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  • Jason Levinthal

    http://www.newschoolers.com/memberne...A?c=latest&o=2

    A Q&A with Jason Levinthal as he retires from LINE and starts his new company a lot of skiboard history involved.

  • #2
    Thanks for posting that. Interesting Q&A. Some great stuff on the early days of skiboarding and some great photos. I pulled out some nuggets:

    Jason re regrets he had: "The only regret I have is not finding the time to make long twin tip skis earlier because we were too busy building what people referred to as 'skiboards'." That is interesting and given the way history played out I can understand why he says that. Too bad Line didn't have the bandwidth to do both - continue progressing skiboards and build twin tip skis.

    Factory in basement - check out the original Line 96 boards on the left:

    Check out the "wall of fame" of boards in this photo - original Line 96s, Mike Nick Pros, etc hanging on the wall - I am not an expert on the Line boards that were sold but I spot a few other fatties that I wonder if they ever were sold retail -

    Line ad with skis that used inserts to mount the binding -


    More Line 96s:

    Original drawing and thoughts for specs of the Line 96s:

    Do you miss the skiboard days? Was there something in particular the was a catalyst for your move to start making skis? -Maximumsushi

    For me the word “skiboard” was just a word people used because they didn’t have the guts or vision for the sport’s future to simply call it what it was, a ski. Just like people using the word, “newschool skiing” 10 years ago or “freeskiing” today. The catalyst for me to make this type of ski was my own personal dissatisfaction as a skier with ski performance at the time.

    Line 96s at first SIA tradeshow these boards appeared at:

    Line History Book - Part 1 - some great history on early days of skiboards: http://jasonlevinthal.com/
    In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
    Think Like a Mountain

    Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

    Comment


    • #3
      I Wonder if Jason Knows?

      It would be interesting to see if Jason knows the current state of skiboarding. Some really cool and good performing products are out there. It would be cool to have him ride some of the new products and talk about where things were when Line left the sport and where things are today.
      In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
      Think Like a Mountain

      Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

      Comment


      • #4
        Here is a 2010 interview of Jason Levinthal . Interesting reading .... See Roussel and Skafreak's comments also
        at the end

        http://brobomb.com/know-your-roots-j...hal/#more-1380
        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


        • #5
          Nice to see all those Blunts in the pics LOL. Skiboarding faces three major problems, and always will.
          Firstly, there is a huge industry invested in keeping what is a basically easy sport difficult. Secondly, good old fashioned human ego, 'mines bigger'n yours', and finally, the simple fact that it costs much the same to make a ski as a skiboard but a ski can be sold for much more cash.
          It is though inescapable that shorter skis are easier and generally more fun. This simple fact is causing a gradual drift downward in ski lengths. Suddenly 'mines bigger'n yours' is not quite so relevant.
          We are beginning to see is, 'mines cooler'n yours'. The RCs fit right in here.
          I saw a skateboarder today. So what you say? Well, here in the UK they are now almost extinct. Decidedly uncool. Skateboarders are the bedrock of snowboarding. Anyone else have to look real hard to find snowboarders last winter?

          Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
          Crossbow (go to dream board)
          Most everything else over time.
          Go Android

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by jjue View Post
            Here is a 2010 interview of Jason Levinthal . Interesting reading .... See Roussel and Skafreak's comments also
            at the end

            http://brobomb.com/know-your-roots-j...hal/#more-1380
            That is a great piece of history there in the interview. I think that some of that information should make it into a "history of skiboarding" section of this site. I know there is a thread out there somewhere that was put together with a good piece of the history written out.

            I really like understanding the roots of this aspect of skiing. What was the original intent of the skiboard design? How did it come about? Is that intent still valid today?

            Here are a few key nuggets from that interview:

            “I’m gonna make a ski like a snowboard.” This was in ’95, so I took all the dimensions of a snowboard, cut in half—length, width, everything. That’s how I came to a skiboard. There was no more thought beyond than that.

            So, I wasn’t about to take a ski and redesign it. I was going to take a snowboard, and evolve it into a ski, you know, start all the way from one extreme.* That’s why it was short, that’s why it was wide, that’s why it was twin tip, symmetric, and had side cut, and it had a soft flex.

            All those aspects of that ski at that time, which people want to call a “skiboard”, was closer to the modern day ski that you’re on today. You’re riding on longer skiboards, or more realistically, back then, you’re riding on shorter skis that were fucking 10-15yrs ahead of their time. People call them skiboard for the same reason they call terrain parks snowboard parks. They couldn’t get over the fact that that could be a ski.

