New to all forms of skiing!

[pinkkid]

I'll be at Red River New Mexico from Christmas day until the following Monday. Thanks alot guys and keep the info comin' i'll take it all. I'm going to make my wife read all of this stuff tonight, that way she doesn't have to take my word for it.. Lol

give me a few to find this article from a magazine that was the only thing I had read or seen about SKiboards; I immediately bought my first pair of SKiboards and have never ever looked back! I am from a ski background, just normal intermediate stuff. I hope I can find that article!

Shelley

[rgzip]

Rgzip:

Great post. You explained the essence of what a lot of folks pay big dollars to learn.

You ought to copy that to a word file or something and paste it in as a canned response when similar inquiries are posted, maybe Slow or someone could link it to one of the sticky threads.

Nice work.

Bill

Thanks Bill, It's pretty basic but it works.

Rick

[sh0tthebreeze]

So now my wife is like why would they tell me that if it wasn't true.

Well, its an easy way for them to make $90+ per person. Lift ticket+rentals+lesson = $$. They do have a package though, for $88 from what I can see on www.redriverskiarea.com. Maybe its worth a shot to take the lesson in the morning and go bombing down the hill later on with skiboards. You'll make your classmates look silly .

[pinkkid]

give me a few to find this article from a magazine that was the only thing I had read or seen about SKiboards; I immediately bought my first pair of SKiboards and have never ever looked back! I am from a ski background, just normal intermediate stuff. I hope I can find that article!

Shelley

Ok, I somehow found the article I had read.... or this is pretty darn close to it, I really son;t think it is it exactly but man is it close... suuuure wish I kept that magazine and I still don't even know what Magazine it was from; the year was close to 2005 so don't get all upset over some terms!!!!! I do know that it pointed me directly to www.bumpsforboomers.com and even www.Skiboards.com at that time back then. I did find SBOL as well while searching online for skiboards back then and my brother bought his Snowjams. So here ya go... take it or leave.


"Skiboards - Much Easier to Learn, Much Less Expensive and SO Much Fun!
Let’s face it, not everyone finds skiing to be fun, especially when just starting out. Consider the lessons, awkward moments on the hill, the occasional crossing of the tips, and of course, lugging all that equipment to and from. And don't forget the cost! Skis, like snowboards, require a relatively long investment of time to learn, especially if you want to get to the point where you can truly enjoy all the terrain the ski resort has to offer and have a true sense of joy.

In contrast, Skiboards, also called snowblades, skiblades or short skis, are about half the length of skis and almost twice as wide, boast the fastest learning curve on the slopes. Much easier to control, turn or stop on, requiring a more natural stance than skis or snowboards, most people learn to ride skiboards in less than one day. It is simply so much easier to enjoy the mountain on skiboards and you can go anywhere you wish just like on skis and snowboards. Skiboards actually feel more like skating on the slopes with the same balancing and easy of maneuvering.
Skiboards can be purchased starting at around $99, with higher end models still under $300 making them highly affordable compared to skis and snowboards. Bindings fit regular ski boots, hardshell snowboard boots, “soft” ski boots and AT boots. There are skiboards that can be used in the backcountry which come with ascent bindings and climbing skins. Bindings can be obtained in either non-release or release versions. Most of the major manufacturers offer their own models of skiboards including K2, Salomon, Alpina, Atomic, Line, Karhu, Head & Elan.

Intermediate skiers find that they can very quickly get out of the “intermediate rut”. Skiboards allow them to more easily explore advanced terrain with a greater confidence and much less fear. What is remarkable is that most skiboarders experience this thrill in a very short of time and then they are able to advance quickly. Imagine jumping up a level in just one day!

Quickly learning to ride or advance your skills is just one of the reasons more and more ski schools are introducing beginners and intermediate riders to skiboards. “Far from a fad, the skiboard is an innovation that promises to change the whole mountain landscape. More and more ski schools are incorporating them into lessons, or even teaching skiboarding as a discipline unto itself.” ("Short and Sweet", Allen St. John, The Professional Skier) It does make sense after all. Imagine beginners making parallel turns and enjoying themselves on their first day. This is very possible on skiboards.

Skiboards make it easier for ski instructors to teach individuals. One such ski school, located in Aspen, Colorado, is the very popular Bumps for Boomers program (www.bumpsforboomers.com) Using skiboards, individuals are trained to ride moguls and deep powder in a much shorter amount of time than on longer skis. Their program is extremely popular. Participants regularly remark on how fast they have improved their “ski” skills, though not many want to “graduate” to longer skis. They love the skiboards.

