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We Know: All About Skiboards
What Are Skiboards? Skiboards
or Ski-boards (don't call them ski blades!) were invented sometime in the early 1990s, and today are used in a winter sport that is a combination of inline skating and skiing. The boards are generally less than 100 centimeters in length and symmetrical. Most boards today have twin tips (they're turned up in front and back to make backward skiboarding easier) and have non-release bindings.
What's The Difference Between Skiboarding and Other Winter Sports?
Skiboarding, in comparison with skiing or snowboarding, has a very short learning curve; it's not hard at all to learn how to do it. After only a few runs, most people are comfortable enough to attempt some simple tricks. Skiboarding doesn't require the use of poles, and the boards are much wider, giving a user more stability. Skiboarding is not a speed sport; skiboards move relatively slowly.
If you're going skiing with more-experienced skiers, using skiboards might be a better way to hit the slopes than using regular skis. Their short length and curved sides make them much easier to turn. If you go too fast, though, you may lose stability. Skiboards do not have a braking system and use an ankle leash instead.
Where Can You Get Skiboards?
Most ski shops sell skiboards, and most ski companies are making them today. But skiboarders tend to agree that the best boards are made by companies that focus only on skiboards: Canon, Line, Groove, and Journey are the most often cited. The Bigfoot brand, marketed in the early 90s, produced the shortest, widest skiboards. Line is the company that seems to have won out, though, with their more modern twin tip skiboards.
How Do I Choose the Best Skiboard?
Skiboards vary in length and width from brand to brand, and the choice of how long a board you want is a very personal one. Start with a medium length just under a hundred centimeters and see how it feels.
A good skiboard should have the following characteristics.
Avoid buying skiboards that have:
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