Snowblades - release or non releasebindings?

[Haggis]

I have decided that my local field would be perfect for snow kiting with snow blades - no deep powder there. Was out with skiis, snowboard and sledges, but the best fun I had was just sliding in my shoes. Hence I want to try snowblades with the kite. I cannot decided between non release and release bindings.. does anyone have an opinion on whether using non release bindings for snow kiting could be dangerous? Or maybe you feel they would have an advantage over release bindings?

 

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[Andy-j]

Neither.. snow blades are gay.

[crabman]

Took a bit longer than I thought it would. None the less, it's word for word the exact first reply I expected, lol.

[Andy-j]

Because you know it's true!

 

Snowblades are for people who dont have the technique to ski properly, they think they can bomb about on the verge of being in control because they are so nimble and hard to fuck up on.. reality is if you have to stop in a hurry it's already too late and you've hurt yourself or much more importantly, someone else.

 

However, they may be fun behind a kite.. not that you'll be able to hold any amount of power down though.

[vindman]

Snowblades are for people who dont have the technique to ski properly, they think they can bomb about on the verge of being in control because they are so nimble and hard to fuck up on..

Snowblades is a classic tool in the Alps since the 1930's, used by e.g. Swiss and Austrian alpinists who call them 'firngleiter'.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Figln_am_Ro%C3%9Fkogel_%28Nordostrinne%29.JPG/220px-Figln_am_Ro%C3%9Fkogel_%28Nordostrinne%29.JPG

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Figln_Stempeljochspitze.JPG/220px-Figln_Stempeljochspitze.JPG

The speed record is 136 km/h. I guess those guys have the technique to ski properly.

[crabman]

Because you know it's true!

 

Snowblades are for people who dont have the technique to ski properly, they think they can bomb about on the verge of being in control because they are so nimble and hard to fuck up on.. reality is if you have to stop in a hurry it's already too late and you've hurt yourself or much more importantly, someone else.

 

However, they may be fun behind a kite.. not that you'll be able to hold any amount of power down though.

 

Must say I disagree with the "bladers always being on the edge of control" bit. This is the bit where I have to admit to owning a pair of them, isn't it , but hey, I got them for 20 quid and use them for the odd days where I (due to knowing the right people) get free use of Cairngorm ski area.

Granted, my blades are longer than most of them, but I've never had any issues with control, stability, speed or stoppage. In fact I've overtaken many a skier/boarder, including the missus who's skied since god knows when, and taught skiing as well.

Saying that, though, I wouldn't recommend using them with a kite. As Andy-J said, you might not be able to hold down much power, but to me the main thing is the fact that they're crap on anything but pisted snow due to their small surface area. If it's powder you might as well be skiing in whipped cream!

Stick to snowboard or full length skis if using the kite

[vindman]

You need good skills to use firngleiters/skiboards/snowblades like this.

 

http://skiboards.com/graphics/gallery/IMG0001.jpg

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/DaveLynamWindhamInvert2.jpg/250px-DaveLynamWindhamInvert2.jpg

 

http://skiboards.com/graphics/gallery/IMG0006.jpg

 

http://skiboards.com/graphics/gallery/IMG0011.jpg

 

http://mediadb.alpin.de/ecards/500201/det/fotostrecke_2667.jpg

[Andy-j]

Could you imgine if they were doing all of the above with skis on though... all the pictures would look better and higher skilled.

[Haggis]

Thanks everbody for the feedback. Guess the same comments re snowblades coming out as generally over the internet. I've been skiing for 30 years and snowboarding for about 6 years. Long enough to know that snowboarding is easy to master yet with skiing it takes forever to master perfect technique. However I find it funny the snobbery of skiers / boarders with regard to snowbladers. Why the need to put down others for using an easier toy on the hills? Might as well put down all the sledgers out there too. I'm still gonna try the snowblades out with the kite. Found somebody close by selling snowblades with non release bindings. So watch this space!

[Scribbler88]

With sub-100cm boards, the risk from non-release bindings is minimal on a piste, and I would have thought even less risky on flat ground unless you plan to land some very large jumps. They are lighter and cheaper, too. Only problem is that they aren't 'step in', so clipping yourself in whilst flying a kite could be a bit problematic.

 

I've got several pairs of revel8 skiboards that I use with release bindings, but that's because my knees aren't particularly great, so they need all the help they can get. I'm headed up to Whistler in the new year for some snow-kiting - I think the shorter turning circle and more upright stance make skiboards perfect for use with a kite.

 

No idea why the rest of the skiing / snowboarding world has it in for 'snowblades' - modern skiboards can do powder / backcountry / ice / jumps / moguls, and salomon stopped making snowblades 5 years ago...