Think how good it is for ski resorts. Skiboards make it fun and easy to ride the slopes, and as a result, customers tend to come back more and more often. Having had so much fun, they tell their friends and family about it and bring even more people to the mountain. Skiboards, being a true ski alternative, definitely increases the enthusiasm for returning to the slopes. Most new skiboarders report that they never purchased season passes until they began Skiboarding. "

So give your wife that to read and go to that www.bumpsforboomers.com and see if it helps!

To all: Yes I now the article says skiboards are snowblades ect but we here at SBOL ride and purchase SKIBOARDS, they are NOT the same! It was an older article about all this.


Shelley
p.s. this is part of what sold me on buying them from that article (BTW, I bought Canon M7's 99cm):

"Intermediate skiers find that they can very quickly get out of the “intermediate rut”. Skiboards allow them to more easily explore advanced terrain with a greater confidence and much less fear. What is remarkable is that most skiboarders experience this thrill in a very short of time and then they are able to advance quickly. Imagine jumping up a level in just one day!"

[Rodney]

Well, its an easy way for them to make $90+ per person. Lift ticket+rentals+lesson = $$. They do have a package though, for $88 from what I can see on www.redriverskiarea.com. Maybe its worth a shot to take the lesson in the morning and go bombing down the hill later on with skiboards. You'll make your classmates look silly .

That's true but they don't give lessons at all for Skiboards so I would have the lesson, and then I'd have to turn around and do another rental. What I was thinking is that maybe I'll get the the boards the 1st day and if I have a hard time I can get the lesson the next day. What do ya think? Oh and by the way I was telling my 15 year old son about the boards, and he actually races Inlines competitively, but he went snowboarding last year and he thinks to be cool you have to snowboard, so i'm working him pretty hard.

[Rodney]

Great post Pink. I will make her read tonight, and don't get me wrong guys and gals my wife is very open minded, as a matter of fact she was all in on boards until she talked to the people at the ski shop because whe she was younger she tore up her knees on 2 different occasions on the slopes, so when I was explaining Skiboading and showed her some video she was like we are doing that. She was also trying to look out for me because I told her that I've wanted to go skiing since I was a kid, so there was no way I am going to play on the bunny hill the whole time and that no matter what I was going to the top of the mountain and coming down one way or another, So yeah she has my best interest at heart....

[pinkkid]

Great post Pink. I will make her read tonight, and don't get me wrong guys and gals my wife is very open minded, as a matter of fact she was all in on boards until she talked to the people at the ski shop because whe she was younger she tore up her knees on 2 different occasions on the slopes, so when I was explaining Skiboading and showed her some video she was like we are doing that. She was also trying to look out for me because I told her that I've wanted to go skiing since I was a kid, so there was no way I am going to play on the bunny hill the whole time and that no matter what I was going to the top of the mountain and coming down one way or another, So yeah she has my best interest at heart....

You guys will have such a good time! FYI, my knees do not bother me anymore nor do I get all sore like I used to on long ski's. A whole new fantastic world on Skiboards... ya feel 100% freedom on the slopes.

I quote " I am a Skiboarder. I am Free."

woo- hoo have fun!

[Rodney]

I think we'll have a blast, I've been counting the days for about 3 months now LOL..

[sempai]

I've never taken skiing or skiboarding lessons of any kind. Skiboarding/blading has the shortest learning curve. You'd have to be extremely uncoordinated not to pick it up fairly fast. Don't worry. Just strap on a pair and start shreddin' and expect lots of smiling.

[sh0tthebreeze]

That's true but they don't give lessons at all for Skiboards so I would have the lesson, and then I'd have to turn around and do another rental. What I was thinking is that maybe I'll get the the boards the 1st day and if I have a hard time I can get the lesson the next day. What do ya think? Oh and by the way I was telling my 15 year old son about the boards, and he actually races Inlines competitively, but he went snowboarding last year and he thinks to be cool you have to snowboard, so i'm working him pretty hard.

Your son would absolutely have a blast on these things. Snowboarding to me was extremely difficult to learn and I'm coordinated. I spent 3 days laying face first on a mountain to realize it wasn't for me. These were not the case at all.

Yes, I would recommend trying the skiboards the first day, and if they don't work out for you and your wife, your son who will pick these up immediately can probably teach you lol, or you can opt for the skiing lessons. Why waste the money?

