You are probably asking yourself what in the world even is a snow skate.
Well, if you are wondering what these snow skates are all about then keep reading this guide to inform yourself and maybe pick up a new hobby while you are at it.
What are Snow Skates?
A snow skate can be best put as simply a skateboard on snow, hence the name. But there are a couple different types and a couple different details that are important to know.
The snow sliding device was created to be a hybrid of a snowboard and a skateboard. They have actually been traced back to existing as early as the 1960’s or 70’s and are actually permitted to an extent in just about every major North American ski area.
The actual board is covered with grip tape and does have any attachments to go onto your foot. Most boards do come with leashes in order to keep the board from running wild down the hill but that's it. The tricks that are possible with a snow skate are unlike any others because of the bindingless design.
But these boards can also carve like a snowboard and do every trick a snowboard could do as well.
The best conditions to use a snow skate are groomed trails. Groomers will provide enough grip to the bottom of the board to keep the board controlled on turns and speed checks. Packed powder and very light powder are also possibilities to bring out the snow skate. Groomers are best for learning and the light powder or packed powder is more of a graduated step.
Anything deeper than a couple inches will be troublesome. Icy conditions are also an absolute no go. Zero snow skate riders stand a chance in icy consciousness, there simply isn't enough grip for the board to perform.
There are many different types of snow skates, but the two most popular ones are a single deck snow skate and a bi-level snow skate.
Single decks are traditionally used in the park more than downhill riding but are capable of doing both. The design of this board has either five or seven grooves cut into it and is made of plastic or a laminated wood.
The bi-level snow skate has a skateboard top-deck which the rider stands on, connected through a set of "trucks" to a ski sub-deck. This type of snow skate can be used in many different ways depending on how long the subdeck is.
Shorter subdecks are conditioned for the park and freestyle while the longer subdecks tend to permit more speed and carvable downhill riding.
A great aspect to these snow skates is that they eliminate so much gear making the whole experience easier and more affordable. It's also unique and a great way to challenge yourself if you find yourself in a plateau on your regular skis or snowboard.
The Best Snow Skates Today
This snowskate is meant for the park rats but will be able to take you all over the mountain. It has a shorter design to enable freestyle tricks. It's got a surf style coiled leash with a carabiner. Multiple options for trucks and a 92 centimeter subdeck. This board is available for $399.
Another Hovland board, but this one is going to be able to shred the powder like n o other. The Bubba has a standard sized top deck but the subdeck is 151 centimeters long. The subdeck also contains Fully wrapped stainless steel edges, tri Axle fiberglass, and five insert setup options. This board is on sale for $384.
The Jones Mountain Snow Skate is listed at a price of $479.95. Here's what you get out of that price. A smooth, catch-free CamRock rocker, 3D Contour Base 1.0 contouring, and durable constructed board that is very similar in design and feel to a regular Jones snowboard. It has a 115 centimeter subdeck which is perfect for a versatile, powder to park type of board.
This board is more of a basic beginner board for anyone trying to get out on the mountain to learn. It is available for an extremely affordable price of $83, so it's worth the experiment. Take your new Jib in the backyard or the resort to start practicing those new tricks or how to bomb down the hill.
Lib tech’s Twin Snowskate is a 39 inch board that is constructed with a C2 Rocker/Camber Profile and an Original Power core. There is no such thing as a bad day on this and in fact it might just feel like a regular snowboard, that's how good the technology is. Grab this board for $530 and let the adventures begin.
The Bottom Line: Snow Skates
Join the hybrid life today and use this guide to purchase a new snow skate today. There are endless possibilities with this unique design of a snowboard and skateboard all in one. Combining two of the coolest sports into one is destined for an unbelievable experience.
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