First-Time Skiboarding Reviews

Skiboards were so light and nimble. Good morning, just wanted to give you my review of my first time skiboarding. I am a 3 year skier using Volkl V1 Carvers and consider myself an intermediate skier, not the best but good enough to get down a double blue without killing myself. I also have a bad left knee with hardly any cartilage left after my surgery. I just wanted to share with you my first day on skiboards. I rented a pair of Line Bullets from my local ski shop and headed to Camelback mountain in Pennsylvania. All I have to say is WOW! My skis are heavy and hard to turn, these skiboards were so light and nimble I felt like a pro! I was skiing backwards for the first time ever watching my newbie girlfriend get on her first set of skiboards. What makes this even better is she has never skied in her life and has only snowboarded once and aside from stopping (we are still working on that) she was turning like she has been skiing for years! She is sold as am I. I am going to order a pair of your Canon M7 today as I feel I will never go back to skiis again. Thanks to all on your message boards who posted their thoughts and reviews, they really helped out a lot.

-- Tom and Tina Pennsylvania

Thank you, Thank you, I dreaded to go skiing again, but I tried a pair of your $99 skiboards and am absolutely in love with them. I even impressed my boyfriends sister so much, she's wanting to order a pair of Skiboards. So cool and thanks for your site, I check it out often to see what my next pair will be, when the time comes! Watch out slopes here comes a Tennessee chick, wahooooo!!! Dondra,
Sparta, TN
Age: 25

I basically started this year and I love it. Before I skiboarded I skied which i also found to be awesome but skiing with two short snowboards on your feet is beyond awesome. Right now I'm riding on some Line Five-Os. Even though I see you don't sell these, I still got to recommend these. Even though I'm still learning on skiboards, I'm starting to get some grabs down. Now I don't know about snowboarders but if you're a skier and you switch over to skiboards its going to feel weird for like 20 minutes of skiing then after that you're going to have a blast. Skiboarding is the best thing out there so when the next ski season comes around trade in your board or skies for skiboards.
-- Marc
-- Fair Lawn, New Jersey

Review - 75cm snowjams

"Oh-boy those sure do look like loads of fun!!" Said the elderly woman standing in front of me at the lift. I was going back up to race my nephew down the mountain again, AND THIS TIME I WAS GOING TO WIN!!!. Now my nephew (14) had been skiing since the day he had learned to walk, I on the other hand had been skiboarding for about 3 hours. I was having a riot!!!!

Now, I don't want to give off the impression that I'm some old codger just because I have a 14 year old nephew. I'm 24 and recently took a job in Portland, OR. Moving from the heart of the south, which was flatter than a pancake and had less flakes than a "Head and Shoulders" commercial.

So now here I am surrounded on all sides by absolutely beautiful mountains and nothing to slide down them with except my fat ass. I started planning a "ski" weekend about a month and a half ago. It was a hell of dilemma, I didn't really want to do the traditional ski or snowboarding like everyone else (I'm an aggressive in-line skater and really enjoy being the only blader in my group of skater friends). So, I wanted something as fresh and exciting as my new home. I remember seeing something on TV about extreme sports and I saw a guy on what looked like short skis but he was riding and doing what looked very similar to in-line tricks. I was amazed and knew this was for me!!!

The next morning I hopped on the internet and started researching these "tiny skis". I didn't really know exactly what to look up. So, I simply searched for "in-line snow skating" and found a website about skiboarding. Now knowing what the sport was called I started spending every free moment on-line reading everything I could about the sport. I kept running into phrases like "in-line skating for the snow" or "snow-blading" and excitedly decided this was going to by MY winter sport, and to splurge on getting myself a pair.

After several hours of pricing and comparison and reading over and over the tips provided on skiboards.com I decided on the "SnowJam 75cm Twin-Tip". They absolutely ROCK!!!

We hit the mountain on Saturday. This was to be the first of our 3 day snowfest. I started off slow on the Easy Rider trails, not trying to jump into anything to quick, I got my feel on few green trails for about 2 hours. It was going great!!! Then came the challenge.

"Wanna race?" my Nephew sneered at me when we got back to lodge for some hot chocolate.