You can also rent skiboards online from this website if you'd like to try out some of the better equipment: http://www.skiboards.com/skiboardrentals.html

[SkaFreak]

I'll be at Red River New Mexico from Christmas day until the following Monday. Thanks alot guys and keep the info comin' i'll take it all. I'm going to make my wife read all of this stuff tonight, that way she doesn't have to take my word for it.. Lol

If the snow is worthwhile and I am somewhere within driving distance at that point in time, I might make it a point to head up there. I generally avoid Red River as it is not my favorite mountain and their lifts are really slow. That week it is going to be really busy there too, just to give you a heads up. If you aren't set in your plans and are just looking for a nice fairly cheap ski trip, you might want to consider looking into Sipapu. It is about an hour South of Red River, and I prefer it. The lodging there is smallish and older, but definitely still livable from what I have seen. I also have a season pass there and would definitely be able to head up there.

[Matthies]

I tell them when they get going, if they want to turn left put most of their weight on their right foot and of course to go right put the weight on their left foot. If they want to stop just keep turning until they are going up hill and they will stop.

Rgzip,

Can you explain this to me a bit more, I’m kind of confused. I skied last weekend, after not doing it for 20 years, and I was able to ski ok, turning downhill sucked if it was steep at all though.

But I thought, at least on skis, if I’m going downhill to turn right I dig in my right ski in (which becomes the uphill ski as I turn and become parallel with the hill) then to go left I put pressure on the left ski and turn that direction. I guess I thought the pressure was always on the uphill skis and that was what direction I would turn. Am I just remembering it wrong, or do I do the opposite on skiboards? I’m going up to try next week and want to make sure I can turn because that’s my hardest part with skis. Also is turning and carving the same thing, just different terms?

[Bill]

Rgzip,

But I thought, at least on skis, if I’m going downhill to turn right I dig in my right ski in (which becomes the uphill ski as I turn and become parallel with the hill) then to go left I put pressure on the left ski and turn that direction. I guess I thought the pressure was always on the uphill skis and that was what direction I would turn. Am I just remembering it wrong, or do I do the opposite on skiboards?

Also is turning and carving the same thing, just different terms?

Matthies:

Rick's (rgzip's) post has it exactly correct, skis and skiboards both work the same: to turn RIGHT, shift your weight (or "step") to the LEFT skiboard...to turn LEFT put weight on your RIGHT ski/skiboard.

...or you could look at it this way: to turn RIGHT pick up (take weight off of) your RIGHT skiboard and to go LEFT pick up your LEFT skiboard.

Or...here's YET ANOTHER way to look at it: You're travelling across the hill, perpendicular to the fall line, either direction. To turn the OTHER direction, put weight on (or "step on") the UPHILL ski and you will turn, it's like majic. Try this trick: practice picking a spot, down the hill, where you want to end up when you turn. Step on the uphill skiboard to start your turn and fix your eyes on the spot you want to go to. Like majic, you'll go to that spot...keep stepping and looking and you'll weave your way down like a pro!

There are two techniques involved in turning: the carve and the skid. I wouldn't fret over the difference just now, but here it is: when you engage your edges and turn along the EXACT radius of the sidecut of your skiboard, that's a pure carve. When you stand "flat" on your skiboards and skid straight down the fall line with your skiboards perpendicular to the direction of travel, that's a pure skid. A spin...a turn with almost a zero turn radius...is really a modified skid. Carving is more of a speed technique, working in some skidding helps to check speed and turn on a smaller radius. Personally, I'm a skidding fiend. Everyone develops their own personal "style" or, in my case, lack of it!

The little primer Rick posted is spot on. I think if you review that it'll help a bunch. Also like other folks have mentioned, part of it's just cutting loose and doing it. Getting some help from a top rider like Skafreak, if you can swing that, would be the berries!

Bill

[Rodney]

If the snow is worthwhile and I am somewhere within driving distance at that point in time, I might make it a point to head up there. I generally avoid Red River as it is not my favorite mountain and their lifts are really slow. That week it is going to be really busy there too, just to give you a heads up. If you aren't set in your plans and are just looking for a nice fairly cheap ski trip, you might want to consider looking into Sipapu. It is about an hour South of Red River, and I prefer it. The lodging there is smallish and older, but definitely still livable from what I have seen. I also have a season pass there and would definitely be able to head up there.

Yes the cabin is already paid for so we'll be up there, but thanks for the heads up next time,and there will be a next time i'll know...

[slow]

........ maybe Slow or someone could link it to one of the sticky threads.Bill

Done, thanks for the idea El Slurpo. I included it as a link in the lessons session and toned down the opening statement of that section.

Great reference articles pinkkid.