Definition

• Ski blades are essentially shorter versions of traditional alpine skis. They are roughly half the size of the traditional ski the skier would be using. The rider uses one ski per foot and uses his weight and balance to control the edges. Major differences to downhill skiing are that in ski blading the rider uses no poles. In addition, most ski blades have non-releasable bindings, although some ski blades do have traditional releasable ski bindings.
  
  

Appeal

• Ski blading came about as a diversion to skiing, but it has remained popular, with dozens of types of ski blades available on the market from major ski brands. The short ski length allows much easier maneuverability and ease of turning, attracting many modern skiers who like to make quick, fast turns. In addition, not having poles is a personal preference for many skiers, and ski blades fit well for those types.
  
  

Ski Blades and the Terrain Park

• Ski blades are often seen in the terrain park area of a ski resort. The terrain park is a designated freestyle area that has man-made snow features such as jumps, halfpipes and rails, where people practice tricks. The shortness of the ski contributes to the ease of launching off jumps and landing them as well as riding rails with greater ease than lengthy and cumbersome skis. Rollerbladers report ski blading to be a popular crossover sport as the equipment is similar to rollerblades and even some of the tricks are the same.
  
  

Disadvantages

• Because they are short in length and relatively short in width, ski blades do not have enough float to ride in anything but the very thinnest layer of powder. The skier's weight will push the ski through the powder surface and the ski blade will stop. In addition, ski blades do not handle choppy, tracked out snow well as it is very hard to maintain control through variable terrain with such a short ski. All-mountain ski-blades exist for this purpose but do not compare with traditional downhill skis.
  
  

Benefits

• Ski blades provide the beginner a great advantage over traditional downhill skis. Most snow-goers can strap on a pair of ski blades and be off and riding independently on the same day. Since they are essentially stripped-down versions of skis with no poles, a lot of the technique and complications to learning traditional skiing simply do not exist with ski blades.