"Why not" I said. We slammed the rest of our cocoa and we were off. He beat me down the blue slope appropriately titled "the raceway" the first 2 times but the third I flew!!! I felt in total control, which in turn let me speed down the mountain at a rate I never would have felt comfortable with even on in-line skates. He kept commenting on tight carving I was able to do on my skiboards.

The rest of the weekend only got better. I tried a few jumps, and yes I fell some, but all in all I just loved the freedom of movement and control that allowed me to push myself and have the time of my life!!!

Thanks,
Jay,
Portland, OR
Age: 24

I'm hooked. I actually looked good flying through the moguls on these things, instead of a tall dork always about to fall on skis. Actually I'm an advanced/intermediate skier and will attempt most black diamonds. I am a little more timid on my snowboard. Skiing for 20 years, riding for 5. Anyway, I won a pair Alpina skiboards last year. They are short, narrow and pieces of junk. They don't even resemble the Alpinas you sell on you site. I need to upgrade!!!!!!!
The Fin
G. Robert
Age: 35

My first time skiboarding was amazing! I caught on to it as soon as I hit the slopes and was doing jumps and skiing backwards by the end of the night! I will never go back to my skis because the skiboards are so easy to control in powder, moguls, just everything! All my friends were so jealous on the hard trails and moguls because I could just glide through like nothing and hit all the jumps and they were struggling! Thanks a lot to skiboards.com for getting me into it and i can't wait to go again!
Chris
Holicong, PA

Never to return to skis

I have skied for years, but I got the urge from seeing an ad at a ski shop. I rented skiboards for the first time and skied four days straight on them. What a rush!! Blue became green and blacks became blues and I was having fun like I had never had. When I got home from the mountain I sold my skis and poles and bought a new set of Canon's h-series never to return to skis. I am sold.

John

Last year my parents bought me a pair of Salamon Skiboards. Two days later I went up to Peek n' Peak. They are so much better than skis. I can hit 360's off of the smallest jump (something I could never land with my skis). I was even hitting 540's at the end of the season. I also was allowed to go into the board park which kicked a**. I could grind and do big air tricks with so much ease compared to skis. It was unbelievable. If you like doing freestyle, you definitely have to try the skiboards. It's so sweet.

-- Josh
-- Boardman, OH
-- Age: 17

Hi all,
Last week I was reading some first time reviews on www.skiboards.com just to get feedbacks on what I should expect from my first time ever on skiboards. Saturday morning, I put on my skiboards (Fischer Spyder 98cm): wow! I just began skating to get to the chairlift and I looked like it was my 200th times on skis. I was afraid not holding poles in my hands. But, hey, when you're skating, you don't rely on poles!

From my experience, skiboards feeling is a mix between ice skates and in-line skates. Cool!

Next time, I hope I'll be able going down back side!

P.S. I apologies for my bad english, I'm a french-quebecois from Montreal, Quebec.

-- No Name.

Another Happy Skiboarder's Testimonial Autumn of '95, my little brother and I stopped in to our local rollerblade shop to buy some new wheels. Sitting in the window was a pair of Klimax skiboards - neither of us had seen anything like them, but we were heading up to Tahoe that weekend and decided to each rent a pair. I'd gone through the learning curve of a number of snow sports - telemarking, downhill skiing and snowboarding - so I was expecting a slow weekend on the bunny slope with lots of falls. Imagine my surprise when my brother and I were jamming down black diamond slopes by the end of our first day! That weekend, we tried everything from groomers to backcountry powder, from moguls to the terrain park. We were both hooked. I sold off the rest of my gear the next week - I knew I'd never be going back to any of the other winter sports - and I picked up my first pair of skiboards.

They're so effortlessly fast and graceful, I have an easy time showing my skiing and snowboarding buddies the error in their ways. In fact, between my brother and I, we've made quite a few converts, and their experience has universally matched ours: whatever their background, they've picked up skiboarding amazingly quickly and have never looked back.

In short, I'd recommend skiboards whole-heartedly to anyone looking to maximize their fun on the mountain, regardless of prior experience. And I'd recommend buying those skiboards from Skiboards.com - the guys there have been a pleasure to deal with and a real credit to the sport.

