 Poster: A snowHead
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John Rivett, may depend on where you are. In the US, I have not noticed a particular propensity for being out-of-control among bladers in Summit County, Colorado, USA.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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John Rivett, you being (deliberately?) abusive about beginners. The same beginners on skis or snowboards would be even more hazardous to other snow slope users.
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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?
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john wells, No. Read what the post actually says. Beginners are fine. Beginners go slow, most of the time, and often take lessons. I have never been hit by a beginner boarder or skier. Blades do seem to be used sometimes by people who don't want to have to learn. Not everyone on blades but a lot of them. I dont know about Summit county - havent been there since 1990, but I have seen this in Zermatt, Verbier, Jackson Hole, Lake Louise, Kicking Horse, Alp d huez, les Arcs etc etc in the last 5 years. There is nothing wrong with trying new things, I used to like to mono a bit... but I can only once ever remember seeing a skischool group of bladers. Maybe some people who use them would be as dangerous on planks or a tray, but I know when I am skiing with my 8 year old we try and stay well clear of bladers. Its the combination of speed with lack of control that is scary. Or maybe I am the only one who thinks this?!
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John Rivett, I find a frightening number of both skiers and boarders are skiing out of control. I do not see a significantly higher percentage of bladers out of control.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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ssh I agree that it tends to be the same across all disciplines (apart from telemarkers!), it's just that I think that we tend to remember it when someone on a different discipline crashes into us as it reinforces what we believe to be true.
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I had 3 trips this season - Switzerland, France (Tignes at half term, packed), France again (Val Thorens, very busy week after Easter) and would be pushed to say that I saw more than 6 people on blades over all 3 weeks. So where are all of these "out of control" bladers doing it?
I would say most bladers fall into one of 3 categories:- a) people like pam w's and laundryman's kids who, maybe, come at this from a "street" (rollerblades?) background - absolutely poo-poo hot acrobats but not "skiing" as we know it Jim; a friend's son does this - cartwheels, somersaults, high speed off piste on the heels etc etc... but very much in control b) people like me who come to it from skiing and find that blades are the ultimate carving tools (all that pressure per inch of edge, can't fail to carve on anything), good fun but not "serious" - I usually pack a pair in case conditions are bad, I'd rather rock-hop on cheap blades than on my expensive skis; can't say I've ever been "out of control" on blades c) those who haven't a clue - still pushing their boards from side to side 
The latter are perhaps the most worrying, but how many of them are there?
The place where most lack of control is evident is in lift queues, when the absence of poles can make life difficult.
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Turning up to a lift queue without a set of poles, is like turning up to a gun fight without a gun. 
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Mr Rivett, this htread was a friendly discussion on the merits of good skiers on blades, then you decided to join in, obviously already set in your ways of "everyone but me is wrong", and decided to let your vitriole go on a bunch of skiers who are posting here, who, I would guess from your attitude, you have not met, nor do you know of their abilities.
I don't know you, so perhaps you are an FIS racer who has devised their own way of improving their carving skills, or perhaps you believe in skiing with your boots locked together, and skis that must be over head height. If either of these are true, then I can understand your viewpoint, and would recommend that you put your daughter into ski school promptly so she can learn how to ski from qualified instructors who know how to use modern equipment.
Otherwise, I would ask you to refrain from your attacks on one particular group just because a VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE of them show as much regard for others, as a similar percentage of skiers and boarders.
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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.
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Kramer, good point!
Alan Craggs, I think that most people don't realize what "control" really is. I tend to think of it in terms of control as we have in a car. Compare sliding around a turn on sand or gravel to making a nice tight turn around a mountain road in a sports car with great tyres. Most skiers are sliding around on gravel all the time... Think about the control they (don't) have!
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Wear The Fox Hat, I think that you're being very harsh in what you say. I thought that the tone remained quite friendly, with an element of tongue in cheek from some posters.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ssh, how about careering off the edge of the road into waist deep powder? Do you have a metaphor for that?
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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.
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Kramer, sure... like skidding off an slick road into the ditch filled with snow! Stops the car in a hurry, too!
Of course, I tend to go off into waist deep powder on purpose, like a 4wd SUV plowing through with snow flying over the hood... Oh, yeah!!!!
But, really, why are you asking? Did my metaphor not work for you?
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Kramer, This season I carried a single pole when blading just for use in the lift queue - a great success. Initially I used a collapsable pole but when I found that I did not bother to adjust the pole between queues I used my normal ski pole.
A side benefit was that I carry the pole in one hand holding it about in the middle. The sharp end then sticks out behind me which should keep those idiots, who pass too close, a little further away.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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John Rivett, don't take it personally. It is very difficult for viewers to judge irony or tongue in cheek especially as there have been posts which were not dissimilar and appeared not to intend irony. You know the breakdown; something like 8% the spoken word, 32% tone and over 50% body language (not sure of the ratios but those are about right as usually quoted). We only have the 8% to play with so there are bound to be misunderstandings at times.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Absolutely, there's no need to be touchy. John Rivett, it is useful to punctuate tongue in cheek with the odd smilie, especially when people don't know you well.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Quite a few of our "group" prefer blades - generally because they were cheap to buy, easy to transport and a good laugh (depending on the snow conditions). If it gets really powdery, they'll hire skis.
