 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey has anyone tried these things ?
What are they like ?
Going to Tignes in January might give them ago ?
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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 have a pair and use them for a few hours at a time, but only very occasional (used them once in the last two years I think). Someone here described them as being a bit like a unicycle - tricky to get to grips with at first, limited in what you can do with them, but fun nevertheless. I wouldn't want to spend an entire holiday on them, although some people do.
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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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Advantages of blades over skis (IMHO):
They are easier to carve
It is easier to do jumps (less chance of skis getting stuck in snow on landing)
They don't go as fast as skis therefore you spend less time skidding to brake
They are much easier to turn round moguls (but not great big fluffy ones cos then they get buried)
They are easier to carry on and off the gondola
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MelEllis, Quick edit there, bet you thoght you'd got away with it 
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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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MelEllis, Quick edit there, bet you thoght you'd got away with it
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Doh!
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Great if you're Parisien and like skiing in jeans and a balaclava. 
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I think i wil try em, surely not be dear to hire a pair eh!
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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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What is the point of blades?
Save the money for lessons if you are having a hard time with skis
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Blades are pretty good fun for a day or two. Most hire places will let you swap your skis in for a pair for a day of your holiday.
I am not sure where all the negativity towards blades comes from! They are fun, especially if you are in the kind of Blues are fun--- reds are scary type zone. However having given them a go I don't feel that I need to actually own a pair!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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dave_wick, they're a bit like monoskis. They should be extinct.
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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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Blades are definitely fun for the odd afternoon or so. I teach blading (pretty much the same as regular ski-ing) when asked, and have had a pair for a good few years, but can't remember just taking them out on my own. Not an all-round solution IMO, but there are those on this site who disagree! 
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dave_wick, my suggestion would be to make sure that you get a pair with release bindings (if they are less than 1m long they often don't)
Someone who I was due to ski with last year went out for a run on blades before the ski hire opened....and ended up with a spiral fracture to his leg. Apparently this is a common injury to suffer on blades that don't release.
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You know it makes sense.
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Tried blades for the first time in Breck the season before last with a friend. Great fun & easy to get to grips with. Expected to be falling all over the place, but before the end of the first run we'd both decided we needed something more challenging than the beginner runs - before the morning was out we were quite happy on their blue/black runs.
The only downside was that the non-release bindings can be a pain to put on (at least on the ones that I had).
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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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Im in the 'love them' camp. I have used them for coming 3 weeks now and have no intention to go back to skis. I find them more fun all round and I feel I can do it more safely on skis. As noted above, they are slower. I find I can get the same exhileration on boards (blades) as i could on skis, but I dont have to be going as fast. I also love the manoeverability and not needing to carry silly poles around with me!
Blades are gaining popularity and are following the same sort of track as snowboards once did. Skiboarding is most definitely a growing sport!
Oh and to push a point again, blades are strictly not skiboards (which is the name for the sport in general), salomon skiblades are much more like very short skis. If you get the chance to compare blades to something better fitting the skiboard design, it is well worth it because the differences are quite stark!
Adam
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Poster: A snowHead
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buns, not clear from that, are you for blades or skiboards?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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buns, so what's a good cheap skiboard and will they sell them to middle-aged people?
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Would you prefer to go faster with a bit less manoeverability or happy for a slower (shorter) board which turns on a dime? Are you going to be wanting to try out powder?
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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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buns, no powder, just something you'd consider to epitomize the skiboard as opposed to the snowblade.
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slikedges, "skiboard" is just the generic term, but "snowblade" is Salomon's trademarked name. It's like calling a suction cleaner a "hoover".
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But if you want to go for the best, go for Lines. That was where they started.
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Tried them for half a day. They were OK for a diversion, fun in places e.g. terrain park but half a day was enough. Found them slow to get around on and not great for straight lines/traversing.
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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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One of the best and most loved designs is the Line Mike Nick Pro.
It is worth noting that these are 2002 models (I think). Line altered their thinking shortly after this (binding mounting being principle) and subsequent boards haven't been even close to as well liked.
Adam
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Wear The Fox Hat, buns, thanks guys. I know skiboard is to Snowblades what in-line skate is to Rollerblades. I've had fun on skiboards before (no idea which one, didn't pay enough attention) but never owned any. buns had said though that the Snowblade feel is different to the original feel of skiboards and I thought it would be nice to get a cheap all round true feel skiboard for my quiver, as I don't own anywhere near enough snow-sliding apparatus
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Another bit of an asside.... with skiboards, it is advantageous to use a slightly upright, softer flexing boot, meaning that you can wear nice comfy soft boots!