Josh
Age 22
New York, NY

"If all else fails I can just squirm down the hill on my butt," I assure myself as we ascended the 'Wolf Pup' bunny hill lift. I had the Snow Jam 75's securely strapped to my feet. This was my first skibaording trip and only my second time on a lift. I had snowboarded a couple of times but dropped it because I couldn't stand having both feet strapped to one stick. I was sure I was going to hurt myself coming off the lift or at least go face first into the snow. But, to my surprise, I smoothly sailed off into my first skiboarding run. And with a little guidance from my more experienced skiboarding friends I learned the basics; keep low and centered, keep your shoulders square to the bottom of the hill and most of all relax and have fun! By the end of the day I was cruising the blue runs. All in all skiboarding is an immensely freeing experience. I definately recommmend it to all.

Jacob
Durango, CO

I never skiied before, but I watched the X-Games and fell in love with skiboarding. I decided the next season I was going to get a pair. Well, I got a pair and I was good. I was kind of shocked because I wasn't sure if I was doing it right or something. Before I went, all my friends were saying that I was gonna fall alot and stuff, but I never fell once (except off a jump)! Well anyways, all my friends ditched their snowboards and are all getting (if they haven't already got) a pair of skiboards. It's really fun, and I strongly recommend it.

Tommy
Age 16
Stoughton, MA

Dear Skiboards.com,

First, I visited your web site because I rode the lift at Bristol Mountain (New York State) with a skiboarder who raved about the site. (He bought Alpina's from you and raved about the twenty minutes of attention he got from your staff).

Second, as a veteran professional web designer, kudos on a fast-downloading, easy-to-navigate, content-rich web site. It is one of the better sporting good 'e-stores' on the web... I will order from you due to quality of site, pricing, and product lines.

Third, I have to add a testimonial, of sorts, to those already offered by former, conventional skiers:

I have been skiing since age three, have been a part-time and full-time ski instructor at different times, from age fourteen to age forty-six. Today, at age fifty-one, I rented a pair of Salomon SnowBlades at Bristol Mountain, out of curiosity...

Back in the early Sixties, Cliff Taylor popularized 'shortee skiis' (and there was also, later, an instuctional system, the Graduated Length Method, or GLM, that began with beginners on short boards). Other than the pure novelty of radically short skiis, even hybrids that were double-tipped, they were singularly unimportant in a world where it was often the case that the longer the ski, the better the skier... 210/215cm's were marks of prowess. So, my experience on short boards was limited to playing on 'shortees skiis'.

I had the most exhilarating day on snow, in six years, on the Salomon SnowBlades. Awesome experience carving tight corners, laying out long, tight tracks of eight or twelve fast 360's, riding one-legged with great carving ability for a whole run, pushing them fast, and off the wall. After forty-eight years on those long, excrutiatingly expensive skiis - $1200 for skiis and bindings! - I'm converting to skiboards. Done Deal. Don't look back (actually, do look back... because it's so much easier to ski backwards on ski boards than skiis).

Skiboards are phenomenal - and I've only demo'd one pair of rentals for one day - and I can't wait to be out in the bumps and getting some air and having tools on my body fit for a terrain park. While I'll have to demo some, to decide on Width, Length, Etc. (for the price, Hey, get Two Pair, for less than one pair of long boards), I'm gone. They are a whole different, exhilarating experience. Like being on a road bike and then discovering mountain bikes ... like decaf versus double espresso ... hey, when I get my headphones and my tunes and my board... awesome experience!!!

I had to tell someone! I'm not a writer of testimonials... but the experience is an awesome legal high. Anyway, your site gets rave reviews. I'll be buying from you as soon as I test more boards. And, if you guys have a t-shirt or baseball cap, I'll wear it with pride. What a sport!!!

Cheers,
David
Age: 51

My first time
I have to say, I tried skiboards this past winter and I just fell in love. I had only tried skiing once (the day before I tried skiboards) and I just hated that. I must say skiboarding is much easier and it feels more natural. The only problem I had was getting off the lift. Since it was my first time on a lift, I didn't quite know the mechanics of it. But other than that, I'm counting down the days till the 2001-2002 season so I can go out again.

