 Poster: A snowHead
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We're off to Are in Sweden later on this year and I noticed the rental shop has snowblades listed, which we've never tried (we normally go to Poland and the rental shops have fairly limited choices so that may be normal elsewhere, not sure)!
Anyway, we thought it might be a fun experiment for half a day...but I've seen a lot of negative opinions on here in the past, so all I really wanted to know is, as fairly inexperienced skiiers are we:
a) anymore likely to injure ourselves on snowblades (both of us are fairly non-agressive skiiers, not speed freaks)
b) likely to be able to use them at all, or are they better suited to more experienced skiiers
We're not fussed if we can't/shouldn't give them a go, just thought it might be fun for a few hours on the last day or something!
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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'm an inter. Rented them for 4 days on a very small slope (La Covatilla, northern Spain) when first teaching my children how to ski. No injuries, but I barely felt in control when going quickly down a slope, and they seemed to be hard on my knees - feet go up and down over every little bump and indent rather than the bumps being smoothed out by a longer ski. I didn't feel the need to try them again.
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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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On a training course recently we were put on tiny kids skis, probably similar size to blades, so we could work on balance. Even some of the ex-racers who had been skiing for years struggled with them.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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BTW, on the positive side, they were perfect for what I wanted, lots of low speed work around nursery slopes and easy blues.
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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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So probably good as a sort of training exercise a bit further down the line, sounds like they may be worth avoiding for us for now though!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Pop fact - Snowblading was the "that" in the Meatloaf song.
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Triplicate post!
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sun 8-01-17 22:28; edited 1 time in total
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Duplicate post
Last edited by After all it is free  on Sun 8-01-17 22:28; edited 1 time in total
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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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On a couple of previous holidays we've gone and swapped our hired skis for blades just for the last day / last few hours, at no extra cost. Made a nice change when the weather was a bit iffy and we didn't want to be skiing all over mountain.
In my opinion they're ok in novelty terms, but the fun would wear off quite quickly if you hired them for several days.
They're also useless on the flat!
I wouldn't let your ability put you off hiring them. I think I first tried them on my second skiing hol. They'll feel a bit strange for the first few runs, but that's what makes it interesting...
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Yes. Good fun an for a change. Good for your balance (lean back and you'll fall over). But....whatever you do, don't use poles. Blades and poles is ultimate naffdom.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just no
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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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Don't let you ability put you off hiring them, let your sense of self respect and dignity put you off hiring them! 😉
You're better off using the time to get better at skiing.
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If you want to spend 1/2 day on something similar to skiing, why not hire mono-skis ?
I have used blades for a day, and I also tried mono. I much preferred mono.
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You know it makes sense.
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I board as well, so mono-skiing doesn't appeal so much, blading looked interesting, although clearly opinion is divided.
That said, looking at the rental prices, where I thought it said snowblades it may actually say snowboard...a couple of glasses of red may have caused a 'reading malfunction' 
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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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Ah there are two different 'ski rental' pages depending on how you navigate through the site, one definitely does say snowblades so I wasn't imagining it 
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Poster: A snowHead
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The only benefit of snowblades is they are very light and easy to carry when you decide to return them to the hire shop after wasting 15 mins of your life...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Surely being in the mountains on a skiing holiday is all about enjoying yourself. If you want to try Snowblades go for it - ignore what other people think, it is your holiday after all. I actually own a pair of Snowblades and have always had a right laugh on them. At the end of day it is all about getting out there and enjoying yourself.
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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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Absolutely, I was more worried whether they'd be difficult for us to control as fairly inexperienced skiiers.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Not for me personally, can't see the attraction, but why let the opinion of others stop you?
Think the conditions have a big knock on though, was skiing with a guy a few years back that wanted to try them and the guy in the hire shop advised against it because "it will ruin your knees in this spring snow". Basically I got the impression that bumps on blades are very hard work.
