Monoski? Yay or Nay?

Apparently, it's a monoski convention at Powder Mtn. this weekend. Having never seen too many of these contraptions around, I have to say they look awfully goofy. In my opinion, it's skiing or snowboarding, I can't see what advantages the monoski offers. Then again, I've never ridden one, so I can't be sure. Anyone else ever ride one of these? Is there anything special to it? It looks like something that is just begging to accompany a bright green or yellow one-piece.

I've heard the monoski described as something that combines all the disadvantages of snowboarding and skiing.

 

The other day at Whistler I saw a tele-monoski.  Why????

 

 

My brain hurts.   

Ouch. Mine hurts too!

We've got a guy in a next-door condo who skis on a monoski.  I met him through his sister-in-law and started to get to know him a little; fun guy with a good sense of humor.  I was all ready to start giving him some grief (all in good fun) about skiing on a monoski one day when someone mentioned that he does pretty well for having a prosthetic left leg below the knee.

 

I, very fortunately, kept my mouth shut.

Mono-skiing is about keeping it real.  Bust out your neon colored Bogner one-piece and hit the mountian in full 80's galore!!!

Nay

I was on a cat trip once, kind of mellow terrain.   The guides pulled one out and let people try it.  Once they tried it, it was hard getting anyone to give it up.   Some mono's are really good and can rip hard. 

 

 

DCNB:  Does Turbo still live in Telluride?

 

Teleboarding is fun, that's why. I wonder why so many people waste their snow time skiing with alpine bindings???? Different strokes for different folks? That's me in the little picture by my username, BTW. Teleboarding for me is a fun diversion when I get a little bored skiing and snowboarding on our local hills. I doubt I will ever get jaded enough to break out the Teleboard in a place that has terrain like Whistler though. Haha

 

 

For a guy who skis in one piece ski suit, you were quick to throw the first stone.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

I am not allowed any more weird ski gear.

There was an instructor I taught with at my first ski hill (pre snowboarders, they were banned on most hills then), that always took out a mono ski for fun when he got bored.  His name was Mich. He used to ski on one ski half the time he was out on two.

 

Didn't really matter what ski or plank he was on, he was a neat skier and definitely skied to his own beat.  We used to call him bird man cause he'd go down any run around on one ski with the other out perpendicular behind him and his arms spread out (wing like) in front of him.  We often practiced coming down like it so 20 ski instructors could all come down in sync doing the bird man, lol.  Haven't seen a mono ski since then. 

 

Good memory of it though.  I never had the desire to try it, and it looked really awkward.  Was skied 70's Austrian style (feet side by side, locked into the binding), with the fluid back and fourth, arms high, graceful look.

 

Do I maybe remember seeing an altered version of one, with a rope on the front, in one of the first Warren Miller movies?  Possibly that was more of a snow board, but I think i remember seeing one in an early miller film.

Big Nay,

 

I tried my friends monoski 15 years ago, the only reason he did it was because he wanted to be different.  This is the same guy who wore a pinstripe suit to school which had shorts instead of pants. Not kidding.  Monoskis were lame then and even lamer now.  Don't agree? one trip through a mogul field on one and you will.

This months SBC skier had an article about monoskiers who rip. Not my thing, but we all have listened to people tell us that our skis are too fat, skinny, short or long. As long as your set up works for you, I say go for it!

Ludites

 

But, hey, each to the they're own.

 

 

Lady Salina, probably a Snurfer, precursor  to the snowboard.

 

the eagle spreader, mono a no go in moguls? You obviously have not seen the Warren Miller film featuring Glen Plake in Chamonix.

Check out the latest "Dirtbag Diaries" podcast, about a guy who collects and uses weird ski gear, including le mono. I was amused, it reminded me of some characters who post here, myself included I guess.

 

I know there is another Teleboarder who posts here occasionally, but I don't recall anyone admitting to being a monoskier. PhillipeR are you still around?

 

double double post post

 

 

 

It's just nay for me.  I don't care if others do it.  Bolt my feet to something like that and I'll most likely be taking my first toboggan ride down a marked trail.  But, I'll look damn good doing in in my fartbag

 

 

I've deffinitely not seen Glen Plake in a Warren Miller film, at least not that I watched from home (maybe bits in a ski lodge).  I really should look into renting some of the numerous movies he made since I grew out of ski porn, in the 80's.  So it was called Snurfer, maybe I'll have a ski porn weekend with Old Boot and rent them all.

www.dailymotion.com/video/x8w7cf_newschool-monoski-revival-2009_sport

Edited by Jackdaw - 4/12/2009 at 12:34 am GMT

i'm not going to read this thread, but i AM going to throw in a third option: GAY

 

i'm sorry my queerosexual friends... i didn't mean to insult you and suggest that you are anything like monoskis... you are all a lot of fun, and i value you all as people. whereas the monoski is the worst of ALL worlds... WINNAR!!!1!!1!

 

discuss away. i won't be back in this thread.

www.tkbfilms.com/evivamono.html

Don't forget skwalling!

oui! oui! 

I did a great deal of monoskiing in the late 1970s, not long after becoming a ski instructor and seeing the inventor of the mono, Mike Doyle, using his skis on Dick Barrymore ski movies. I imported the first 10 monoskis into the UK. They were made to Doyle's design by the California surf/skate company Bahne who had bought a ski press from Europe.

 

The monoski rides any kind of powder, crud and slush beautifully. Having your entire mass on one deck provides a lot of buoyancy, because the space that would normally be a void between regular skis is filled. It takes weeks to really appreciate the benefits fully, by which time you forget that you're on one ski. I had huge fun with them.

 

It's vital to keep a calm upper body, because the mono will exaggerate any technique faults.

 

You need strong bindings, because there is additional stress on them.

I've been off and on mono ski's for more than 35 years and have seen all the changes. I switched to mono's at the time because two ski's got boring after doing every thing possible with them, and I wanted a change. Been on snow boards alot too, but got to be boring after awhile too. I'm now ridding a new type of monoski called a Coda board. It has a huge side cut, a split swallow tail for flexibility,is tremendous in the powder,carves deep hard turns with arm/shoulder touching snow! Very high fun factor, but does take some practice and after skiing behind someone on a Coda board, you will probably ask where to try one. Check it out on Coda.com

Monoski? Yay or Gay?

FIFY

Shane did a great gay monoski segment, could be my imagination. 

Now to CMA, not to offend, I  swear, it just begged to be typed.


IMO, it's like: skiing is too easy, so I'll tie my legs together.

And what on earth happens when one binding releases and the other doesn't? ouch!

I have been on one a number of times. The guy who used own The Ski Rack at Sugarloaf Maine had one in his demo fleet. My buddies and I would take it out from time to time and rip around on it. It was the late 80's 'nuff said.