Doc, 5'10" - 155 lbs., Age: 49
Last year I took my Big Feet everywhere, on all types of terrain and had a great time. But now, with all the new models, I decided to spend pre-season checking them out and buying something if I liked it better. I've skied on everything out there as of December, 1997. My favorites: Groove Skiboards - twin tips. They carved like roller blades, ride powder incredibly well, do turns and go backwards easily and handle the trees and moguls like magic. In fact, I found myself trading back to Groove's throughout the day and each time that I got on them, I had the most fun of any of the skiboards. So I bought a pair. I also enjoyed the Microskis, but only got to try one run on them (a chute through the trees) and they were great in tight spots. Felt the most like roller blades or ice skates and I found carve much better turns than the Big Feet. Since this time I skiboarded on Microskis and found them to be good in the trees and moguls but somewhat lacking in the open runs and on jumps.

I tried the Salomon Snobladz and found them easy to ride. They handle more like miniskis than the others. The others felt this way as well. The bindings are a pain however in the cold as they got stuck quite a bit. I have been on them 4 times now and always had this problem. They also do not handle powder as well as Groove, Line, Klimax or Kosmos. Found myself having to lean back and keep watching my tips. In the trees and moguls, the longer size (90cm) made it a little more difficult than the other models. These are true miniskis, but not skiboards, as they are not constructed like snowboards with a solid wood core and they are narrower, meaning they don't have the surface area of skiboards and thus do not carve like them or have the speed or handle powder as well as skiboards.

I also tried the Dynastar and immediately didn't like them. The bindings were too mushy and these skiboards didn't carve very well. I did one run and talked someone into switching with me (I paid for that later). Meanwhile, Rene who didn't submit a review was stuck on Dynastars as her first time ever on skiboards and in the afternoon when she got on Grooves, she began to have a great time. Prior to that she was hating it.

Line and Canon's Heritage are slightly longer skiboards than Groove, making it just slightly more challenging in the trees and tight spots. Enjoyed Line skiboards - they have a great binding which transfers all your power to the edge. They felt the most like a snowboard, are slightly wider at the waist and like all skiboards, need to be ridden up on edge. They carve great. Didn't get to try them in a terrain park, but they will certainly do the job. On the negative, they are heavier, have less flex and less parabolic shape to them which means you will have to work them a bit more than say the Groove skiboards. They are too clunky for my taste.

Fantails: The Klimax fantails were great fun as most skiboards were, and incredible carvers, but I missed the ease of turning and going backwards that the twin tips offer. I enjoyed the Kosmo fantail, it had a different feel - stiffer and had a heavy-duty binding. They felt great on crust the day I tried them and turn on a dime. I ripped through the moguls. I didn't really like the stiffness of the Kosmos, but I rented them for the day so I had fun. Both fantails require a little more attention to make turns and go backwards, but certainly it can be done if you like living dangerously. The Klimax fantails are a little tricky in powder, but I had a blast the day I tried them at Copper Mountain in a foot of new snow. You just need to lean back more.

Rick, 6' 1" - 185 lbs., Age: 44
Last year, I tried my first skiboards - the Kneissl Big Foot. After a lapse of 20 years, I didn't expect much; but was I surprised. On the first day, I was skiing through the trees and down double-black mogul runs - things I had never considered doing on long skis. (I was a BLUE-run skier before.) I liked the experience so much that I bought 2 pairs of Big Foot skis - one to use and one to offer to guests. (The latter I keep as my "good snow" pair; the former will become my "rock" skis.) This year I was excited by all the new equipment. Though I liked my Big Feet, I found the bindings awkward to adjust (a consideration when you keep one pair for others to try). Also, the bindings are not that rugged, and their heel clamp fails to work on newer ski boots - the ones with build-outs in the back for various adjustments. Many of the new offerings are built with a solid wood core. (Big Feet have a foam core, which does not flex. Consequently, you feel every bump and rut in the terrain. Salomon are built the same way.) All of our demos, with the exception of the Big Foot and Microski, were "twin tips" - meaning each ski had tips at both ends, to facilitate spins and backward skiing. On the fan-tail models, I found that the fantail back-end provides great back braking power through the trees, but not so good for going backwards.

