I was wondering if anyone on the forum has ever tried a monoski, or currently uses one. I have been interested in trying it out but I'm a little hesitant on dumping a bunch of money into one. I'm also wondering what the transition to the single ski is like. Any info would be appreciated.
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Monoski?
- Thread starter mlowe
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Moving to Gear. Don't take this the wrong way, but I put monoskis in the same category as snowblades. Too gimmicky for me.
Welcome to the forums!
Philpug
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They have Monoskis in Shelbyville.
eastcoastpowderhound
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don't waste your money! I tried it back in the 80s...even bought a Rossi MonoExtreme...I used it 5 times, carried it around from Tahoe to Maine for a couple years while it gathered dust, then finally sold it for what I paid for it. Monoskis lock you into a very tight stance and pretty much force you to use a skidding pivot type turn (at least the swallow tail boards do, never tried one with sidecut), encourage you to lean back, don't allow you to angulate and really don't use the same skill set as skiing on two skis. my $.02
snosharkrider
New member
i currently ride a monoski and think its a blast; i keep trying to get back on the duo skis but never seem to anymore except when its icy.
i own two including one that's a twin tip. both are new in design and materials so i dont have any experience with monos made in their 'hey-day'. i understand they were kind of a PIA. well they still are to some degree especially as one needs to be their own ski and binding technician as many shops wont touch it for fear of liability issues.
while eastcoastpowderhound makes a few good points but i dont agree with all of what he says. i've ridden the mono over a 100 days in the past 3 years as compared to 5 times 20-30 yrs ago so perhaps my experience differs.
i found the transition to be quite easy although getting off the first chair was interesting. i love the monoski in the trees and in the bumps; especially the bumps. it also excels in the cruddy spring snow; the mono blasts thru it as if it were powder.
if you'd like more info check out www.lateralpressure.com. its a forum for/about monoskis.
i own two including one that's a twin tip. both are new in design and materials so i dont have any experience with monos made in their 'hey-day'. i understand they were kind of a PIA. well they still are to some degree especially as one needs to be their own ski and binding technician as many shops wont touch it for fear of liability issues.
while eastcoastpowderhound makes a few good points but i dont agree with all of what he says. i've ridden the mono over a 100 days in the past 3 years as compared to 5 times 20-30 yrs ago so perhaps my experience differs.
i found the transition to be quite easy although getting off the first chair was interesting. i love the monoski in the trees and in the bumps; especially the bumps. it also excels in the cruddy spring snow; the mono blasts thru it as if it were powder.
if you'd like more info check out www.lateralpressure.com. its a forum for/about monoskis.
BigJay
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and how about tele-board?
All these things try to emulate the true feeling of surfing on snow... like on a snowboard!
Would fat skies even exists without snowboarders coming along to surf the snow like no one else did before? Totally other debate... but to me, monoski belong in the same rank as snowblades and straight skis: something I'm glad to know it's over with!
All these things try to emulate the true feeling of surfing on snow... like on a snowboard!
Would fat skies even exists without snowboarders coming along to surf the snow like no one else did before? Totally other debate... but to me, monoski belong in the same rank as snowblades and straight skis: something I'm glad to know it's over with!
hardline
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jaja111
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I'm in the same boat, wanting one but never having tried one. Good luck finding an el-cheapo to trash / experiment. There's one on ebay right now that sits at $93, but its previous listing (apparently the buyer was in Norway and didn't go for a $300 shipping cost) was well over $200. A new Coda board (www.codaboards.com) with bindings is $650ish. Euro's are even more. That's a fat bet on an unknown experience. So in the mean time, everyday "craigslist monoski" is typed into my Google. Sucks.
I think those that hate the mono, ski "correctly" with the wider stance of shape skis. I am self taught, do both at times, but love the old parallel method (swinging the hips so to speak). I've been told that if you are prone to the graceful (yet inherently unstable) feet locked together pendulum skiing a mono is a blast. In other words, if you look down while skiing and see that your skis resemble one ski as they're nearly touching, the mono ends up being a pure joy even with the loss of the inside edge. If your skis are a foot apart and you thrash curves at 5g's, a mono would be pure hell. I dunno, just my $.02.
