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What are(n't) skiboards?

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  • What are(n't) skiboards?

    Hi and Welcome Back Everyone!!! I hope everyone had a great summer, and you're looking forward to the snow as much as I am.

    On the weekend, my wife and I were at a ski sale in Collingwood, ON, and we picked her up a pair of Elan "Freeline" 99cm skiboards. The reason? They're super narrow (like Snowblades), she's rented them before, and best of all, they were half price! And she's an absolute beginner. Once she gets better and she's sure she likes skiboarding we'll look into upgrading her to R8's or Allz or whatever (of course!)

    My question is more of nomenclature. "Snowblade" was a trademark of Adidas-Salomon, and 3 other companies (to my knowledge) made competing products--Firefly, Head, and Elan, but they were also informally referred to as "snowblades." I would refer to them as skiboards, but someone commented here saying that Head "Salamanders" are not skiboards because they do not have the 4x4 mount.

    Who is right? What is the proper name for these Elan/Head/Firefly type of ~99cm skis?

    Melissa's new skiboards
    24
    "snowblades"
    41.67%
    10
    "skiboards"
    41.67%
    10
    Other
    16.67%
    4

    SBOL Team III Rider

    Skiboards
       Revel8 2010 Revolt "Bullseye" 105cm
       Revel8 2009 Rumspringa "MaryJane" 103cm
       Revel8 2009 Tansho 90cm (BriGirl's)
    Bindings
       Spruce 2011 Pro Jr Risers & Head Release Bindings
       Spruce 2010 Pro Lite Risers & Roxy Release Bindings (BriGirl's)
    Other
       Salomon 2009 Mission x4 boots
       Sims T22 Omen helmet


  • #2
    I think most folks would consider those snowblades as a way to distinguish a narrow, assymetric , non center mount design from the wider center mount 4 x4 skiboards. There are a ton of snowblade clones which are similar and based on the original Salomon snowblade ( trademark name ) design. (90 cm and 99cm long)

    more information here
    http://www.skiboardsonline.com/vbull...ead.php?t=1218

    Greco is pretty firm on carrying only what he considers skiboards on SBOL and you will notice that while he carries some Snowjam boards , he does not carry the 99cm snowblade like Snowjam board which is very similar to the Elan Freeline 99cm board.


    The other beef with the 99 cm blade like boards is that they are direct drilled with ski bindings or have proprietary 8 hole plastic non release bindings and do not support the 4x4 insert pattern.

    Not to say that the Snowblades design is necessarily bad . I own one myself . It is different than the higher performance skiboard designs but many folks get their initial experience with shorties on the snowblades.

    Actually that picture is a nice demo of the difference between a skiboard and snowblade. Even though the Mary Jane is the narrowest of the Revel8 boards it is still wider then the ELAN ,it is center mount and supports a 4x4 pattern, Both boards have release bindings but on the skiboard the binding is on a riser center mounted on 4 x4 inserts while the Elan has the binding direct drilled and rear mounted . The Elan is assymetric with tip wider then the tail while the MaryJane is a symmetric twin tip .
    Boards :
    Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
    Boots
    K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
    Bindings:
    Zero Pro Non release Binding
    Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
    Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
    Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
    Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

    Comment


    • #3
      I'd also probably call these snowblades.

      Comment


      • #4
        mini skis, not snowblades as the are not solaman and not skiboards cuase the are not center mount..
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        Comment


        • #5
          I would think snowblades as well. I see you hit up the Blue tent sale, are you going to the ski show downtown this weekend?

          Comment


          • #6
            i accidentally voted these were skiboards, lol

            they are def blades, but i do not knock them, i moved from normal skis to blades, and then onto skiboards. this is because most people are exposed to blades before skiboards mainly due to the fact they are easily accessable, cheaper, and many hills have them available for rent. the rent factor being one of the main factors.

            but, skiboards are a far superior product when comparing the two.
            - I C U -
            ---------------------------------------------
            Revel8 Revolt "City"
            Bomber Elite I's

            Comment


            • #7
              I'm going to go ahead and say they are snowblades, while I know they aren't made by solomon, the most certainly are of the same idea.
              It's much like this, if you go out and buy a pair of cheap aviator style sunglasses, do you say "I love my aviator style sunglasses"? The answer: NO, you say "I love these aviators"

              I started on super sidecut short skis, moved up to skiboards, to skis, to Revel8s. Revel8 will always hold a special place in my heart as the top of the food chain of skiboarding equipment.
              Revel8 ALPdors
              Gold Revel8 Receptors
              Kneissl Flexon Pro Boots

              ____
              ____
              Be who you are, it makes you charismatic...
              If life's not beautiful without the pain, well I'd just rather never ever even see beauty again.

              Comment


              • #8
                i would call them skiblades...not made by salomon so can't be snowblades and don't have inserts so sbol won't sell 'em



                From the FAQ:


                Q. What are snowblades and skiblades.
                A. Snowblades are an inferior brand of "skiboard" made by Salomon. Inferior because it's made with a foam core, uses cheap plastic bindings and does not use the industry standard 4x4 binding insert pattern that allows binding interchangeability and full flex of the skiboard. Only a ski made by Salomon can be called a snowblade because Salomon has trademarked this term. Skiblade is just another term for a snowblade. Skiboards are 110cm and under, often twin tip, symmetrical, use wood cores and the universal 4cm x 4cm binding pattern(more on that later). Longboard skiboards are from 110cm to 130cm and use the 4cm x 10cm binding insert pattern allowing easy installation of Spruce risers and release bindings, which are required with all longboards.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Skiblades. I reviewed a pair on Amazon ;x

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Snowblade is as you say a trade mark name belonging to Salomon/Adidas. Like many trade names, Hoover etc., it has passed into the nomenclature and now has a blanket usage. We could, (and have in the past) talk about this all day, but I guess the important point is, those little Elans will give you great service at minimal cost until you are ready to trade up to some 'propper' skiboards, and that is pretty cool, no?
                    Crossbow (go to dream board)
                    Most everything else over time.
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                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by dis View Post
                      I would think snowblades as well. I see you hit up the Blue tent sale, are you going to the ski show downtown this weekend?
                      I might check out the downtown ski show since I live so close, but I don't really have much I need to buy, so we'll see.

                      SBOL Team III Rider

                      Skiboards
                         Revel8 2010 Revolt "Bullseye" 105cm
                         Revel8 2009 Rumspringa "MaryJane" 103cm
                         Revel8 2009 Tansho 90cm (BriGirl's)
                      Bindings
                         Spruce 2011 Pro Jr Risers & Head Release Bindings
                         Spruce 2010 Pro Lite Risers & Roxy Release Bindings (BriGirl's)
                      Other
                         Salomon 2009 Mission x4 boots
                         Sims T22 Omen helmet

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        oops, i also made mistake, voted for skiboards,
                        did not understand the question correctly at the beginning

                        Comment

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