Monoskiing..how does it differ?

[rideit]

From A: skiing
B:snowboarding
C: rollerblading
D: special olympics?
Seriously, though, where does this odd sport fit?
A bad monoskier will displace as much, if not more snow than an average/bad snowboarder, whereas a great monoskier still cant ride switch well, OR do traverses. What is the point? Serious Q, not a full on bash troll, I just have never gotten it, except as a 'Stein Erickson/stem christie training tool'.
If you want BIG flotation, go snowboard, or the new skis. Opinions, Mags?

[ddsnake]

You are a retard for comparing it to the special olympics.
You could say special olympians do it for the challenge , pure enjoyment and passion they have for their sports. I would imagine monoskiers do it for similar reasons.

"great monoskier still cant ride switch well, OR do traverses"

oh well, I guarantee there monoskiers out there who would make you look like a gaper.........mabey you should quit skiing.

Who cares if you "get it"

[rideit]

oh well, I guarantee there monoskiers out there who would make you look like a gaper.........mabey you should quit skiing.

Umm, Doubtful, but indeed possible. There are Mt. Unicylclists who RULE the technical line, as well. However, I am serious in my query...why would a monoskier not evolve towards a snowboard? It seems ultimately more useful, given the 'one edge' constraints. And that is a serious observation, and query.

[edg]

Maybe it's just plain a taste thing. Same reason as you'd tele now over AT, just for the enjoyment and challenge of that style of skiing.

edg

[ill-advised strategy]

And that is a serious observation, and query.

yes, it is seriously query. Possibly even querier than figure skating.

[rideit]

Fair dinkum, That is more of the perspective that I am seeking.
More opinions, folks?

[cpj.slc]

The challenge of, and advantages that come with no inside edges and no ability to widen your stance when needed.
But seriously, I bet monoskiing would be fun in moguls.

[bryanthebold]

I feel like it would be harder to fully utilize your legs having them that close together. Maybe they would be fun in the deep...

They do look like a good time though, I am probably gonna borrow one of my buds and ride it once spring skiing gets in fully swing.

[Tectonically_Neglected]

From A: skiing
B:snowboarding
C: rollerblading
D: special olympics?
Seriously, though, where does this odd sport fit?
A bad monoskier will displace as much, if not more snow than an average/bad snowboarder, whereas a great monoskier still cant ride switch well, OR do traverses. What is the point? Serious Q, not a full on bash troll, I just have never gotten it, except as a 'Stein Erickson/stem christie training tool'.
If you want BIG flotation, go snowboard, or the new skis. Opinions, Mags?

DIFFERENCES:
A. Compared to skiing you don't have to worry about tips crossing AND a monoboard is easier to carry (think little old women hugging a jumble of skis and poles)
B. When you want to rest on the snow, you can sit down without settling your ass in the snow i.e. a "warmer" sitdown
C. Rollerblading = on the street; mono skiing on the snow (or did I miss the "urban" monoski jibbing vids?)
D. Special Olympians have no choice in being extra challenged

SIMILARITIES:
A. Both have the letters "ski" in their description
B. Flats must suck
C. Gay
D. Both are challenged activities

[swerve]

french monoskiers killing it
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php

[truth]

Back in 95 I tested a prototype monoboard, basically a parabolic shaped monoski. Kinda like a giant version of the wood spoons that come with those cups of ice cream from back in the day. Anywho, thos dude who went byh the name of "turbo" and a doctor frined of my Dad's where trying to launch this concept and I spent a few days ripping around Telluride with turbo dude.

It was pretty damn fun. Uber quick in the bumps, and plenty of float in the soft stufff. Downside is that it's a really gat mode of transportation around a mountian. You can't traverse for shit, you can't skate so you end up needing to walk in ski boots. Even snowboarders can do the hop thing and get going in most scenarios, not on this thing. Lame. There was also the added joy of being strapped in without releasing binders as it used alpine snowboarding plate binders, tree wells would be lethal.

It was a gimmick and never made it to production due to all of the above and a wicked delamination problem. It wasn't all bad though, I got to ski, eat and crash for free for 3 days in T-ride while I was in college. THis was before the uber fat revolution in skiing though, and the search wass on to find a new platform. The monoboard just wasn't it.

[Jiehkevarri]

french monoskiers killing it

Totally. Check out the clip. I've heard the guy ("Piff"", or something like that, from Chamonix) has a speed record of Glacier Rond...somewhere around ~25 seconds!!!