Heather
Chester Springs, PA
Age: 28

About 3 years ago, I was in the sixth grade. A few of my friends had started alpine ski racing a couples years before. They took my out skiing a few timesand got me hooked. I would be out there from open to close. I was hooked on skiing. The next year I joined up with the same alpine club they were in. It was great to be able to travel all around Minnesota. Races every Sunday gave the chance to ski somewhere new every week. I then started seeing these smaller skis out on the hills. They were called Salomon Snowblades. They looked fun, so I tried them out. They were so fun! Whenever I went to a large hill I rented a pair. They weren't all the best at big air and jumping though. I looked into the sport, studied it. I found out that I could get the best pair around my price range at Skiboards.com. I found a pair of Snowjam skiboards. Those lasted me till the end of the season. I went back to my old friends at Skiboards.com and checked out what they had this year. They were selling demos from the year before. I talked for a while with Doc Roberts (runs skiboards.com), and he suggested the Canon H-Series boards. They are flexible and longer, so I get a little more speed, and have the 4 hole bindings so I can mount other bindings if I choose to. Now I'm sort of a walking advertisement for skiboards.com. I tell everyone about them. Recommend them to fellow skiboarders that are wondering what pair to get. I've been getting good connections with pros and other companies. It is a great sport and will only get bigger. I don't think I'll quit racing for it, but I'll sure be out there on them when I'm not practicing or racing.

Andrew
Age 14
Brainerd, MN

I am a 40-year old Greek male that was re-introduced to skiing 3 years ago after a 22-year break following a horrific accident in 1974 when I broke both ankles (on my third day skiing). Since 1996, I have been taking my family to the Alps (Switzerland and France) every year for a weeks' skiing during the school holidays in February. Apart from skiing, I enjoy wakeboarding, waterskiing and windsurfing.

It was during our holiday in Belle Plagne (part of the vast La Plagne complex) in France last February, that I decided to give skiboarding a try, following all the fuss and publicity that Prince Edward had received when he was pictured "Snow Blading" in Switzerland in all the British newspapers. I borrowed a pair of Salomon Buzz SnowBlades (90cm) from the hire shop, and still clutching my ski poles, had my first attempt down an easy blue run. After a few shaky runs during which I found that adopting the typical skiing stance of leaning forward was not the way to go, I started enjoying myself, to the point that at the end of my first day skiboarding, I returned my skis to the hire shop and BOUGHT the Snow Blades in the same transaction.

By the end of the second day I was comfortably skiing fakie (backwards), and on day three I was so confident on the Blades that I had decided to video my kids by skiing behind them down an easy red run. At the end of the second day I videoed them coming down the mountain towards me with me skiing backwards.

To say that I am hooked on skiboarding (Europeans, annoyingly call it SnowBlading) would be a huge understatement. Whilst my skiing had a lot of room for improvement, progress was not exactly rapid. With my Blades, I can skiboard down difficult slopes that I could only dream before. The small size of these things makes carving so much easier. When I ski with my regular skiing buddy (we used to be of the same skiing standard), I find that he still has the edge in terms of top speed when going down a very long smooth run, but at the first sign of a drop I leave him miles behind. Even jumps are so easy with the Blades.

The only minuses relate to the fact that having never skated or rollerbladed, I have difficulty "skating" on flat terrain in my Snow Blades, now that I got rid of my ski poles.

Even though I am in the middle of an acrimonious divorce, my passion for skiboarding is such that I have had to "negotiate" with my soon to be ex-wife to take my daughter for a week's skiing in Nendaz in Switzerland next February. I will let you know how I get on. In the meantime, I would love to hear from any like-minded individuals based in the United Kingdom. If you are a single skiboarding female then it would be an added bonus!!

Alexis
Age 40
London, England

I can't believe how easy these things are. Wow! What a day. How do I love skiboarding? Let me count the ways... tremendous, awesome, exhilarating, remarkable, and I could go on and on. Piercing blue skies, gorgeous mountains, a bit of snow and, oh yeah, some skiboards all made for my glorious first time skiboarding experience. These people who have been bragging about the sport really know what they're talking about. So, now I will join the many who have shared their first time skiboarding experiences.

Okay, I'll admit it. I wasn't exactly fond of the sport on my first run at Loveland Resort in Colorado. I was having a bit of trouble getting my skiboarding groove on ... after a few trips, slips and flips I finally made it down the run, an hour later. My second time down was better and then by my third time down, I was a pro ... well almost! By my fourth run I was tearing up in the eyes from the exhilarating ride down the mountain. What a feeling.

