What Is the Difference between Skiskates, Snowblades, Skiboards & Short Skis?

Short skis of all kinds are hell of a fun, but the terminology can be a little confusing. The following article is a guide to short skis types. 

 Is there a difference between Skiskates, Snowblades, Skiboards, and Snowfeet? 

Yes, there is. However, all terms are names for short skis. You can also know them as mini skis, Big Foot, or skiblades. They differ type by type, each one of them being amazing in its own way. More in detail bellow. 

What are Skiskates? 

Skiskates are skates for snow, simply put. They are the shortest skis in the world which combine skiing and skating. 

Skiskates have construction very similar to regular ski. The body consists of cap construction and wood core but they are only 44 cm long, with non-release ski or snowboard binding.

They have been developed to allow all kinds of movements on the snow and you don't have to be limited by going downhill only. You can use them to ski, of course, but also to skate on the snow. Do you want to ski, enjoy some jumps on the way, ride through bumps, and skate on snow right to your doorstep? Grab these and you are free to show your skills.

Skiskates' main advantage is that they fit all sizes, they are due to their size easily portable and light, plus they provide a new way of fun on the snow. They also come in two version: ski boots and snowboard boots bindings. So if you are not a fan of uncomfortable ski boots, you can still enjoy skiskating. 

Are Skiskates good for beginners? Are Skiskates easy? 

Skiskates are very easily for both roller-bladers and hockey players. For a regular beginner, they can be a little challenging, since they are quite short and they don't provide too wide base.

The process of learning skiskating is very fast and you will have fun from the very beginning. 

How do you use mini skis? How do you skiskate? 

Skiskating is similar to rollerblading and playing ice hockey. If you know how to do that, you will be a natural! 

Basic tips on how to skiskate:

• keep the front-back balance by placing your weight over the middle of your feet or over your heels 
• keep your legs flexible, at about shoulder width, slightly bend your knees and lean the upper part of your body forward.
• place one foot in front of the other if it helps you increase your stability. 
• stopping is pretty easy, it’s similar to stopping with skis or skates.

If you are interested in trying out Skiskates, check this video out:  

Skiskates are not however the only short skis to skiskate with. In Snowfeet, we came up with the ultimate winter footwear. Snowfeet* Mini skis are short skis which you can wear on your regular winter shoes or snowboard boots. 

Snowfeet* are even shorter than Skiskates and they provide even more possibilities. You can take them basically anywhere the snow leads you: slopes, snowparks, hiking trails or your local hills. They can be use for both skiskating and cross-country skiing - it's only up to you. 

What is the difference between Skiskates and Snowfeet*?  

Both Skiskates and Snowfeet* are very short skis, but their main difference is in their construction. 
Skiskates remain similar to the the regular long skis with their wood core and cap construction, whereas Snowfeet* are made out of plastic. The plastic material makes them very light and incredibly durable at the same time. 

If looking for a shortcup, have a look at the Snowfeet/Skiskates comparison:  

What are Skiboards? 

Skiboards, also known as Snow Blades or Big Foot are a kind of short skis, usually with slightly wider base than regular skis. 

The term "Skiboards" was established in 1998 and referred to the construction of the short skis developed from snowboards. They were meant to carve on the edges like snowboards but were made separately for each foot, therefore still being skis. 

What is the difference between Skiboards and Snowblades? 

Skiing professionals like to distinguish between classic skiboards and snowblades. While both of these terms refer basically to short skis and are widely understood as such, you can find some differences between the two if you look at them properly. Skiboards are more true to their snowboarding origin, therefore they tend to be wider, have usually wooden cores, feature twin tips to ride easily forwards and backwards and perform various tricks. Similarly, snowblades look more like their big ski brothers, which makes them slightly narrower and these are also usually made of the same materials their producers are using for full-length ski. 

Are skiboards suitable for beginners? 

Yes, they are perfect for beginners, but they can bring benefits to skiers of all levels. 

Thanks to their wider base, they provide desired support to the beginners, but they still remain short skis with all advantages, that it brings. Their short length doesn't burden your legs, increases the maneuverability and allows you to move with greater agility.  They can also be used as a preparation stage before moving on to regular ski. No more embarrassing moments on the slope with your ski tips crossed.

Intermediates may feel a huge improvement in their skiing abilities when they use their short ski to be more confident with their moves. That can bring them to start trying some tricks, in which they would be otherwise limited with regular skis. You just have to tame you fear not to get in your way.

Even if, as and expert, you may think you've already mastered everything, skiboards may offer you some extra experience. Maybe carving fast turns with your hand dragging in the snow or riding through the forest paths, there are no bad conditions for these. Just show what you dare for.

Check our video introducing skiboards:  

Are skiboards easier than skis? 

Yes, they are. As mentioned above, they are shorter, and therefore easier to manuever. Plus, they provide wider base than regular skis with an extra support. Skiboards are amazing skis for beginners and even for skiers with knee injuries, since it doesn't take too much of strength to carve or take turns. 

Are Skiboards by Snowfeet* Different? 

As we truly believe that this sport has a lot of potential and that it would be really sad to let it be forgotten, we want to put our own efforts into supporting the growth of the snowbladers' community and as well to pay a tribute to the pioneers of this sport. So, we have developed our own Snowfeet* Skiboards for you so that you can become a proud promoter of this fun sport on the slopes.

Not only that we want to keep this tradition alive and make our contribution to this efforts, we have also come up with innovations and improvements that would make snowblades feel perfectly at home in 2020s. 

 

Our first concern was how to sort out the bindings to provide as much comfort as possible and to maintain the safety as well.

So, we have equipped our Skiboards with ski boots bindings that is easy to fasten, it is safe and andjustable to fit sizes of ski boots 36-49 EU / 4.5-14.5 US / (22.5-32.5 MP/Ski boot size). And as we know that from snowblading its not that far to snowboarding, we have added another version of our Skiboards with bindings that fits snowboard boots in sizes 38-49 EU / 6-14.5 US.

Skiboards by Snowfeet* are made in the length of 26 in / 65 cm. However, we kind of felt that one length version is not enough. Therefore, it will be no surprise that we have introduced another version of Skiboards that are a bit longer than the original ones, and therefore are providing the perfect middle course between traditional skis and mini skis. 

The longer versions of Skiboards is available in the length of 35.5 in / 90 cm, 39 in / 99 cm, and 47 in / 120 cm with ski boots bindings and in four color variants. 

 

Interested? Wait no more and check Skiskate & Snowfeet stores for more information!