Narc has the right idea. It's for people that can't turn. Anyone that thinks blades are cool probably think they're also pretty slick wearing their jeans on the slopes too.
The original idea always seemed a little flawed to me. Weren't they originally made as a transition from straight skis to sidecut to help with carving? Carving is basically for helping to turn at high speed and keep you're speed better through a turn. High speed and blades do not go well and skis will just dic k all over blades when it comes to speed anyway. What's the point? Having said that, i could be completely wrong about what they're for.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Not cool. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo not cool. They would be further down the Top Gear cool wall than a smartcar. Everytime you use blades, God kills a kitten. FACT!
They can be an entertaining novelty once in a while - the general shitness and uselessness just makes you giggle and clown around like a tool. Then you want to actually hit a good slope with speed, go offpiste, hit a kicker and their flaws smack you in the face like Chuck Norris. Good as a training tool though.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I cycle, by analagy ski = touring bike, board = mountain bike blade = BMX
Edit: heh, just looked at the username
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 15-12-09 20:39; edited 1 time in total
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I can't be bothered to look back through the thread to see who wrote that quote, but what a weirdo. Why do so many people seem to think boarding is more hardcore than skiing? Why would blades be better for freestyle than skis or a board?
1: OH's 6'4" brother in law - happily blading down Face in Val d'Isere and all the other black in the Espace Killy with the "hardcore" group including OH on last year's holiday. He was the most experienced skier there, and was very good when he switched to skis for an off piste lesson.
2: When it snowed in Devon last year, the only blader giving up and going home in disgust as he just sank in the 9 inches. To be fair, it was impossible to get any speed up on any kind of sliding device for the first 10 or so runs (including sledges, snow boards etc) - the boarders just had to point straight down the hill to go anywhere (shallow hill...)
From these two experiences I would conclude that blades are definitely fast on the feet of someone competent, but in unpisted snow on a shallow slope, you will not get anywhere!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
They might well be fast on the feet of someone competent, but they are never going to be as fast as a pair of skis on the feet of someone equally competent - their limitations are blindingly obvious!
Of course someone could blade down the face, but why would you when you could ski it faster/safer/better/more stylishly?
After all it is free
After all it is free
Randomsabreur, you want Kneissl Bigfoots for anything deeper than 1inch.
clarky999, skiing isn't only about downhill speed (unless you race).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I'm not just talking about speed. Each of those in the list were alternatives.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
I have never seen anybody make them look stylish or fun, just slow and out of control. The epitome of uncool
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
See I thought OH's brother in law looked in control and stylish on the move, but stood still, he looked a bit like he'd mugged a small child and nicked their skis.
He said he likes not having to pay ski carriage on holidays, and enjoys the ease and manouverability of blades. Although he is pretty competent on full size skis, he has more fun on blades - which is the whole point of the holiday. There might be an element of not wanting to go faster than his wife (who looks like a very elegant, effortless skier, but is rather less speed crazy than either of the boys) as they would generally be skiing together, so being on blades means he doesn't have to hold back quite as much as he would on full size skis. He can stop/turn on a sixpence and skating on blades looks a lot easier than skating/poling on normal skis. He was certainly more in control than me (and I'm a control freak and make sure main thing I practice on the first runs of the holiday is hard stops on command by my OH from what I define as flat out (i.e. as fast as I am prepared to go) at that point). That "flat out" speed increases as my hard stops improve... so I can always stop in my own length from whatever speed I am doing.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Okay, first post here, have lurked for a while but when I saw this I couldn't help but wade in. FTR I ski, board (not so well) and ride skiboards.
First off, I guess many of you have never looked into 'blades' seriously - I've only seen the mention of the word Skiboards once on here, by someone that uses them.
'Blades', in case you weren't aware, are solely manufactured by Salomon, tapping into the market of folks that don't know an awful lot about skiing and want something cheap and cheerful, and won't get much use out of. They are very badly made, and don't serve a lot of purpose on anything other than a fine pisted run, fairly free of slush, ice and powder or drifts. Theres no question that these are'better or equal to' skis or boards, other than a pair of rental rock riders you might find in a Scottish ski centre when you turn up at 10am on a blue sky day.