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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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dave_wick, slikedges, Go for it. they are great. I've used the Head Big Easy because of the release bindings, but they are a little clumsy as they are wider than most, but good on deeper snow, then I tried the Salomon Miniverse 90cm, great but got planted in deeper snow at the side of the run, so decided to go back to release bindings. Just bought the new 2005 Salomon 99 with release bindings, (also done in 90cm) and waiting to try them out. But in general they are much, much easier to use than skis, require no lessons. As 51 year old that struggled with skis for 8 years, despite lots of tuition, they have been a blessing. If you are really into your parks and jumps though, then yes, you would need to go for the wood core ones with a more central binding position (you can even buy the better SKI-boards and have release bindings fitted if you want). I know there is a big debate on the specialist Skiboard sites, where Salomon Snowblades get a real bashing from the experts, but there is a hell of a lot of them around, and they are ok for the majority of us. One theory about accidents is that people try to do things in them they wouldn’t normally do on skis, as they feel so easy to use, so they have more accidents. There is a website that explains the injuries http://www.ski-injury.com/prevention.htm#blade data has been gathered in Scotland though, but lots on the site about ski injuries.
The editor-in-chief of Fall-Line, Ian Sansom made a derogatory comment about blades in the October issue, he must be still licking his wounds, because they got a big back lash for the blading community, (including me; the editor emailed me and asked if they could use my letter!!!). Ian starts the article by saying he has to confess that he hasn’t been on skis for 12 years, and had turned to ‘snowboarding’ instead because “…he felt the soul had gone out of skiing…the sport was no longer about having fun in the mountains with your friends, but about how much money you spent on your equipment or where you went on holiday…” he talks about forthcoming pictures then says “just don’t expect too many snowblade shots – some things are better left to die on their own…” That was exactly what skiers said about snowboards when they first arrived on the scene – so rather ironic I thought. I wondered why it was alright for him to have fun, but not those on blades?
Getting down the mountain in whatever mode you choose should not be for others to judge, it’s about having fun, and embracing new techniques, designs and equipment that will encourage this. So if anyone out there is a ski snob, you’d better find a private ski slope, because the bladers are on the increase, as the ski shops that sell out early each year will confirm.
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I got some last year and am now converted!! Mine are for use in the park really, I still stick to big skis day to day, these are for messing about on!
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You know it makes sense.
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Back in 1994 someone left a pair of rental bigfeet (remember them) in the chalet I worked in. After all the guests had gone home at the end of the season they were still there and we had a play with them. I'm sure new blades/boards must me much better but I guess there must be some similarities they are all afterall just ultra short skis. My conclusions at the time were:
1. they were kinda fun
2. you could carve on them (at least on fairly soft snow) - most people who used them seemed to pivot all over the place, I got a few odd looks carving GS turns
3. great for practicing jumps - I've never been any good at jumps but I managed to land 180s and get 270 around which is the closed I ever managed to a heli
4. nice free sensation
5. got boring very quickly - like a big mac - pleasant at the time but not really satisfying
I took them home with me and carried them out on a few holidays over the next few years. Whenever I thought about using them I decided to put my skis on instead - in the end if you can ski reasonably well, why would you want something slower, less stable, less floaty, less grippy?
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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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Big feet were very different beasts. In comparison to anything today, they would be incredibly hard to carve in.
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Poster: A snowHead
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On my recent ASSI course we used blades for basic carving exercises. Also short radius turns with a blade on one foot & a ski on the other - do a few runs then swap around. Great fun & you soon figure out which is your weak turn & any fore/aft balance problems.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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They are great fun & I found them easy to master.
I use Head Big Easy with proper releasable bindings, would not consider using them
without as non release is asking for trouble.
Everyone I know who has tried them has finished with a big beam on their face!
Don't really understand why there is opposition to them?
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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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buns,
i thought they were in many ways easier to carve on than 200cm slalom skis (which was the comparison at the time) on soft groomers. I don't doubt for a moment that new blades/boards are way easier
provenjohn,
I'm not opposed to them - if people enjoy them then that's great. I just think they are inferior to skis in just about every way once you have reached a certain level of proficiency
J
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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In many respects, skiboarding is a much simpler sport. You have shorter boards, you dont need poles, you dont need all shades of fancy technique....
Some might argue that this makes it bad, but i'd agrue that simplicity is good. From a scientific point of view, keeping things simple is the best way to suceed. So unless you are going beyond what skiboards are capable (which with modern designs is actually quite alot), you are just making things more difficult. If you are a hardcore skier, that is fine, but i guess most recreational skiers never spend enough time on the snow that they can affort to make life any more difficult than it need be!
