When Butch Brady first assembled his one-of-a-kind tandem snowboard, he was only looking for a creative way to have some fun on a spring day.

That concept that began as a lark has now earned Brady and fellow snowboarder Eric Sweet a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. On Dec. 20, the pair dragged the 9-foot, 7- inch snowboard halfway up the Teewinot run at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and linked nine turns in front of a television cameraman.

“It seemed initially like going down a mountain in a canoe without a paddle, but after taking a few runs a light went on,” Sweet said. “You’re splitting the duties, so it feels like a marriage. You give up half of the control, and if it’s a good one you don’t crash.”

The origin of Brady’s homemade creation, which Sweet has dubbed the “XJ-13,” came three years ago when he was living in Winter Park, Colo. The resort sponsors an annual “Spring Splash” that features skiers and riders skimming across an icy pond. Brady, a snowboard shop employee, was looking for an original and amusing entry and came up with the tandem snowboard.

Together with his boss Brian Wood, Brady mounted two snowboards together lengthwise with a 6-inch overlap, screwing the rear board on top of the front board with eight bolts.

After practicing with several different partners, Brady was able to figure out a good technique for riding the board, with the rear rider weighting each turn a second or two after the front rider, or navigator. Brady has experimented with taking his contraption through moguls and even tackled small jumps, but admits that low-angle slopes are best for riding the creation.

“It’s so heavy you get going pretty quick,” Brady said. “On steeper hills you’re definitely looking for some drag.”

After doing some investigating, Wood and Brady determined the board was likely the only one of its kind. They registered on the Guinness Book of World Records online site and the pair was notified that they had earned the record for “longest snowboard.” In order for Brady to receive the record for tandem snowboard riding, he needed to submit a video of two people linking a minimum of five consecutive turns.

Brady moved to Jackson this fall but didn’t break out the board until meeting Sweet one afternoon at Nick Wilson’s. Easily recognizable thanks to the buffalo coat and fur hat he wears while riding at the Mountain Resort, Sweet was eager to try riding the board after Brady told him about it.

The first time the pair tried riding together they were able to link only two or three turns before falling, but Sweet quickly became enamored with the idea. Two days later they spotted the television cameraman at the base area, and Sweet asked him to film their attempt. Brady also donned a buffalo coat from the pair’s new sponsor, Mill Valley Sheepskin and Leather, and the two made it all the way down the hill on their third attempt.

“We definitely wanted something memorable as far as clothing goes and I think we achieved that,” Brady said.

The pair is now awaiting confirmation of their record, while Sweet is already envisioning marketing the unique snow-sliding device with more practical applications.

“It could be a teaching tool and anyone who’s reluctant to snowboard, especially if you constructed a triple, because a person could get in between two instructors,” said Sweet.