People first skied on long, narrow skis that were longer than the skier was tall. Over time, skis got fatter and shorter. Then came snowboards. Today, you might spot skiers zipping around the slopes on very short skis, using no poles. These ski blades, also known as ski boards and snow blades, are another to get around on snow.
History
"Skiing Hisory" reports that short skis aren't a new idea. At the turn of the last century, ski instructors in Austria advocated teaching beginners on shorter skis. They used 5-foot skis, which were short, considering the standard 7-foot boards of the day. In the 1930s, skiers in the high Alps used handmade, 3-foot skis to negotiate high mountain couloirs. Short skis waned in and out of favor for teaching skiers for the next several decades, but experts shunned them. Now that 7-foot straight skis grace ski lodge walls and not skiers' feet, maneuvering on short skis doesn't seem such an odd thing.
Specification
Ski blades vary in length from as short as 73 cm, or 28.74 inches to 143 cm, or 56.29 inches. They may be very narrow, or almost as wide as a snowboard. They're made like skis, with sharp edges and click-in bindings you wear with regular ski boots.
Advantages
Ski blades are easy to maneuver and make sharp, quick turns. Most people don't use poles with ski blades. Their responsiveness makes them ideal for doing tricks. Wider ski blades work best in powder, while the narrower models zip along groomed runs. The ski blades are light and easy to carry.
Technique
Experts on ski blading approach the sport as they would rollerblading or ice skating. They stand up straighter than they would on regular skis. The edges on ski boards work like regular skis to carve turns, but the response to a shift in weight may be much faster on the shorter ski boards. The short turning radius make them useful for negotiating moguls.
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