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Ski boarding
I started with one of the newest winter sports: ski boarding. Think skiing, think snowboarding. Then imagine what you'd get if the sports were to mate. Like skiing, you wear boards on both feet; like snowboarding, you don't use poles.
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SKI BOARDS
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Most large resorts rent ski boards, with rates ranging from $15 to $25 a day. Try calling them short skis or SnowBlades if you get a funny look asking for ski boards. In Massachusetts, ski boards are available at:
Berkshire East Charlemont, 413-339-6617. [Get directions].
Bousquet Ski Area Lenox, 413-442-8316. [Get directions].
Butternut Basin Great Barrington, 413-528-2000. [Get directions].
Catamount South Egremont, 413-528-1262. [Get directions].
Jiminy Peak Hancock, 413-738-5500
Mt. Wachusett Princeton, 978-464-2300
Ski Ward Shrewsbury, 508-842-6346. [Get directions].
If your favorite ski area doesn't rent ski boards, ski equipment retailers such as Ski Market (860 Comm. Ave., Brookline, 617-731-6100) rent the boards for $8 a day, plus deposit. The boards attach to standard ski boots, which you can rent for an additional $5. [Get directions].
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Also known as snow skates, twins, or Snow Blades (the brand name of Salomon's boards), the boards are about half the length of traditional downhill skis and two thirds that of snowboards. They are shaped like snowboards, but aren't as wide.
The shorter length makes ski boards easier to control, allowing you to do snowboard-style tricks without worrying about losing your balance.
Ski boarding began in Japan, and started to catch on here three years ago, according to Steve Wolf, president of Snow Jam, a Wayland company that makes the boards.
At Mount Wachusett in Princeton, ski boards are usually rented out by late morning. They're used by a wide range of people, from daredevil tricksters to young children learning how to ski.
I figured that if toddlers could have a good time on ski boards, I could too. I asked my friend Ben Garcia to join me. He agreed, but suspected I was just using him to add comic relief to the story.
I was feeling fairly confident as I struggled to get the ski boots onto my feet. That feeling didn't last long.
"What kind of skier are you? What kind of turns do you make?" asked the woman in the equipment shop at Mt. Wachusett. "I'm the kind of skier who snowplows a lot," I replied meekly. My courage was not bolstered any when I learned ski boarders don't use poles: What would I prop myself up with when I fell?
Without poles, maneuvering on flat surfaces was difficult. Ben and I struggled to make our way to the beginner's chair lift. As we were heading up the mountain, Ben made noises about backing out. He told me he had only been skiing three times in his life. One time, his older brother took him to the top of an expert slope, then took off. Poor Ben, left in tears, managed to slide down the hill using the most basic of equipment: his derriere.
From our vantage point on the lift, we noticed that the slope was littered with fallen snowboarders. I had visions of Ben and I racing down the hill and wreaking more havoc than Lucy and Ethel. Ben, meanwhile, was mumbling something about Sonny Bono. Finally we reached the top, and an amazing thing happened as we skied off the lift. Neither of us fell.
We started down, slowly at first, then gradually gaining momentum. The ski boards were much easier to maneuver than skis and by the end of our first run we were marveling at our success.
Controlling your speed on ski boards involves turning as much as possible. If you're a true speed demon, point your boards directly in front and go down in a straight line. Ben and I opted to crisscross the slope.
We quickly graduated to the intermediate slope. And after another round of questioning our sanity, we found ourselves at the bottom of the trail with no broken bones. I found it impossible to get down the intermediate hill without falling (the worst part of which was standing back up), but Ben managed to get through the entire day without falling once. My once fearful friend was now gloating and talking about his next ski boarding trip.
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