Some of the descriptions above fit - we tend to ski fast (being a purist, "ski" applies to me - I still wear the long planks), but I've never seen any of them collide with someone else (other than our own group when we're larking about). I'm sure we look fairly fearsome as we hurtle down the long reds, but we never get close to anyone else, and leave MAJOR room around any learners.
If you have a SPEED = DANGEROUS attitude, doubtless you'll brand me and my mates as "dangerous", and I suspect that's something of the prejudice that's being expressed.
Having said that, I don't blade, and as long as I maintain my sanity, I don't intend to!
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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?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Blades may be fun, but there are questions being raised about their safety. The French consumers’ safety commission, the CSC, has recently issued an alert about blades - more than 90% don't have safety bindings, and they are being blamed for a rise in frequency of multiple leg fractures. The CSC has asked manufacturers to change the snap shut bindings to self-release bindings - reportedly Salomon has withdrawn it blades from the market, and will replace them with a safety binding version.
They also suggest mini-skis should not by used by beginners, those under 1.5m, in deep snow or at high speeds
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Julian T, have you references for this? I'd be interested to read more about Salomon withdrawing theirs.
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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.
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ssh, no problem with the metaphor, it's just that I enjoy careering off the edge of pistes into waist deep powder.
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Kramer, so does ssh. WTFHat, anyone else following suit?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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comprex, it appears that Salomon aren't even doing what they said in that report!
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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.
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As one of the people who defended blades, earlier in this thread, I must admit that I was shocked to learn, from a French lad in his late 'twenties who I skied with earlier this season (and who was in perfect control, 100% of the time, incidentally) that he had fractured his leg blading. He still blades, but has new blades with proper bindings. It makes sense. Mind you, when I bought Salomon snowblades when they first came out, there were very clear warnings that they must not be worn by anyone under 1.5m high and I have often refused to lend them to visiting kids who don't have adult size/strength legs. I am now seriously considering ditching our blades, which have had long rock-hopping careers, and replacing them with ones with proper bindings - what are those Head ones like, the ones that look like short fat skis? Can't remember the name. Something aggressive - Attack?
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Kramer, you should know me well enough by now to know that my favorite snow is pow! Ask comprex, since I managed to help he and Ogi find quite a bit the day we got to ski together (what do you say, P.J.?). Hope my point doesn't get lost, though:
If you're sliding, you're not really in control. You just think you are. And that's pretty scary for me!
Actually, it reminds me of the California drivers who drive 4wd vehicles and think that means that they can drive 70mph all the way up to Tahoe. Invariably, the vehicles found in ditches and flipped over in California mountains are the 4wd ones--you don't know you're losing traction until it's all gone.
Don't believe me? Try a sudden redirect of your real direction of travel while in a skidding "turn".
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Is no one using 'miniskis' to teach higher edge angles (at speeds conceivably slower than would be required on long-edge skis?) and the angulation required therefor?
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Poster: A snowHead
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comprex, yes, my daughters have had instruction on blades (for one session in week courses) for that purpose, among others.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I was amused to read there about lift lines in blades...... inspite of my intermediate status (and my being dangerous......) I managed to sus this one! Chances are that i can skate about, walk uphills etc alot better than many much more experienced skiers because of it! lol
Ad
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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?
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I found the only real problem in lift lines was icy, uphill surface plus lots of people who get in the way and make it difficult to herringbone. Being on Atomic 1.20s amplified the herringbone problem.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
| comprex, it appears that Salomon aren't even doing what they said in that report! |
Ah, WTFH, it seems they had other things on their mind?
Minimax with Device: you heard it here first.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I skied on blades for a couple of weeks and have to say they were great for the time I spent on them. They can be limiting but if you really push them to get the most out of them, the outcome is fantastic. My carving technique improved loads and they were a lot of fun. I probably wouldn't go back to them for too long but they could possibly be (along with practice on normal length skis) a stepping stone that helps progression from intermediate to advanced level.
I don't see why so many people hate blades - I wonder if half of those have actually tried them for a decent amount of time!
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ejoy, I don't hate blades at all - I have a pair and I teach blading whenever required. Unfortunately in this area, we get lots of groups of young men (usually from Lyon or Marseilles) who don't learn how to do anything on the mountain, but just take blades up and go down again. Therefore they've had no education about the rules of the piste, how to ski/turn/whatever, and as they tend to hang in groups can be very intimidating. It's not the tool that's at fault. This probably does change from place to place, and being fairly far south we probably get it more than most.
Having said that, there's no excuse for some of the bad behaviour I see on the piste, but it does appear (anecdotally) to be more prevalent in bladers than in skiers or snowboarders. That's certainly not to say that all bladers are bad, irresponsible skiers or that the blade should be banned.
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I use skiis to improve my blading!
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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.
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Charlotte, ditto, see you in October unless you're passing here.
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FAQ
I'm sure 
However you're absolutely right - anyone sliding is out of control to a degree. I should also add that anyone on their heels is also out of control to a degree (and out of balance), but as previous posts mention, the majority of bladers are on their heels, as it's impossible to go very fast or into powder if you stand centrally. However when in a narrow part of the piste to be "attacked" by 10 or so large young men, going at speed on blades, spread all over the piste, and with clearly no intention/ability to slow down, when you have novice skiers behind you ................. they don't have to actually hit you to ruin your run and frighten the poor novices. 