Lemme know if you find a stash of used ones! I know some schlub out there has one in their basement and has no idea what it is, willing to craigslist it for $40.
I think those that hate the mono, ski "correctly" with the wider stance of shape skis. I am self taught, do both at times, but love the old parallel method (swinging the hips so to speak). I've been told that if you are prone to the graceful (yet inherently unstable) feet locked together pendulum skiing a mono is a blast. In other words, if you look down while skiing and see that your skis resemble one ski as they're nearly touching, the mono ends up being a pure joy even with the loss of the inside edge. If your skis are a foot apart and you thrash curves at 5g's, a mono would be pure hell. I dunno, just my $.02.
Lemme know if you find a stash of used ones! I know some schlub out there has one in their basement and has no idea what it is, willing to craigslist it for $40.
eastcoastpowderhound
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yup...on a shop form. cost me $200 sold it years later for $250. Hey it was the 80s, people did stupid crap back then...and it was only slightly less popular than snowboarding at the time.ha ha you actually bought a mono ski
RootDKJ
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I saw a guy rip it up on a monoski one day at camelback. leather jacket, no gloves & jeans. He lights a smoke at the entrance to margie's and then proceeds to rip it down the trail.
Philpug
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I don't smoke any more.
RootDKJ
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well this was a few years ago...
Philpug
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RootDKJ
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i hear ya
jaja111
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Well I found my monoski on ebay for $112, Rossi pintail with some oh so gaper graphics on top. Yeah...... well.......... it's not really skiing to say the very least. Don't get me wrong; when its goin good its fun as all hell, but things have a tendency to go bad in the time it takes lightning to strike. 3 times out total thus far since it arrived at the door and my left hip is pretty black and blue. I do like it. I'll stick with it. But I went from being basically a ski anywhere on anything guy to a "can we ski blues tonight" and scared of traffic on the hill. Its good to learn something new - brings nostalgia from learning to ski from 15 years ago. But man oh man... my hip!
People around rave about the look of it. Kids constantly ask "did you make that?" or "when did they start making that?" or "that mo'fo is sick!". Older people just say "I haven't seen one of those in 20 years!". I reply with "not so smart inventions of the 1980's brought to you by ebay" and smile.
I find that thinking of Clint Eastwood's character in "Firefox" helps - "you must think in Russian... you must always think in Russian". I repeat that to myself when on the mono. As soon as you think in "English (i.e. two skis)", you're on the ground and you don't know why. At least its most likely impossible to blow a knee out!?!
People around rave about the look of it. Kids constantly ask "did you make that?" or "when did they start making that?" or "that mo'fo is sick!". Older people just say "I haven't seen one of those in 20 years!". I reply with "not so smart inventions of the 1980's brought to you by ebay" and smile.
I find that thinking of Clint Eastwood's character in "Firefox" helps - "you must think in Russian... you must always think in Russian". I repeat that to myself when on the mono. As soon as you think in "English (i.e. two skis)", you're on the ground and you don't know why. At least its most likely impossible to blow a knee out!?!
roark
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Ski la douche!
dmc
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why in the world would you want to do that? Feet and knees jammed together... Wierd balance point...
I tried one a long time ago... i hated it.. Saw a Russian guy at Hunter FLOUNDERING on one attempting Claires last Sunday... Dud fell and couldn't put the thing back on... To top if off he had a large silly hat... We totally made fun of him from the Z Chair... He yelled at us in Russian... Funny...
I tried one a long time ago... i hated it.. Saw a Russian guy at Hunter FLOUNDERING on one attempting Claires last Sunday... Dud fell and couldn't put the thing back on... To top if off he had a large silly hat... We totally made fun of him from the Z Chair... He yelled at us in Russian... Funny...
St. Bear
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I saw a Ski Patrol at Mountain Creek (NJ) rocking a monoski last year. He was ripping it up, looked smooth as hell, no problems.
jaja111
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Just somethin different. I ride a 1000cc motorcycle but sometimes like the 250cc Ninja for s%#$s and giggles. Get's a bit boring in western NY,... cut me some slack.
Marc
New member
Yeah, I'd be far more inclined to ride a tele-board. Those look like fun.
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