It was like I was being magically mentally taught on my way up the ski lift because the difference in my skiboarding between my first and second run was colossal. I went from a ninny on the snow who fell four times and took an hour to get down a slope, to a fearless thrill seeking skiboarding hippie who never fell again. Of course my theory may have something to do with the fact that skiboarding really is easy to learn and tons of fun. I couldn't believe it.

Amazing. I haven't even been to a ski resort before. I have never skied or snowboarded. Suddenly I was riding down the mountain like I had been skiing for years. I had to laugh at the people who would literally stop in their tracks to check out what the heck I was doing... little did they know what in a matter of a few hours I was skiing just as well as they were.

Quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself, considering I did a nose dive the second I got of the ski lift ... not a great start. But, I definitely had a happy ending ... for I have fallen in love with skiboarding ... heck this whole skiboarding thing is a million times easier than dating, and a lot more fun too. I had the time of my life! I can't wait till we hit the slopes again."

Alicia
Age 20
Castle Rock, CO

My Skiboarding Experiences Thus Far Our story starts in the winter of seventh grade, 3 years ago. The year I learned to ski. Due to my new interest in skiing Santa got me a copy of "Ski" magazine in my stocking. In this issue of "Ski" magazine the cover article was on the newest thing to hit the slopes, skiboarding. I demoed my then top pick of a skiboard. The 98-99 Line Cruiser model. I had a blast it was so much fun. I only rode the slopes for a good 4 or 5 runs on my tiny local mountain, but I had got it. I was amazed. I could do anything on skiboards it was the best feeling. I could fly down the mountain and then spin around and ride fakie at the drop of a hat. Now I realize I screwed up. I don't think I nailed a single jump. A rookie mistake I suppose. I really only had one complaint with the cruisers. I felt they lacked some stability. Now I am wicked pumped for the new season. I renewed my season pass to the local mountain today, and I have brand spankin new mike nick pros in my room. Oh they are so beautiful. I think it is really cool that as soon as I got them I could put the bindings on and adjust them to the right size all by myself. Skiboards fill me with many emotions, I would say 95% of those are good ones. To all of you who have never tried go out there, get off your ass and skiboard.

Dallas
Age 15
North Canton, CT

I had only skied twice in the last ten years prior to buying my first pair of skiboards. My interest was piqued since I'd moved to Colorado and had seen a mention of skiboards in a rock-climber's magazine. Since I enjoy backcountry climbing, and could easily see these things as useful gizmos for descending from winter climbs, I invested.

I was quite pleased to discover that my plastic mountaineering boots would work with the bindings saving me the expense of ski boots! My first time out was at Eldora, near Boulder, Colo. It was during a snap of below zero degrees, so I was bundled up like an Everest climber on summit day. The season was still young, a few days before Christmas, so there weren't too many people on the slopes. However, the people who were there did look at me funny. At least one said, "Hey, look at those things!"

It was a blast! My previously feeble skills seemed more than a match for all but the most challenging territory, my relatively soft boots felt more like in-line skates than a ski boot would have, and when I felt it didn't seem like I would torque my already screwed-up knees. I was hooked.

As the season went on I purchased a more aggressive set of boards, spent more time on bigger mountains, and milked powder out of the trees until April. This year I have a season pass and plan on spending all of my time on skiboards. Let the yahoos play in the terrain park, I'll be off in the rough!

Fritz
Age 28
Denver, Colo.

We all have some kind of first time experience to share. There ís the first kiss, the first day of school and many not-so-forgotten first times we wish never happened. But when it came to describing first time adventures with skiboarding, many first timers had much to say about this up and coming sport. Some experiences could be described as being incomparable to any other sport, some as entertaining and others could be depicted as a total shock. Contrary to some of the expectations people had about trying skiboarding, almost everyone was surprised about their first time. "By the end of the first day I had done more tree skiing than I ever expected to do in my life. I was shocked by my confidence on skiboards," said Richard Wilmot of Morrison, Colo. "I was surprised by how confident I became on the Big Feet by the end of the first day," Wilmot continued.

Many who tried the sport for the first time also discovered how easy skiboarding can be. Suddenly, people were finding a snow sport they could adapt to more quickly. "The best part for me was the immediate natural feeling of being in control of the sport; instead of the equipment forcing me off balance, like so many other sports," said Tyler Davidson of Denver, Colo. "I felt that I wasn't fighting the skiboards, rather they were there to help me get down the mountain." Bryan Cassidy, 16, of New Jersey said: "The best part of skiboarding for the first time was how easy they were to use. By the end of the day I was doing spins, going off jumps and riding fakie (backwards). It was very easy to learn compared to skiing."

