read the full document directly in the app.
Where are the Terms & Conditions?
Go to Settings > Legal > Terms & Conditions. During registration, you must accept the Terms and confirm you have read the Privacy Policy before creating your account.
17Report & block
How do I report a post?
Tap the three dots menu on any post and select "Report". Choose a reason (spam, inappropriate, harassment, etc.) and submit. Our team reviews all reports and takes action against accounts that violate community guidelines.
How do I block someone?
Tap the three dots on their post or profile, then select "Block". When you block someone: they can't see your profile or posts, they can't follow you, and you won't see their content. Blocks are mutual and immediate.
What does muting do?
Muting hides a user's posts from your feed without them knowing. Unlike blocking, they can still see your content. Go to Settings to manage your muted users list.
Where do I manage blocked and muted users?
Go to Settings. You'll see your full list of blocked and muted users with the option to unblock or unmute each one.
18Login & security
What login methods are available?
TBR supports email + password login, Sign in with Apple, and Sign in with Google. All methods are secure and create the same type of account.
I forgot my password
On the login screen, tap "Forgot Password". Enter your email and we'll send you a reset link. Check your spam folder if you don't see it. The link expires after 24 hours.
Do I need to verify my email?
Yes. During registration, you'll receive a verification code via email. Enter the code to confirm your email address. This helps keep the community safe and your account secure.
How do I keep my account secure?
Use a strong, unique password. Never share your login credentials. If you suspect unauthorized access, change your password immediately. For extra security, use Sign in with Apple or Google.
19Delete & recover
How do I delete my account?
Go to Edit Profile and scroll to the bottom. Tap "Delete Account". Your account is deactivated immediately but not permanently deleted for 30 days — this grace period protects you in case you change your mind.
Can I reactivate a deleted account?
Yes, within the 30-day grace period. Simply log in with your email and password. You'll see a prompt asking if you want to reactivate — tap "Yes" and your account is fully restored with all your content.
What happens after 30 days?
After the 30-day grace period, your account and all associated data (posts, comments, Shakas, profile info) are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.