            Just like back in the day they had to call it a skiboard because they were like, “well it’s not skiing, you see! You can go backwards! You can, like, carve! It’s fun! It’s like…it’s agile. You could spin. You could, like, do all the things on a snowboard. Oh, ok! It’s a skiboard!” Ok, fine sure. It’s a skiboard.


            ----The more I read about the history of skiboards the more I am amped to get my hands on the Blunts and get them on a mountain to see what they can do. As others have pointed out the Blunt is a return to the roots of the sport with a modern update. I am also continually more and more tempted to pick up a set of RCs because they are a direct extension of the skiboard concept - the only thing holding me back is whether or not the RC for the types of skiing I do is made redundant by the Blunt.
            In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
            Think Like a Mountain

            Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

            Comment


            • #7
              I missed this in the general discussion section ... Looks like JL has left LINE is starting a new ski company called J skis

              http://www.skiboardsonline.com/forum...862#post136862
              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


              • #8
                Originally posted by Bluewing View Post
                - the only thing holding me back is whether or not the RC for the types of skiing I do is made redundant by the Blunt.
                I think that may have happened for me. I love that little board. Gromit is heading down that rabbit hole too. We are quite well on with his softboot binding.



                Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
                Crossbow (go to dream board)
                Most everything else over time.
                Go Android

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by valmorel View Post
                  I think that may have happened for me. I love that little board. Gromit is heading down that rabbit hole too. We are quite well on with his softboot binding.
                  I really love riding the Blunt prototypes. I'm looking forward to receiving my own Blunts in December. I hope to get a little more time on the protos on Sunday.
                  Spruce Crossbow 115 "Ski Track" skiboards - My Go To skiboards
                  Tyrolia Attack2 13 GW release bindings on Spruce Risers
                  Nordica HF110 ski boots

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by valmorel View Post
                    Firstly, there is a huge industry invested in keeping what is a basically easy sport difficult.
                    I find this intriguing. Not just a cultural bias against short skis, but an industry wide suppression of allowing the sport to become too easy?
                    Just these, nothing else !

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Bad Wolf View Post
                      I find this intriguing. Not just a cultural bias against short skis, but an industry wide suppression of allowing the sport to become too easy?
                      It is a dirty and well-hidden secret of the snowsports industry. The Anti-Short Ski (ASS) Syndicate first met in Zermatt, Switzerland on 30-Sept-1999. Representatives from Salomon, K2, Atomic, Elan and Fischer got together to figure out how to suppress the short ski industry, including skiboards, after seeing the excitement about these in the X Games. They were joined by representatives of various certification and training bodies governing ski instruction. The ASS Syndicate had a vested interest in maintaining the status quo in skiing - equipment which was challenging to use, lots of professional instruction if one wanted to acquire the necessary skills and an atmosphere with an "arms race" mentality that causes many people to continually seek higher performing equipment and push for more highly refined skills.

                      They realized that this movement needed full compliance in the ski industry, but they did not want to go through the lengthy process of gaining buy-in so they looked for a leverage point. What could be done to force virtually all ski manufacturers to go along with the ban on making any form of short ski? After many days of arguing at high elevation in Zermatt, it came to them: what do all high performance skis need in order to perform? Metal edges. So, they formed an alliance with the steel manufacturers who agreed not to sell the raw materials needed to make steel edges to any ski manufacturer making short skis, including skiboards.

                      The ASS Syndicate continues to be a success today. Only a handful of rebels are able to continue producing short skis. The lack of ready access to steel edge raw materials has resulted in extreme measures. Skis are stolen from warehouses and distribution centers to only have their steel edges stripped and used in short ski and skiboard manufacturing. Junkyards are scavenged for suitable metals that can be reworked in clandestine locations to form the edging materials. Tiny steel micromills have been built in basements and garages to melt down scrap metals.

                      Someday this story will be written. For now, it is still in the shadows.
                      In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
                      Think Like a Mountain

                      Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I got my tin foil hat on

                        Go Nexus
                        Crossbow (go to dream board)
                        Most everything else over time.
                        Go Android

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by valmorel View Post
                          I got my tin foil hat on
                          LOL ... but I think you need tin foil underpants for proper protection from the A.S.S. Syndicate.
                          Boards:
                          2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
                          2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
                          2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
                          2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
                          2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
                          2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
                          2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
                          2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Wookie View Post
                            LOL ... but I think you need tin foil underpants for proper protection from the A.S.S. Syndicate.
                            Tin foil underpants. That is awesome!
                            In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
                            Think Like a Mountain

                            Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              This is just another reason I love this forum!

                              :-)


                              I'm gonna get 45 days on the mountain this year if it kills me!
                              33 down, 12 to go!

                              Comment

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