I’ve been an avid skier my whole life. I may not be a double black diamond skier or even all the time a solid black diamond one, but I’d comfortably call myself an advanced intermediate skier. To me, nothing is more peaceful than being on top of a mountain, with the snow falling down, and only hearing the sound of the carving of the skis.
From childhood, my dad and I would take father and son ski trips and they provided some of the best memories of my life. From Switzerland, to Mount Tremblant, to Vail, Park City, Tahoe, and more…I was exposed to skiing at an early age and I am very fortunate for this.
Being a sports chiropractor, my life revolves around treating injuries, rehabilitating such injuries, and helping to prevent future injuries. Skiing is a sport, that although insanely fun, comes with its set of injury risks. I’ve treated many various skiing (and fairly stated, snowboarding) injuries in my day. This begs the question: how do we mitigate the risks of skiing while still having loads of fun?
Several years ago, a patient started talking with me about skiing. He mentioned that he no longer used skis and he switched to something called ‘Skiboards.’ He talked about how much fun they were and how much safer he felt using them vs. skis. This conversation piqued my curiosity. After all, I loved skiing and I also wanted to minimize risk as much as possible.
Left to Right: Voelkl Carvers, Salomon X-wing/Tornadoes, and the Blunt XL skiboards (rockered and great for powder and moguls)
(In a nutshell, skiboards are wide and short skis. They use superior 4×4 bindings and are not skiblades/snowblades…to read some FAQs about skiboards, click here…)
As some background (and as you can see from the photo to the right), I used Voelkl Carvers for many years ago, switched to the Salomon X-wings/Tornadoes, and then…got into Skiboards. In fact, after the discussion with my patient, I called Greco at Skiboardsonline.com and had a nice talk. He created an entire line of skiboards. His knowledge is unmatched on this topic.
Based on his recommendation, I started my skiboard journey with a pair of 2016 Blunt XLs sight unseen, along with the Tyrolia Spruce quick release bindings. Whereas the risk of ACL injury is greatly reduced with skiboards vs. skis, the risk for lower extremity injury on skiboards is greater with non-release bindings. This is why I will emphasize here that you should ONLY use quick release bindings for optimal safety. And yes, you can wear a standard ski boot, and I recommend this.
A quick note on that: go with lower flex boots (90 or below). This is because you can ski forward, upright, and really any way you want on skiboards. A higher flex ski boot has you leaning forward all the time and this is not necessary for skiboards. It will also unnecessarily fatigue your quadriceps muscles. Higher flex boots lock you into dorsiflexion and we do not want, or need, this with skiboards. I started with Salomon QST Access 80 boots and have moved to Head Edge LYT 90 boots starting this season. Why? As I become more proficient with skiboards, I want a bit more feedback when moving a bit faster.
The Blunt XLs (rockered) I got are great for powder, mashed potatoes, moguls, groomed, and most everything…their only shortcoming is that they are a bit weak with sharp carving. A bit on that just below.
My first real outing with them was at Copper Mountain, in Colorado. Needless to say, I’d never go back to skis. I was sold on the skiboards from the first run. I could handle almost any slope on the mountain and the Blunt XLs made the tougher slopes fun! They were super easy to control and were super smooth on any amount of steepness.
You will ‘slarve’ in them (combo of carving and sliding) a decent amount, but they still carve. They could handle moguls like a champ, excelled on powder, and were decent on hard packs and groomers. I will note that they are very short (100 cm) and get a lot of looks. They are rockered and this shape is what allows them to perform well on powder and with moguls.
My Spliffs with my buddy’s Sticky Ickies. Notice his skiboards are narrower-making them ideal for groomers and east coast skiing. The Spliffs are wider and better for being ‘out west’.
For sharper carving, getting skiboards that are cambered help with this. This is the reason I purchased the Spliffs (rockered and cambered), a few years later. They edge very well, making them great with groomers, and perform nicely in powder. The Blunt XLs will still out-perform the Spliffs in powder, but the Spliffs are better for all mountain performance. If you are going to go with only one pair or are just starting your skiboard journey, starting with the Spliffs is a great way to go.
Whereas you’ll get a rare odd look from some old fossil with super long straight skis, most everyone is receptive and wanting to learn more about them. I know I’ve converted a lot of long board skiers into skiboarders. All of my patients who have switched loved them! Afterall, it’s all about fun and safety! You give up nothing with skiboards!
I’ll take control and fun any time over increased risk of injury with long skis. I now fully understand what my patient was so excited about! To see how many different types of skiboards there are and their strengths, please take a look at this chart. Most of the skiboards have some sort of rocker, camber, or both. They also come in wider sizes (I like these) and a narrower form.
From left to right: Playmakers, cambered Condors, Spliffs, and Blunt XLs
Any fears of skiing with long skis and getting a tip stuck in a mogul, or having uncontrolled speed that could result in a ‘yard sale’ are gone. The skiboards provide me with far more confidence as a skier and I am able to hand most any terrain on the mountain I wish to ski. Speed isn’t an issue. You can move plenty fast on these but you will have tremendously more control. I can now just about keep up with my wife (who is an expert skier) and do so while feeling safe.
So, where is all this going? Am I actually giving a product recommendation? Yes, I am. Emphatically…from a skiing and sports med perspective. We can prevent most skiing injuries with a bit more control.
Skiboards give us that extra control. I’ve recommended Greco’s RVL8 skiboards to a LOT of my patients (no, I do not get compensation from RVL8 of any kind).
I recommend them for the reasons I’ve been discussing here: I want people to enjoy skiing and to do so with a reduced risk of injury. Many people are afraid of skiing, especially those with past injuries and those getting older. My advice is to order these (like me…sight unseen), and give them a try. They will make you smile when you’re on the slopes! You simply cannot go wrong! You will likely ski for many more years than if you stick with standard skis.
For the 2024 season, I purchased a pair of 2023 cambered Condors. Why another pair? I already have two. Well, I can use the same bindings for the Blunt XLs, Spliffs, and now the cambered Condors. The Condors are best for sharper carving and for even better control of safe speed than the Spliffs. Spring skiing tends to be a bit more slippery and the Condors do well in these conditions. They ride fast but still are easily controllable.
RVL8 recently released a board that is not cambered, but is rockered. To aid with carving, they made the board thicker so that there was more board ‘mass’ while on edge. This board is recommended for people over 200 lbs. as an all mountain skiboard vs. the Spliffs, which are more-so recommended for those under 200 lbs. Being 200 lbs., I’ll compare and contrast them this year and report back!
Now I have options for powder (Blunt XLs), all mountain performance (Spliffs and Playmakers), and sharper carving/edging and a bit more fun and safe speed (cambered Condors). The price of skiboards is about half of a good quality ski so they’re more affordable and adding to your quiver isn’t as expensive as adding skis. Skiboards are a win: win.
If you plan on hitting the slopes and are open to having fun and reducing your risk of injury, do yourself a favor and call Greco. Treat yourself to a pair of skiboards. You’ll be glad you did!
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