Skiboards, however, are a different matter altogether. I promise you you won't find a skiboarder of the sort described amongst skiers as chavs bombing around with no control, because they don't exist. In fact, those of us that actually use Skiboards barely exist, at all in Europe. The price of a pair of skiboards (similar to a pair of skis, plus import costs usually) tend to be just above equivalent ski prices as very few people actually manufacture them, including no big names,and thus very few places sell them. Therefore most people that want to use them for learning or a cheap alternative don't bother, and by a new pair of skis instead. I'd guess this is why people look so out of control on the cheap Salomons, they'd be the same on skis and on a board they'd spend more time on their back bottom.
There ae numorous models of skiboard available, just as there are skis. You get longer ones intended for powder or speed, and shorter ones for park and jumps. The width tends to be a big difference - I have three pairs and the only one approaching the thinness of a standard modern ski width are the pair intended for solely on piste, firm conditions use.
Whats the advantage over freestyle skiing or boarding? Well, assuming you mean in a park the lack of weight helps in jibbing rails and 180's, 360's etc, you can grab the tails without risking a back injury and the lack of poles gives you more of a chance to regain balance if you feel you are going to fall on landing. I'm not good enough to board in a park so I can't really compare there I'm afraid, although it seems the sheer percentage of park users being boarders helps in that access ramps etc tend to be properly set up, Xscape can be a bitch for this.
Releasable bindings or not? Well, I've never seen anyone on non-releaseable skiboards outside of a fun park. Inside the park you need the non release bindings as the releasables tend to release on landing, which isn't what you want. Salomon used them on blades purely to keep the price low, and so several members of a family could easily use the same pair.
Speed? Yeah, I can go faster on skis, but when do you get the opportunity to bomb it down the slopes at high speed? I've seen a fair few threads on here in the past complaining too many people these days ski at full pelt in pisted areas, so surely the speed limitation is a good thing?
Damage to your knees - I have a recurring knee injury from skateboarding as a teenager - I certainly don't notice the difference between skiboards and skis on my knees, other than that I can't do a kickturn on full lengths without feeling like I'm about to do myself a serious injury. I believe Salomon blades do use some kind of cheap foam core, the numbers of reports of knee injuries and 'hard riding' could be related to that, I'm not sure.
Ice - I've always found them far better than skis in this respect, and the folks I go away with are always impressed by my handling on ice in comparison. This may have something to do with the fact I grew up ski-ing Scottish hills, but I tend to keep that one quiet!
So, what I'm trying to say is - I agree, Blades are NOT cool. But please don't get blades mixed up with skiboards and disrespect anything below 130cms because of it. Skiboards are very cool - so cool that you don't even know about them!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:
Releasable bindings or not? Well, I've never seen anyone on non-releaseable skiboards outside of a fun park. Inside the park you need the non release bindings as the releasables tend to release on landing, which isn't what you want. Salomon used them on blades purely to keep the price low, and so several members of a family could easily use the same pair.
graeme, a skiboarding snowhead uses non releasable bindings.
Quote:
Speed? Yeah, I can go faster on skis, but when do you get the opportunity to bomb it down the slopes at high speed? I've seen a fair few threads on here in the past complaining too many people these days ski at full pelt in pisted areas, so surely the speed limitation is a good thing?
No, just because some people don't think going fast is OK lots of people enjoy it along with the stability full length skis provide.
I don't necessarily agree with your other points I just don't know enough about the matters they concern to comment on them.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
What bindings does Graeme use? I know a lot of American skiboarders ride Bomber Elites, which I'd love to try - they are non release but according to the ad bumf they are as safe as releasables. Not cheap mind.
