revel 8 tanshos

[caitie_15]

Ok, so here goes the requested review.... being a skier it is very difficult not to compare the two, which may be a big no-no in the skiboarding world (I'm not sure)....also I'm not really into the technical side of things so I'll just say what I liked, felt on the skiboards.
I have to say that I really enjoyed my day on the skiboards but it was different than I expected. It definitely wasn't as easy as I expected, much more difficult to balance than skis, but that said I only stacked it a couple of times and it doidn't take long to get used to them (you have to keep lower in the legs). You can definitely do more on skiboards, jumps, short turns, ducking/weaving, spinning etc are easier, but I have to say for speed and carving I would stick to skis. I notice that some other skiboards are more recommended for carving than the Tanshos, but maybe it's just the length more than anything? In any case, I can definitely see the benefits and fun of skiboarding and will defintiely be using the skiboards, but not ditching the skis!
(Also I have only had one day on them so maybe there is more to discover!)

[Greco]

hi, thanks for sharing your experience. i skied for 11 years before i tried skiboards and since that first day riding some 76cm masso's back in '97 i've haven't put on a pair of skis since. what was your issue with carving? the tanshos have a really small turning radius so carving shouldn't be a problem. the only time you reach a limitation of shorter boards is if you try to carve at high speeds, they just don't have the edge length to handle high speed carving. it's not a bad thing just a trade off and as a result they will be much more maneuverability then longer boards that can handle fast carving better.
skiboarding definitely requires a slightly different technique from skiing and if you try to "ski" a pair of skiboards you're not going to get the maximum enjoyment. you're right about having to get a little lower and the more aggressive you are the better they perform.

there's some good carving shots in here i think...

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G

[caitie_15]

Yeah ok so I guess It's not carving but carving at speed. I'm used to going pretty fast on skis - just as an indication for comparison, I usually go with my partner who snowboards and always beating him down the mountain on skis but on the skiboards we would go about the same speed ie I couldn't go as fast. So based on that I think that I would use skis if I'm looking for a day cruising on the mountain and skiboards if I'm looking for a day doing some jumps and turns etc. Also like I said, Ive only done one day so maybe as i get more used to them I'll be able to go faster and get the technique down.
Thanks for all your help Greco and the fast postage too - important as the snow is already melting.....

[Manlenium]

Part of the reason may be the wetness. I found that during the end of the season they stuck a bit. Toss on some wax based on the temp might make a big difference.

[caitie_15]

Yeah that's a good point but I will now admit that I did one day skiing and then one day skiboarding consecutively and the drag was significantly more on the skiboards, with no noticeable difference in the conditions. For example, on a mild slope, just going straight (no turning), with the snow a little slushy I could definitely notice the difference. I had a hot wax put on them before I used them so I don't think that was the issue, and my skis have been riddden about 5 or more days since a wax. Maybe I am doing something wrong??? I don't think I'm 'skiing' the boards as Greco suggested. My conclusion is that both skis and skiboards have their advantages

[Phil]

Glad you like the Tanshos!!

Given the difference in the length of them to regular skis there will be some outright performance differences between long skis and 90cm skiboards.

I find that attacking the piste a little more aggressively than skis with your skiboards helps get a lot of the extra performance out of them.

Last winter I was embarrassing v.good skiers with my knackered old Salomon 90cm blades down very long alpine reds, the Tanshos would leave them for powder.

They will chatter a little when you are cranked over hard into a fast carve, but if you have the nerve you can hold it together :)

And one point G made in another post about the Tanshos, they love inclines; the steeper it gets the better they become ;)

[caitie_15]

Hey Phil,
I was thinking about what you had said about your speed on the snowblades and was wondering what level of control you would say you had? I think the difference I noticed was that with feeling the same level of control (ie being able to stop and turn) the skiboards were slower. Maybe you are right, that they just require to be ridden more aggressively to get the performance out of them.....

[Greco]

definitely helps to be aggressive and also try to use your edges more then with skis, i pretty much am always on an edge. one because it offers more control and two they are so damn easy and fun to turn i can't help it. if you keep 'em flat they tend to "swim" which isn't a good feeling at very high speeds.

g

[Phil]

Originally posted by caitie_15
Hey Phil,
I was thinking about what you had said about your speed on the snowblades and was wondering what level of control you would say you had?

It's easier to say if I explain how I learnt how to Skiboard.

On my only day on the slopes a few years ago I got my Salomon Snowblades and went right to the top of St Johan mountain in Austria, got to the black run and launched myself off.

That first 200 mtr decent was probably the most frightening thing on snow!! I was all over the place and found the SB's so be almost uncontrollably twitchy. I ended up limping down the mountain.

This year in Alpbach, Austria, I started out gently getting into using them without trying to ride them like skis and within a day was back on blue's. As G pointed out the trick is to get on your edges and carve, this was my mistake in St Johan - I was trying to ski on them down the piste and 90cm board just don't have the length to be stable when you ride them like that.

In a few days I was back on red runs ripping them to bits and the more I attacked the better it became. I found myself for pretty much the whole of the run I was on my edges, stability was fine and I felt very much in control. Sure there were really good skiers and boarders who flew past me but I found I was riding a different line to them and when I did run with them I was either going the same speed or not that much slower. Eventually I got to the point where I was starting to push past the point where the SB's could hold me; I'd found the limits of the Salomons (seems to be quite common).

After trying the Tanshos at a few of the UK indoor snowdomes I've booked two weeks in Mayrhofen, it has the steepest pisted black in Austria (78 degrees) and I know I'll get my own back for that first time :)

Maximum attack is the best way, get on your edges and carve your way down the slopes ;)

[Greco]

awesome phil. thanks for sharing your experiences.

g