I am tired of my skis so I am going for skiboard (but first I have a couple of Q's)

[niskyspy]

Hi, well u can see that I am a newbie. About a week ago I started to think about upcoming winter and I realized that my ski's suck and I need something nicer to ride on this winter. I went to a couple of stores and did a lil research and now I want to buy skiblade (cuz it looks like its a lot of fun and all). So here are my Q's.
1) Will a normal ski boot fit in "'06 Head Big Easy Snowblade w/Releasable Binding" binding?
2) I know that salomon sux but what about '06 Head Big Easy Snowblade w/Releasable Binding? Should I buy it or should I buy something else (I am only going to buy skiblade for under 300$ for skibiard + bindings)
3) What would u recomend for a newbi, well I skied for a couple of years on normal ski's that is.
4) Do releasable bindings help at all and do I really need them?

[bailey]

whats a skiblade?

[kirk]

Regular skiboots will fit in any skiboard bindings. What kind of board would be good for you really depends on what type of riding you want to do. Personally, I wouldn't reccomend the Head boards because they're tips and tail are tiny. This makes it much harder to handle different snow conditions. Releasables definately aren't necessary for skiboards because the short length makes them have very little leverage on your leg.

Right now, the Mike Nick Pros by Line are a very good all around board choice. The SnowJams are the best deal you're gonna find anywhere for quality boards if you're on a tight budget.

[SkaFreak]

If you really want to get into skiboarding definately don't go with any Salomon or Head SKIBOARDS (not skiblades, just a friendly note). I would really suggest snowjam boards if you are on a budget. You'll get nicer boards for less money. In fact, with almost all skiboards, you'll get a better board for less or an equal pricetag.

[Gargantula]

Also releasable bindings tend to weigh more and less weight is better for maneuverability, especially for spins.

[niskyspy]

Thanks for ur help, well after doing a little research on skiboarding I found out that some data that says that skiboarding has a lot of knee, lower limb injuries and the reason is because most of the skiboards dont come with relesable bindings. So I will probably buy snowjam or something like that with a relesable binding and I need all that for less than 300$ cuz I am kind of short on money right now.
Thank you

[SkaFreak]

I will agree that most skiboarding injurires are knee and such injuries, but those are mostly caused by inexperienced riders going down a bunny hill, losing control, digging a tip in and twisting around it to cause a spiral fracture. If I am not mistaken, I don't think anyone on these forums have suffered a knee or leg injury due to non releaseable bindings. And just for your information, if you want releaseable bindings on you skiboards, you're either going to end up with low quality boards such as salomon or head, or you will be spending at least 185$ on the bindings alone.

[niskyspy]

What do u think about this:
SnowJam 2004-2005 90cm Skiboards+Spruce Risers and Releasable Bindings= 299$

I was wondering more about the skiboard, is it any good?

[Gargantula]

I must admit, I feel safe even though I have non-releasable bindings, I've fallen a couple times, but I try to fall as nicely as possible, if that makes sense, instead of letting gravity take control.

Learning how to fall is key.

When I fall forwards I go up into a forward somersault or lay flat depending on my speed, trajectory and how steep the hill is.

When I fall back I do a backwards somersault and then try to make my body as parallel with the floor as possible to stop as soon as possible and to prevent rolling and tuck my head in to try to prevent a neck injury.

When I fall sideways I try to land with my hands out and cushion the landing as much as possible without going over the limit of strength, if I pass the limit where I can cause damage to my wrist, I tuck in and roll and bring one leg in to stop my upper body rotation and the keep the other extended to stop my lower half. If I continue to spin another rotation I untuck my arms and try to stop again, if that fails again, I go for another rotation until I stop.

They key is to spread out the forces as much as possible. That's what crumple zones on cars are for.

I know this sounds like a lie, that I can think of all this, but I try to. I guess bboying (breakdancing) makes it easier to be have body awareness.

[niskyspy]

Yea, I am looking at some ski's too. But I am still undersided on what I want to buy. Well i'll see in a couple of weeks.

I went to the skistore today and they have 75cm snowjam snow skis for 29$. its got non-releasable bindings and the skiboard is not in a really bad condition so I guess I'll just but that and see if I like skiboarding or not.

[hugoshi]

since SBOL is out of spruce boards,

www.spruceski.com has blemished boards with spruce risers + releasables for $200 + shipping

http://www.spruceski.com/edge.html

if you want 06 spruce mtns, I'd imagine SBOL will get them in stock soon enough, I bought new ones here for $264, cheaper than snowjams w/ spruce bindings.. so you can go that route. or just get those snowjams, and get spruce risers from here and mount em

[busterbros]

I had a grade III MCL sprain last year on nonrelease bindings, and I'm thinking about making the leap to release this year.

