jhn.holgate Posted December 6, 2015 Report Share Posted December 6, 2015 I hadn't seen these until @Mfwetu put a pic up in another thread. While it doesn't seem they had kiting in mind when they made them, it looks like they may be suited to the task. Grasski USA site... http://www.grasskiusa.com/products.html And in action with kites.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mfwetu Posted December 6, 2015 Report Share Posted December 6, 2015 They seem to handle pretty much any terrain so would be perfect for inland paddocks without too many fences. Lake George near Canberra comes to mind as well as your neighbour's hilltop John. If anybody is interested the main European manufacturers are www.grasski.com and www.grasski.net. Apparently they're also made in Japan but I haven't been able to track down any manufacturers there. The clip shows just how versatile they are. I don't think the skates would be able to do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m-t_ON1GpI jhn.holgate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igeighty Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 We had these in the late 70's, there used to be grass ski parks up the north coast too. we still have the ski's up in mum and dads shed. just would need adult boots to suit now. they are great, like little tank tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 15 hours ago, jhn.holgate said: I hadn't seen these until @Mfwetu put a pic up in another thread. While it doesn't seem they had kiting in mind when they made them, it looks like they may be suited to the task. Grasski USA site... http://www.grasskiusa.com/products.html And in action with kites.... I checked out the US website. They list for about $1,000-1,200 USD (depending on model) marked down to $650-780. They come with some replacement parts. On one level I like the idea of replacement parts but on the other hand it certainly makes me think about maintenance and wear and tear. In my mind's eye I'm seeing WW2 footage of tanks getting bogged down in mud to the point of just not being able to move. On beautiful pristine grass these buggers might work wonders, but I'd hate to get them filled with abrasive crud. Nothing quite like grit ground into the sliding tracks to really jam these up I'd suspect. That being said, do I want a pair? Abso-frickin-lutely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mfwetu Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 7 hours ago, windstruck said: I checked out the US website. They list for about $1,000-1,200 USD (depending on model) marked down to $650-780. They come with some replacement parts. On one level I like the idea of replacement parts but on the other hand it certainly makes me think about maintenance and wear and tear. In my mind's eye I'm seeing WW2 footage of tanks getting bogged down in mud to the point of just not being able to move. On beautiful pristine grass these buggers might work wonders, but I'd hate to get them filled with abrasive crud. Nothing quite like grit ground into the sliding tracks to really jam these up I'd suspect. That being said, do I want a pair? Abso-frickin-lutely! Just imagine, all the fun you're having skiing on the playing field but you don't need the snow. The USA site is an offshoot of the German manufacturer's site. The .com site has prices from 314-414 Euro. Even if you factor in postage it's a lot less than your local price although they may have a licensing agreement you need to work around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoutherlyBuster Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 I remember Luke looking into these years ago and for some reason he rejected them and went for the TerraBlades (multi pneumatic tires) instead. Still pricy though compared to landboards. Would not want to use them on sand, all the wear and abrasion. Wonder what the replacement costs are for the tracks, can't imagine them lasting for ever. They were all the go in the 80's in NSW Australia as well, saw them the first time at the Jamberoo Grass Skii Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mfwetu Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 The price has been the only thing holding me back. Spares are freely available and don't cast a fortune. They say if you maintain the plastic "foils" in good order and keep the rollers lubed they last quite well but you're quite right that sand (or mud) will kill them quickly.They are definitely a high maintenance option but they open up a lot more options for us venue-starved land kiters. I'm still in the early phase of rather delicate negotiations for a pair.... windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtz Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 283 euro ($308us) http://www.kite-power-shop.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mfwetu Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 4 hours ago, rtz said: 283 euro ($308us) http://www.kite-power-shop.com/ Kite-power-shop are selling the "speedy jack" skis which are sold by the manufacturer on the grasski.com site. Kite-power's price seem cheaper because they've made the protectors an optional extra at an additional 30 euro which puts the price right back to what the manufacturer charges give or take a euro. According to the manufacturer's site: "What is the purpose of the grass ski PROTECTORS? The protectors are mounted on the inside surface of the grass ski to prevent the skis from coming into direct contact with each other and locking up. WARNING – failure to correctly apply and use the protectors can cause the skier to fall and risk injury." The price you quoted is for the 60cm skis which are for kids. For kite skiing the manufacturer recommends 85cm for freestyle or 90cm for freeride/speed. Price for the 90cm with protectors from kite-power-shop is 388.00 euro. Price for the exact same ski from Speedy Jack is 389.95 euro. Add another 45 euro or so for postage and the total is around AU$660.. Another thing to consider is spare parts which the kite-power-shop don't seem to carry. For what it's worth, I reckon dealing with the manufacturer direct is probably the better option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mfwetu Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Here's another clip showing what these things are capable of. https://youtu.be/W_8PShsJsYk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mfwetu Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Here's somebody else using grass skis. These things look awesome! I've got to get myself a pair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mfwetu Posted December 19, 2015 Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 @Guillaume Booissonneault, it looks like you are using the Rolka skis. Are these still available in Canada and can you get spare parts for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guillaume Booissonneault Posted December 19, 2015 Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 i really don't know that it's my brother grass ski a use it like tree time and it's very fun but i make some research to find a use pair and it's very rare or i find brand new for 700$ you probably can't find a spare part but i'm not sure about the compagnie (rollka) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mfwetu Posted December 19, 2015 Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 Thanks Guillaume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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