I tried Big Feet (my original ski), Line, Groove, Dynastar and Microski. Needless to say, I didn't have much time on some of these; and it does take a while to adjust to the balance points of each. The new equipment I liked best was the Microski, because it handled like the Big Feet. (I "ski" Big Feet like skates, darting side-to-side.) Big Feet, which have very short rear decks, let you lean back and establish a quick-turn pressure point near your heels; this makes them feel a bit unstable, but does allow you to shoot them quickly right or left. With the exception of the Microskis (the shortest length), the other skiboards were too long to ski like this. (Even the Microski, which has a longer rear deck than the Big Foot ski, was not as agile.)

However, there is another way to use these - like snowboards. Upper body erect, straight over the bindings, knees bent, standing upright, edging by leaning into the fall-line - just like a snowboarder. I tried this technique on the new equipment and - it worked for me. Using this snowboarding technique, I liked the equipment with the best binding - which was Line. [Editors note: for 98 Canon, Groove and other skiboards are coming out with the all aluminum bindings though Groove's 97 binding has proven excellent in handling and durability.]

Line skiboards sport a solid aluminum binding with plastic inserts. This binding has a four point, bolted anchor plate in the middle between the toe and heel clamps. It transfers weight directly to the ski (without torquing). On packed powder, with a trace of new snow, the Line skiboards were easy to control. (Through the trees, though, all the equipment save the shortest - the Big Feet and the Microskis - were more difficult to maneuver, because they tracked more like skis than skates.)

Of the new equipment I tested, I liked the Microskis best, because they were the closest to Big Feet in how they felt. Employing a snowboarding technique, I liked Groove and Line the best. New products are coming out all the time. By next year, the perfect skiboard may be out; but my question for you is - What are you going to do until then?

Christie, 5'9" - 120 lbs., Age 31
Before skiboards, mini-skis, snowskates, or whatever you call 'em came out, I was an intermediate long-skier. I probably wasn't going to improve much, and I was wondering if it was all worth it - the lift tickets, the lugging of all the equipment, and worst of all the PANIC attacks when I got near something too steep or, God forbid, MOGULS! I never even knew what a glade run was because there was no way I was going near trees with those long things. This new sport has brought me a renewed enthusiasm for being on the slopes. My second run (last season), I was already shooting through the trees like a bobsledder with a death wish. But the good part was that I was in CONTROL! Moguls became fun instead of nerve-wracking. I left my poles in the car, and realized that I never used them anyway. Double black diamonds are now my friends!

So this year, during our demo day, I was ready to see what the world had to offer. The Groove twintips were undisputably my favorite skiboard. They were the most versatile in all kinds of terrain (powder, crust, moguls, glades). The hour-glass like cut on the Groove's offered better ease of handling than the kind that are cut straight down the sides like Line and Canon. They also have a great quality Groove hard plastic binding with brass and metal clips that does not have plastic teeth that break, and were easy to adjust with a screwdriver. Very durable, good quality boards. I bought a pair.

The Saloman Snowblades were surprisingly light-weight and easy to handle. I have to give them that much. But alas, they're too much like what I was trying to get away from - too long like skis. I actually crossed my tips in a steep glade run (yikes). Considering the fact that all these bindings are permanent, I had some concerns for my safety.

I had a lot of fun on the MicroSkis. Since they are smaller and shorter than most brands (except Big Feet), they work just like Roller Blades while traversing, and are a blast through the trees and on the moguls. I did find, however, that on open slopes, and especially on crust, there was a certain amount of instability.

Hey, I may never have the guts to get air, but I can do some wicked 360's on the ground! I can also rip through the moguls and glades on my Grooves. Thumbs up GrooveUSA and MicroSki and all the other skiboards out there!