How to Buy Skiboarding Equipment

Skiboarding is a relatively obscure sport, often crowded out by snowboarding and traditional skiing. However, many people are turning to skiboarding because minimal training is required and more tricks can be performed than on conventional planks. The novice skiboarder may feel intimidated when going to buy skiboarding equipment; but by keeping a few tips in mind, the perfect equipment may be well within reach. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Skiboarding or extreme sports magazines

1. Search out skiboarding magazines, newsletters, blogs and other forums for skiboarding news. Look on the magazine racks at larger grocery stores and bookstores, where there is usually a greater variety of publications on display.
2. Read articles rating skiboarding equipment, look at advertisements for equipment purveyors and note their locations and websites.
3. Note that skiboards are half the length and twice the width of traditional skis. Longer skiboards are more stable at high speeds and shorter boards are easier to turn.
4. Look at all of the dimensions for the skiboards; there will usually be different measurements at the tip, waist, and tail of the board. These are called the side cut dimensions. For example, the "Salomon Snowblade 99" is 99cm long and has a side cut of 105/80/100mm. This means that the tip is slightly wider than the tail, which helps with turning.
5. Buy skiboarding equipment at sporting goods retailers, especially those that specialize in snow sports such as skiing. Try the ski shop in your area, or try online vendors such as BoardZone or Altrec.
6. Visit snow sport shops in-person for a first skiboard purchase to try boards on for the perfect fit and to speak with store personnel who may be able to recommend additional skiboarding gear you may want to buy.

Tips & Warnings

• Skiboarding is considered an "extreme sport," so if you're having a hard time finding magazines and other publications devoted entirely to skiboarding, look for extreme sports publications and see if there are sections within them that cover skiboarding.
• The ski equipment company, Salomon, calls skiboards "Snowblades," so you may see boards referred to by both names when shopping for equipment.