While the sight of grown-ups on ski blades invokes images of adults on kids' bicycles, ski blades, also called snow blades and ski boards, are not designed for children. Ski-blading combines techniques used in snowboarding, ice skating and downhill skiing. Snow blade proponents praise the sport's skill-development potential, but detractors argue that they potentially cause injuries.
Identification
Alpine skis are usually 115 centimeters to 200 centimeters long. Ski blades, in contrast, range from 75 to 110 centimeters in length. Downhill skis curve upward at the tip and lay flat at the tail, whereas ski blades curve upward at the tip and tail. While downhill skis have releasable bindings, most ski blades do not.
History
The first ski blades appeared in Germany's high alps in the 1930s. The Germans called them "firngleiters." "Firn" means glacier snow and "gleiter" means glide. The high alpine explorers quickly discovered that 220-centimeter alpine skis posed technical problems in the steep and narrow glacier trails. The 50 to 90 centimeter firngleiters were agile and maneuverable in this challenging terrain. The Kitzbuhel ski school in Austria began teaching short ski techniques during the 1940s.
Time Frame
While ski blades gradually gained European popularity throughout the 20th century, Americans did not fully accept the trend until 1997, when the Salomon ski company brought its snow blades to the United States. By then, the shorter, shaped or parabolic alpine skis had replaced the longer 220-centimeter straight skis. American skiers were beginning to realize that ski size did matter, but longer was not always better.
Misconceptions
Because of their short size, some people understandably assume that ski blades are a beginner's learning tool. This misconception stems from a concept called the "graduated length method." This ski instruction technique starts students with a shorter ski, usually 120 centimeters long. As the students gain proficiency, they use longer skis. While it is easier to learn to ski on a shorter ski, there is a huge difference between a 90-centimeter and a 220-centimeter ski. The size and shape requires skiers to stay on the ski's edge, lest they fall flat on their faces. Most novice skiers are not yet proficient at edging or carving. Ski-bladers usually do not use ski poles. While some downhill ski instructors teach novices to ski without poles, the ski-blade size imposes an extreme balance challenge. Novices may feel unsteady without their poles.
Warning
Ski-Injury.com examines the injury potential of different types of snow sports. Their experts express concern about ski blades with unreleasable bindings, and advise that catching an edge while ski blading may cause rotational forces that the lower leg and ankle must absorb. While knee injuries predominate amongst skiers and ski bladers, the bladers tend toward lower leg injury. They are also more susceptible to fracture than downhill skiers or snowboarders. Furthermore, the lack of pole use makes it possible that the ski-blader may try to break the fall with an outstretched hand, thus injuring a wrist or shoulder. Consider the ski blade models manufactured in 2005, which come with releasable bindings.
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