I too enjoy going fast - what I'm saying is that as a seasoned rider on decent boards i can go as fast as anyone I've ever ridden with down an open, reasonably busy European piste can on skis or a board, or I myself could on skis. Give me a closed off piste and timing gates and I'll ask you for a lend of your full lengths, but I haven't had that oppurtunity since I switched to mainly using skiboards.
If its a powder day and I'm abroad I'll usually get a single days snowboard hire, which seems far more fun on powder than skis/skiboards ever could, even though I'm nowhere near as good. They all have their advantages and disadvantages to me, but most of the things skiers especially tend to question are pretty wide of the mark. The biggest advantage of ski-ing over skiboarding is flat areas, by a long margin. None of this nonsense about not being able to do jumps properly, or get good speed up. I think your all secretly rather jelous cos we can fit our skis in a car boot or suitcase....
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Esco, we've been through this. It was concluded that even the guys on the Revel8 'team' looked sh*te in the park.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
arv wrote:
Esco, we've been through this. It was concluded that even the guys on the Revel8 'team' looked sh*te in the park.
Theres nothing like the amount of numbers involved in skiboarding as there is snowboarding or skiing- for every one revel8 team rider theres sure to be thousands of equally competent boarders or skiers, and hundreds that are far better, and have the time and money that the other snowsports do pumped into them. Besides, The guys on the revel8 team are a bunch of young Yanks that get given a couple of free boards and a discount on t-shirts for sending in their home movies they've made on their weekends at their local slope. Don't confuse them with professionals, to my knowledge there aren't any pro skiboarders.
As I say, I'm not confident enough yet to leave the ground on a snowboard - for me, I find skiboards much more suited to park use (especially line weapons) than full length skis, mainly for the improvement in balance and ease in landing- when I'm feeling confident enough on a snowboard to try a few tricks, I may prefer that.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Blades......too uncool to even comment
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Can't be @rsed to read through it all, but I found them great in teaching me to carve. The transition to carving with skis helped me as I got the technique quite quickly as only once you have carved you know that certain feeling! I now know that feeling from learning it on blades!
They are in a cupboard in the apartment in France and have not used them for about 6 years now. But if someone was with me having trouble "carving" I would suggest they take them and get "that feeling"!
Dont think they are "Cool or Uncool" just a learning instrument! Just my opinion!
Esco, same challenge we gave before - show us a link to a video of anyone on skiboards who does not look like they completely suck. Preferably not in the park.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Finding a video of anyone skiboarding outside of a park is challenge enough, the only few vids I have seen on powder have been of people testing them for the very first time.
As I say, the lack of opportunity in skiboarding means that many of the better skiboarders are now known for their exploits on the long skis, check out Mike Nick, Neal Lyons or my personal favourite, Nicky Adams ( http://youtube.com/v/kx6afzWh1Zs&feature=related ). When faced with the option of riding twin tips round the world at major competitions for money or working a regular job and ging down your local slope to shoot a few home movies at weekends, its no wonder why.
But as far as the original question of coolness goes, as a sport dominated by independant companies with very little advertising and sponsorship (and therefore no bandwagon) I'd say it beats ski-ing, a sport in which the Daily Mail is regarded as the bastion of all knowledge.
Even that park based video looked rather lame. If people were really ski-boarding well off-piste etc there would be evidence on youtube.
And whilst skiing may be over-endorsed and industry led, just because very few people want to do a sport and no one wants to pay them to do it does not make it cool!
Morris Dancing anyone?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
kayy really, i might just be a 14 year old but snow blades and skiing are defs both incrediblyy good tbh(:
skiings great for style, slalom and techniques but blades are kind of a wind down from it all, you can do all sorts of tricks and just have a laugh really
ive been skiing for about 9 years now, but blading for about 2, so skiing still means more to me, but yeah, i have to sayyy, Snow Blades- SOOO COOL! xD
After all it is free
After all it is free
Quote:
'Blades', in case you weren't aware, are solely manufactured by Salomon, tapping into the market of folks that don't know an awful lot about skiing and want something cheap and cheerful, and won't get much use out of
They stopped making them some time ago!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Megeern wrote:
kayy really, i might just be a 14 year old but snow blades and skiing are defs both incrediblyy good tbh(:
skiings great for style, slalom and techniques but blades are kind of a wind down from it all, you can do all sorts of tricks and just have a laugh really
ive been skiing for about 9 years now, but blading for about 2, so skiing still means more to me, but yeah, i have to sayyy, Snow Blades- SOOO COOL! xD
I don't think anyone (well no actually, some people probably are) is debating that from time to time they can be fun. They're still not cool though.