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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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| vjmehra wrote: |
| Absolutely, I was more worried whether they'd be difficult for us to control as fairly inexperienced skiiers. |
Depends if you're wearing a backpack or not.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mine are the Salomon 99.9cm model with proper ski bindings not the Salomon bail bindings of the earlier models.
Give them a go - you will have a good laugh !
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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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I don't want to be a party pooper here, but....
1) My wife is a good skier of many years. The only time she's been seriously 'taken out' was by an out of control middle-aged Brit on snowblades, on a wide, empty piste in Zermatt.
2) Try searching online for 'snowblades' and 'spiral fractures'.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Raceplate +1
I was about to say more or less the same thing.
I did have a pair of the "Big Foot" type they were a lot of fun but you did have to be carefully of tripping over your toes, but they soon stopped you from sitting back on your heels.
I also had snow-blades and they were an excellent tool for beginners to just right past all that snow plough stuff.
My wife uses a pair of Atomic ETL 123cm skis. They are a proper adult ski and so easy to learn on.
I find them great to use as well.
The advantage of them is they are just a wee bit longer than the blades but with a proper binding, cos the basic non sprung binding were an absolute pain to get on.
Anyway have fun but hide them apart when you go to the restaurant. 
What about "Fun Carvers"? I haven't seen any of those in a long time.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Yes. Good fun an for a change. Good for your balance (lean back and you'll fall over). But....whatever you do, don't use poles. Blades and poles is ultimate naffdom. |
This!!
I've hired them before to muck around on when the conditions were super icy. Great edge grip so you can carve down icy runs.
Very unstable if you ski flat on them but very easy. Don't even think about it if it's slushy; they stop dead in it.
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Let's just be honest. The only way to use blades is if you're carrying a bottle of jack and a bum-board at the same time.
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You know it makes sense.
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I tried blades for one day many years ago when they were fashionable and had lots of fun on firm pistes. They probably improved my technique as well. Never used them since but it was well worth trying them out.
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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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Dug my blades out over Xmas, as was an excellent change of pace for pretty dire snow conditions. On the serious side, they are good for getting your stance right and brilliant if you're with small kids and you need to push them, or pick them up etc
As I found out over Xmas - also useful to help my boarder son on flat bits!
As you can pick up a decent pair for less than €100 if you enjoy the experience pick up a pair and just keep them for a rainy day!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I still have mine, haven't used them for a long time but that's only due to baggage restrictions. As others have said they're a great tool when learning to ski and good fun too. You won't know if you like them unless you give them a try 
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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 think we will have to try them out, if we don't like them so be it, if we do, great
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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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For the love of God, no.
They look totally ridiculous.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We have some from many years ago - the salomon ones i think. We've had some really fun hours on them. I totally agree with what others have said about skiing them flat. Wow, that shake is frightening at speed!  And also what someone said about slush also applys to deep fresh snow - lots of walking that day! The most fun was practicing our 360's. Might take them with us this year i think!
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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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| Dashed wrote: |
| The only benefit of snowblades is they are very light and easy to carry when you decide to return them to the hire shop after wasting 15 mins of your life... |
It probably takes more than 15 minutes for most people to get the hang of anything. This is not a sensible approach: if you don't have the commitment, don't do it. This is also true for anything new: welcome to old age.
For the love of God, no. ... They look totally ridiculous.
With all those overweight mediocre skiers in bright clothing I doubt you'd stand out much.
Get it done. Let the haters hate.
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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 hired them for a day, it may have been before I got full carving skis and I found the short radius turns that I could carve were serious fun. I got in a lift with an instructor that was probably born after I had started skiing and I mentioned how they carved, to which he said "you can't carve blades" his face was a picture when I offered to give him some skiing lessons
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I think they are worth playing with for half a day. As Pam and Raceplate say they are actually good for carving practice - getting a real feel for your edges. In my experience you get most of the benefit of that in half a day.
Also I totally disagree with this:
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They're also useless on the flat!
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They are great on the flat because they are so easy to skate on (one of the reasons to leave your poles behind)
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