Doug Bell, President of MicroSki said that skiboards are safer, cheaper and easier to transport and that you have more freedom, much more fun and you are much less likely to get hurt. "You can have a heck of a lot of fun on them at any age," Bell said.

That ís exactly what people were discovering when they tried skiboarding; it was easy to learn, comfortable and provided for tons of fun. From day one, some found themselves becoming quite attached to sport. "I never was interested enough in skiing to want to do it regularly, but skiboarding has changed that completely -- now I'm an avid snow nut," Tyler explained. Matt Dallas, 16, of Boalsburg, Pa. said he skiboards everyday when his mountain is open.

"I am a regular skiboarder now and will not go back to skiing because this sport is the best thing to happen to the skiing industry," Cassidy said. Cassidy also said that he hopes to see skiboarding become a part of the Olympics.

Alicia Parks
Age 20
Castle Rock, CO

I was a skier for 20 years. Like every skier, I worked hard to progress. You know, lessons, new skis, boots, ski trips, pushing the limits of the equipment, in order to progress to more advanced levels. I seemed to handle advanced runs, but with some reservations. Then I discovered skiboards. I started on Kneissl's Big Foot Œskiboards' (which was all there was at the time). Wham! In two runs, I realized that all this time, it was the equipment, not the operator. On my first day, I jammed, had a total blast and yes, got into the double black glade runs before lunch. When I got home from my first day, I was so excited, I first told my wife who immediately bought a pair (not having even tried it), gave my K2 skis away that day and starting appearing at the local resorts on a totally more regular basis than ever before. I discovered that I had all the skills from my years of skating and blading. Skiboards totally felt familiar to me, all my previous skills transferred, the balance, the flexibility, creative freedom, it was all there.

This is nothing short of a revolution, a major paradigm shift. Old paradigms (mindsets) of snowriding are breaking down. Snowboarders were the first to breakthrough the conventional ways of snowriding. In fact, many say that if it wasn't for snowboards, skiboards probably wouldn't be here. But now skiboards are here. Skiboarding is truly a sport whose time has come. So I say, if that equipment you've been using doesn't get you there, find something that does.

Doc
Skiboards.com staff

I'd be happy to tell you about my first time skiboarding. I was at Killington, and I brought my skies with me, and some of my friends had already bought pairs of skiboards. So it was about midway through the day and one of my friends had hurt themselves and they told me that I could use them. So we readjusted the bindings on the spot, and I was off. I remember my first time down the mountain, It was the worst. I was use to having these long sticks protruding out from underneath my feet and now I had these 2 1/2 foot skiboards on. My feet were swaying from side to side and I wasn't even sure if I would be able to make it down the mountain. When we finally got to the bottom I was petrified. We headed back up because I didn't want to feel like a looser being the only one in the group with skis on. On the second run they got easier, and on the third even better. Soon I was turning with ease and I grew to love these things. That weekend I went out and purchased a pair of Salomon Snowblades. The next day we went to Okemo and I had a blast! I was doing tricks in no time, tricks I never could have done on my regular skis.

I would definitely recommend getting a pair of skiboards to anyone, skiers especially. Skiing is a lot of fun, but you're limited in what you can do on them. With these new skiboards you can go to the snowboard parks without being hassled, and go in the half pipe and not worry about pulling off a trick because it is so easy. Even if you aren't the type of person who likes to catch air, carving down the slopes is also a blast! The skiboards have a deep side cut to allow you to turn with great ease. Like I said before skiboarding is for everyone.