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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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I'm not sure I quite understand the advantages of not having poles? Poles are in fact a good thing for skiing, not just something you carry around because everyone else does.
I'm also not convinced that beyond a certain level blades have any advantages over skis (and yes I have tried them, I have a pair of Line Bullets, possibly the best (and most expensive!) skiboards ever made, in my cupboard where they have been for about the last 3 or 4 years).
- can't go all that fast without them becoming scary
- can't really ski powder
- can't ski steeps on them without suicidal tendancies (same for icy slopes)
- can't really ski bumps effectively without poles
- though they really helped learn the carving sensation - it really didn't help me carve ski's, might have made it even worse in fact as I found myself rotating and leaning too much.
- they don't really give me the confidence to do jumps - something mentioned above as an advantage because they severely punish off centre landings, don't have the big platform for soft landings, and no releasable bindings.
Also not really against them, when I started skiing they were a revelation, I just think that once you've got to grip with skis, blades/skiboards are just too limiting and you may as well just put in the bit of extra effort required to get to the same point on skis.
PS If anyone unconvinced by my arguments needs a pair of Line Bullets with the all-aero-aluminium (non-releasable) bindings, I might have just what you are looking for going cheap(ish)
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Stuarth,
You make some good points, but the Bullets were designed as speed carving boards. They are narrow, non symmetric and have a relatively wide turn. That considered, the powder, jumps and bumps not being to your liking is not surprising. There are much much superior boards if one of these was your area of interest. I have to comment that the fastest I have ever seen someone go through moguls was on a pair of 75cm boards, no poles..... Ive never seen a skier come close.
It is all horses for courses, you wouldnt be using 200cm skis for blasting through moguls after all....
At the end of the day you are quite right, an experienced skilled skier probably would get bored with skiboards. But it is a bit silly when skiers arguing skiboards are too easy (yet without enough skill to ski properly) look down upon skiboarders.
Jeees I cant wait to get going this year! 
Adam
PS. stuarth, what are the bindings on your bullets? FFpros?
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| buns wrote: |
Stuarth,
You make some good points, but the Bullets were designed as speed carving boards. They are narrow, non symmetric and have a relatively wide turn. That considered, the powder, jumps and bumps not being to your liking is not surprising. There are much much superior boards if one of these was your area of interest. I have to comment that the fastest I have ever seen someone go through moguls was on a pair of 75cm boards, no poles..... Ive never seen a skier come close.
It is all horses for courses, you wouldnt be using 200cm skis for blasting through moguls after all....
At the end of the day you are quite right, an experienced skilled skier probably would get bored with skiboards. But it is a bit silly when skiers arguing skiboards are too easy (yet without enough skill to ski properly) look down upon skiboarders.
Jeees I cant wait to get going this year!
Adam
PS. stuarth, what are the bindings on your bullets? FFpros? |
Powder, jumps, steeps, and bumps are where I spend a lot of my time, but not on skiboards - for me Volkl Karmas are a much more suitable freeride weapon
Not saying they are too easy, just different, and in my opinion perhaps deficient in some areas. Kind of like the difference between snowboards and skis - a snowboarder may say that skis are deficient in the amount of float in powder
The bindings are indeed FF Pros
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I have spent a day on blades and really liked them. I found them superb in bumps - really fun and easy - you really do not need poles with these things in the bumps. I was on them in Fernie and tried them on groomers (fantastic but scary in a straight line - keep 'em turning), bumps (make it so much easier), and heavy crud and large soft bumps (this deeper snow was scary at first but fine once I got used to it). I reckon they'd be great in anything groomed or ungroomed as long as it's not too deep.
Still prefer my skis though - not sure if the fun I had could be sustained for a whole week if I stayed on them.
As for people using them because they're easier - so what? We are on holidays after all 
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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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stuarth, put them on ebay, they will get snapped up at this time of the year. My hubby uses Atomic 120's classed as snowblade/skiboard, and they been a life safer for his dodgy knee. The shorter length was recommended by his consultant (a skier himself) that has just operated on the knee. It seems shorter skis put less pressure on the joints and the release binding covers the safety aspect. Atomic have now brought out a 123cm skiboard, so bringing the ski and blade closer together, but these are not twin tipped, so not for sking backwards. Very much like the ski evolutif method used in France where beginners are started on short skis so they aren't scared to death, and can grasp the fundamentals of parallel skiing before they have to go home!!
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FAQ