Despite its restrictions, IMHO mono combines best aspects of skiing and boarding - if you think pure downhill performance in pow. Float and schmear like a board, but has more powerful forward looking stance.

I'm not sure if I'd ever concentrate on monoskiing though (occasional try on the right day would still be fun, I guess). (Also, if you have lived in Chamonix your whole life like those guys, maybe that changes the perspective "a bit" too...?)

EDIT. It's also pretty funny that progressive pintail desingn (i.e. Pontoons) is all the rage in skiing right now. And being able to "schmear" your turns in the pow. While moniskis had that same design for ages (and monoskiers had the ability to ski pow like no-other back in the day, in the 1980's). IMO that clearly shows how stagnated (sp?) the "mainstream" ski industry has been for a very long time...(and skiers too, I guess)

[philippeR]

Lots of cool videos here :
http://www.tvmountain.com/glisse/
Scroll down to 'freeride, mono'.
I did monoskied once in a while back in the good ol' days of 'Apocalypse Snow'.
It was before fat skis and snow boards, and a mono was really the only way to 'float' in deep snow.
But Thruth naiiled it : it had too many drawbacks to really become mainstream. It also had durabiliy issues : The stress put on the board by the bindings was too much.
Now, the most efficient and rational way to go down a mountain iis a tram... Everything else is about fun.

[KennyG]

You are a retard for comparing it to the special olympics.
You could say special olympians do it for the challenge , pure enjoyment and passion they have for their sports. I would imagine monoskiers do it for similar reasons.

"great monoskier still cant ride switch well, OR do traverses"

oh well, I guarantee there monoskiers out there who would make you look like a gaper.........mabey you should quit skiing.

Who cares if you "get it"

Easy on the flames - last I checked the whole purpose of forums is to ask questions and discuss things. Maybe the special olympics was over the line, but I found it funny. Take a valium and relax. He wants to know what the appeal is to monoskiing. You don't have to flame him for not seing instantly the appeal of a mono ski. He didn't say Monoskiers are retarded hiljax who have sex with their sisters - he just said he didn't get it - so if you do - try to explain it. if you don't don't clutter up the thread.

[ill-advised strategy]

Monoskiers are retarded hiljax who have sex with their sisters

[ill-advised strategy]

Anywho, thos dude who went byh the name of "turbo" and a doctor frined of my Dad's where trying to launch this concept and I spent a few days ripping around Telluride with turbo dude.
.

heh...

wow. I remember Turbo. I almost put up a nostalgia thread like a month ago because that guy was such a freak and I was curious if anybody else remembered him. He used to monoski around Crested Butte at mach speed wearing full motocross gear. Everybody pretty much thought he was a joke.

[iceman]

You are a retard for comparing it to the special olympics.

That's a classic sentence.



"Turbo" Turner used to post on PowMag for a while back in the day, he got his five minutes of fame (he's still waiting for the other 10) for affixing a rocket motor to his monoski. I seem to recall that he set himself on fire one time with that rig. There were a couple pics in one mag or another of the whole deal.

Last we heard from him he was living in Montana, howling at the moon and going out in the yard with his .38 to "bust caps at the sky" to make it snow.

[ill-advised strategy]

there was some classic footage in one of the early JSP productions videos of the first years of the US extremes in Crested Butte of Turbo ragdolling down something.

[Core Shot]

oh well, I guarantee there monoskiers out there who would make you look like a gaper.........mabey you should quit skiing.

Here's one monoskier that could probably make most of us look like gapers:

[The AD]

What is the point?

Presumably to have fun.

[addict]

I still wanna see a monoskier with a splitboard for touring. That'd be dope.

I had a landlord who mono'd. He used to throw down 7s and shit in gnar terrain. At the end of the day he was still a mono.

[The AD]

Monoskiers are a little like those people who insist on riding goofy recumbent bikes.

[bullhorn]

The challenge of, and advantages that come with no inside edges

I would think that it's all inside edge. Kinda like skiing with your outside/downhill ski off the ground all the time. (right ski off the ground when making a left turn)

I don't get it ether, but I've only done one run on them and quickly handed them back to their owner.

[mtnbikerskierchick]

A bad monoskier will displace as much, if not more snow than an average/bad snowboarder, whereas a great monoskier still cant ride switch well, OR do traverses. What is the point?

There is no point. Monoskiing has gone the way of the 8-track!

[addict]

There is no point. Monoskiing has gone the way of the 8-track!

Hey! 8-tracks are the only way to roll. That's no fair comparison, take that back!



Edit: Acutually I'm more of a reel-to-reel kinda guy. It's the sound quality, you understand.