Dave
Age 17
Scotia, NY

In the winter of 1997/98, I started looking at ski equipment again. My children were 4 and 7 and I was ready to return to the slopes after an absence of about 7 years (birth of first child). I spotted a colorful pair of Salomon Snowblades. I thought they were a cute display ski for advertising Salomon products. The ski salesman told me they were meant for adults and really worked. I had just suffered a major health setback and was looking for something lighter than normal skis. After three or more trips to this ski equipment store, I couldn't resist anymore and bought the Salomon Snowblades. On my third run on the Snowblades, I remember being somewhat disconcerted because the short tips of the Snowblades were vibrating side-to-side. It wasn't long after when I found out that the Snowblades were much more stable when riding on the edges all the time. The trick was to stay constantly in a turn or slide sideways using the edging and unedging method for going down a hill as skiers sometimes do when going down a steep hill, only faster. I fell in love with my Snowblades because they were so liberating as opposed to the 180 cm skis that I normally used. You can stand still and turn the skis 180 degrees just by turning your body - on long skis, you had to be moving at some speed before making the skis turn. The freedom and control were great. The trade-off was the speeds I was able to attain was lower and the Snowblades felt less stable when going fast than my 180 cm skis. I was more than happy to accept the differences.

With the Snowblades, I found that I had to give myself a little more room when trying to stop on ice. The Snowblades carved incredibly well and changed directions very quickly. I found that it didn't do well in heavy powder, sinking into the snow. I've seen other reports by skiboarders that Snowblades do work in powder if the terrain is steep enough. It was great to go skiing being unemcumbered with carrying long skis. Toward the end of that ski season, I got my wife to try my Snowblades finally. While my wife thought they looked funny and at first didn't want anything to do with them, she found out that she could easily ski down the most difficult runs and the Snowblades were particularly good in the moguls. I ended up giving my Snowblades to my wife. Since that time, my wife tried her skis one more time and has decided to give up her skis.

Ed
Age 50
Milpitas, CA

I decided to try skiboarding after visiting the Skiboards.com website last year and reading the reviews and experiences of people who had tried it. I learned to ski at 35 and I while I am an aggressive skier and improved enough to ski black diamonds, I never felt that I was a "pretty skier." The poles always felt awkward and the times when I felt I had it all going on at the same time were few and far between. So ... I tried the Microski Orbits. The first time down the slopes at Mount Snow I was clattering along, my feet bouncing up and down and I hated it. By the time I got to the end of the slope, I was starting to smile, a little. By the second run, the clattering and knee shaking was less, and by my third run ... I was hooked. I loved it. I was zipping around the mountain in no time, with a new confidence I'd never experienced on skis. I was taking small jumps, sking backwards (a little) and smiling the whole time. It was like rollerblading on snow. Well, within a month, my daughter, my son, my husband and five of my friends had retired their skis and poles and were on Microskis! Then I bought the Line Skiboards and I felt they were a little sturdier and more secure. They are easier to cut, but do not work well in wet snow. My husband tried the Microski, my Line skiboards, then bought the Salomon snowblades and likes those best. He says they are most like skiing and easier to cut. I have yet to try those, but plan to this season. Anyway, once we tried these, our skis and poles have been gathering dust, none of us picked them up again for the rest of the season. We have found that long-time skiers who have been skiing since they were children (now in their 40s) are vehemently opposed to these new skis and insist it is not really skiing. We say they are just jealous they aren't having as much fun as us!

I'm a 40-year-old (very) active woman. I have been rollerblading several miles a week for years and I am now taking figure skating lessons. My family (husband, 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son) have rented a house in Vermont the past two years and spend many weeks and weekends skiboarding throughout the winter. I am passionate about the sport.

Laura
Age 40
Orange, CT

Last year I was threatening a friend that I was going to try skiboards, even though I am a good snowboarder (going on 15 years). I was perfectly happy on my Marvin Knappshaver built by Hiper Snowboards. We headed up to Berthoud Pass Ski Area in Colorado (mostly backcountry). I strapped on a pair of skiboards and we headed up the chairlift. When I first got off the chair, I thought the skiboards to be a little squirrelly, but as I got better at using the edges (after about 50 yards), they felt ok. We went down an intermediate groomed run for our first run and about half way down, I started feeling real confident. On the chairlift again, we talked about how easy it was to pick this sport up. Our second run was down a double black diamond and I had fun. We stayed on expert runs for the rest of the day.

Is skiboarding for you? Let me say this: skiboarding is easy to learn. For an intermediate snowboarder, who isn't advancing as fast as they want, because of lack of mountain time, this will be a great thing to try. You'll be an expert by noon! It's much easier to learn than skiing or snowboarding (I skied for 10 years before snowboarding). For inliners, you'll learn even faster. To anyone who enjoys sliding downhill, I say try skiboarding. You won't regret it.

Jeff
Age 44
Superior, CO