It was the end of the night, and very near the end of the season and we were riding on slop. So when I came off a small kicker blind I landed in/on a small burm that was starting to freeze up and majorly slushy. I took a header and the tip of my left board bit the snow hard. I reinjured the same knee paintballing in July, and I'm rushing to be fully ready for this winter. So basically that's my nonrelease horror story. It wasn't lack of experience so much as awful conditions and a dose of bad luck.

Like I said I'm still considering going to release this year, I just don't want them popping off on rails.

[Greco]

we'll have a few of those blemished models in a few days for the same price.

g



Originally posted by hugoshi
since SBOL is out of spruce boards,

www.spruceski.com has blemished boards with spruce risers + releasables for $200 + shipping

http://www.spruceski.com/edge.html

if you want 06 spruce mtns, I'd imagine SBOL will get them in stock soon enough, I bought new ones here for $264, cheaper than snowjams w/ spruce bindings.. so you can go that route. or just get those snowjams, and get spruce risers from here and mount em

[mtnsk8r]

My second year skiboarding I was on a pair of journey skiboards with bomber bindings. My tips dug into a soft mogul, I did a faceplant, and broke my tibia.

[PureVenom]

Yeah....those journeys are antiques....I bought them for the bindings. I let my friend ride them last year and he had the same problem. Too small and the tip and tail are way to small. Nosed it over a bunch of times. Funny as hell but ruined his ski day for sure.

[Chanks]

All these injuries aren't making me feel warm and fuzzy as a newbie. Especially the powder bunny hill comment. I bought SnoJam 90s last winter just before WA state melted for the season in January. I paid for a lesson, spent a couple hours on the slope and that was the end of the season. I'm planning to hit Stevens Pass Friday but a bit paranoid after reading this.

[El Bajong]

I can personally say I've never had a serious accident in my six years of skiboarding, and five of those have been on non-release bindings.

The only thing I can think of, is when I was coming out of the bottom of a half-pipe, and didnt spot a little ditch or hole in the snow, due to poor lighting. This made me loose my ballance, and I fell forwards, while my boards dug innto the ground. I felt quite wierd, like something had been stretched a bit on the right side of my neck, and after a while, it started hurting. Not any serious pain, but it was annoying, and lasted a couple months. The chance of getting injured is there in any alpine sport, and I do not think its any worse than in other sports, like telemark or snowboarding...

[SkaFreak]

Don't worry too much about injuries. If you have any balance at all and are riding decent boards you have no need to fear your tips digging in. The reason why this is the most common injury is because snowblades are the most commonly rented skiboards and the tips are not as tall on them as many other skiboards.

[Gargantula]

My tips also went in when I was riding K2 big airs, but I got the tips out of the snow and into a front flip to land on my back to prevent stress to my knees, but I could've hurt my head or neck. That was my reaction when I felt my tips digging in.

[sharon]

This might be of interest on the subject of injuries when using skiboards [URL=http://www.ski-injury.com/skiboard.htm#Injury%20statistics]

[Greco]

welcome to the forum sharon. we're glad you joined.

we've monitored that website for awhile and there is some great info there however they obtained their injury data "from Scotland covering 6 seasons from 1999-2005 inclusive". Most likely the injured riders where people who rented a pair of snowblades and either went right to the park or were pretty inexperienced. but the report doesn't call this out so we don't know for sure. And as we've discussed before because snowblades have their bindings set back from center there is more ski in front of the user than even the 110cm skiboards we sell which makes me think snowblades are more dangerous especially for in experienced, young riders. bottom line is all snow sports are dangerous and if someone is concerned they should take all precautions which includes a helmet and releaseable bindings.

Greco

[busterbros]

Wow, I haven't looked at that site in a long time. Its cool that its been updated so much. It doesn't exactly paint such a dire picture either, it says skiboarding is safer than snowboarding.

[sharon]

well it's certainly safer for the other piste users, being clobbered by a snowboarder at 20 miles an hour is no fun at all, rather be hit by someone on skiboards anyday!! Of course neither would be even better!!!

[Gargantula]

One time on skis I went off a jump and I didn't see that someone was recovering from a fall and they were standing up and I landed on top of them, it was horrible... Both of my skis went flying and I went tumbling from like 6 feet in the air. The funny thing is that he asked first if I was OK and then I asked him. He wasn't pissed either, which was cool.

I know that when I see that a person has fallen on the landing of the jump I turn aorund and make an "X" with my arms to the snow riders above the jump to warn them to not go off the jump because of the person who has fallen. When the person has recoved then I put my arms down. I don't always do this though only, when I think that someone might be hurt in the situation that happened to me.