Edited December 14, 2010 by Scribbler88

[Andy-j]

No idea why the rest of the skiing / snowboarding world has it in for 'snowblades' - modern skiboards can do powder / backcountry / ice / jumps / moguls, and salomon stopped making snowblades 5 years ago...

 

So did line ski's.. they were pretty much the inventor of ski boards were they not?

 

I'll freely admit i have had a few sessions on blades so i am talking from experience! Why bother when you've got modern lightweight twin tips that do a much better job!?

[Antigrav]

Why bother

 

Cause variety is the spice of life

 

Wouldn't it be boring if all kitesurfers went out on standard twin tips and all did exactly the same stuff all the time. Look at Lou Wainman with those tiny little boards he made. Useless little things for everyday use, but I bet they were a good laugh every now and then same difference innit

[Haggis]

Where can I get ski boards in the UK? Anybody got some old ones for sale? A friend had got a hold of some old mono ski and said that was the best fun ever with the kite! Anybody got an old mono ski in their attic that I could buy? hehe. Thanks for the useful feedback.. oh and thanks for the cool snowblade photos too! Two days till another snow blasted UK! Oh yes bring it on!

[vindman]

Anybody got an old mono ski in their attic that I could buy?

Check with Alain Duchamp, the mono-ski legend:

"From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to attach himself or herself to a singular ski. A mono-ski. And he's free. Truly free."

 

Why bother

Cause variety is the spice of life

Sounds like Alain Duchamp:

"It's really about a man with a dream. It's about a man with a dream who wants to destroy conformity. Who wants to fight for the freedom to choose. And this man is prepared to die for his dream."

 

Dreaming in Mono - Episode 1: The Man With the Dream

Edited December 14, 2010 by vindman

[Andy-j]

Now a mono-ski is a whole new ball game!! Sounds like great fun behind a kite.

[Haggis]

Hmm I can't find any mono skiis for sale. But I did find somebody selling ski boards with non release bindings.. so I think I'll give that a go! They are 98cm. Guess i could upgrade them to release bindings at some point. I also like the idea of them being lightweight so could take them off up the mountains too. Heck maybe it would be possible to go winter backpacking with the blades and the kite! Now we're talking serious fun!!

[vindman]

I also like the idea of them being lightweight so could take them off up the mountains too. Heck maybe it would be possible to go winter backpacking with the blades and the kite! Now we're talking serious fun!!

That's how I use short skis when traveling light to mountainous places. While in the mountains I walk with the skis on my feet. I have a pair of Rossignol Freetrek Venture approach skis with shaped skins and ski-crampons. They can be used with alpine touring boots, ice-climbing boots or mountaineering boots. In touring mode it feels a bit like walking with snow shoes. In kiting mode it is of course not as easy as with long skis, but that's the price to pay when traveling light.

[vindman]

By the way, it is interesting to hear about the prejudices some people have against different kind if skis. Over here in Sweden all kind of skis - long skis, short skis, mono skis, etc. - have been used since the ice age. Many skis from the stone age have been found in Swedish bogs. The oldest pair of skis found are 5200 years old and they are long and wide. The leftmost skis on this photo are exact copies of those 5200 years old skis:

http://www.polarisen.se/images/stories/manniskor/skidor/skidor3.jpg

 

Here is a pair of traditional forest skis:

http://www.polarisen.se/images/stories/manniskor/skidor/puffOstgren.jpg

 

Other stone age skis are very short. Plus there is a large variety in between. Different kind of tools for different jobs. Sometimes you need to switch between the tools, like e.g. between skates and skis in order to make a good job, like this guy:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2767/4317059554_eac70d1d59_z.jpg

 

The guy above uses two skis, but the traditional ice ski is a mono ski, used for transport on sea ice and by seal hunters:

http://norran.se/multimedia/dynamic/00065/is_65664d.jpg

 

The mono ski is still used today to transport yourself over snow covered sea ice in order to find the snow-less ice further out on the sea, for skating:

http://www.skrinnare.se/images/imgp1148.jpg

 

Usually you only bring one pair of skis and you cannot switch between the tools. In those cases you just need to use the skis, whatever the conditions. Like the guys in this movie from 1935:

 

http://svtplay.se/v/1434935/igloo_-_en_fardberattelse_fran_fjallen

 

They use one pair of skis for all types of skiing on the same tour; cross-country ski running, ski-mountaineering, offpist downhill skiing, freestyle skiing, ski-jumping and cliff drops.

Edited December 16, 2010 by vindman