And all this stuff about skiboards, technically irrelevant as the original question was referring to blades
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
so true, nobodies debating whether they're fun or not, but tbh they are cool, for youngerr people anyway they're more like..im not sure, but yeah...idk what im talkign about now :L but i guess, everyones entitled to their opinions, just in mine they are cool:D they're just sorta a fun way to spend your day i guess, well, only if you're blading with friends...
and yeah lol, where did the whole skiboard thing come from :L tryed that once when i was about 6..i didn't enjoy it then 'cause i was scared..i'd love to give it another go though, what does everyone else think of it? (:
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
If you're over 12. Uncool.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Ermm Skiboards are just wider slightly less useless snowblades. It's not really that different.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
If Megeern, is really only 14 then he has an excuse, but aren't the rest of you just a bit on the elderly side to be giving any consideration at all to what's 'cool'? Since most of you are parents, you are intrinsically the very epitome of uncool whatever you attach to your feet.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Definitely uncool, but definitely worth trying.
I had some K2 blades for a few years when I was 12 up to a few years ago. They force you to be balanced front to back, if you sit back on them you will be on your backside.
Since then I got some skis and got nice and lazy, I can sit back all I like
As for cool, no way. No way on earth. They are good for people who are nifty on ice skates or roller blades, and can just skate down the snow. But they're not a day to day ski in any way.
I saw a guy who must have been 30 years old using some at Hemel, and frankly he looked an utter back bottom, even though he was ok on them.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Lame question IMO
The reason I dont ride on snow blades is because the ones I tried didnt have bindings. I fell and twisted my knee every so slightly - and realised how dangerous they are.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I agree with pam i had a pair for a couple of trips and helped me with carving but were totaly crap going fast over rough stuff and forget the deep.
One broken coller bone later made me hang them up and get a pair of 1080s and since then have improved greatly.
Cool or not i dont care, i dont ski for anyone else`s enjoyment, just enjoy what you do thats what you are paying for.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Super Cool
I had a pair of 'Stubbies' back in the 70s for ski mountaineering.
My new Soloman 90s (£50 off evilbay) have reopened a whole new dimension to my mountain adventures in the last few weeks. They strap comfortably onto my rucksack along with my ice axes and crampons and enable me to not only travel into the hills with ease but also assist with those long and tiriing descents through knee deep crap.
I did a lot of xcountry skiing during the 60s to 70s then packed up because the emphasis tunrned to downhill which terrified me silly. The blades are superb for off piste whilst carrying kit.
H
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
............the hardest thing about snowblading is telling your dad you are gay.....
Useless things. One of our kids spent too many years on them. I chucked him off and onto a pair of Line Invaders, his skiing went into orbit by comparison.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
who cares, why does everyone have to have so many opinions on other people. As long as you're happy doing what you want, leave other people alone. I mostly ski but I can snowboard and blade too, I just do whatever I fancy doing at that time.
who cares, why does everyone have to have so many opinions on other people. .
Eh?! No opinions of people, the comments refer to BLADES.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Uncool. They're for people who struggle with skiing or closet-Boarders who can't get out of the closet.
After all it is free
After all it is free
u wont get blades thru the aeroport nowe cos of 7/11.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
savaloy joy,
although Gatwick let me through with a Swiss Army Knife on the way to last years S5BB
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Esco, i use bomber elites, i have never used releasable bindings on any of my boards. i prefer the more solid feel of the non release, just my personal preference
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
