The evolution of snow skates
-Many different ways to slide down a mountain have been invented throughout the years, the most famous obviously being skiing and snowboarding. But it seems each season the outliers become more and more visible around the slopes, and now to see mini-skis, ski bikes and of course snow skates is not such an oddity.
-Read on for a little history on the Evolution of Snow Skates. ~Z. Phelan~
From Sled Dogs to Snowfeet
You might be asking yourself, WTF are Snow Skates? Not to be confused with a “Snowskate” singular, which is essentially a mini snowboard bolted to a skateboard deck. Snow Skates are a boot shaped apparatus with a smooth mini-sled type surface on the bottom of it meant for gliding down a groomed piste.
Thought to have been originally conceived by the Dutch as long ago as 1865, Snow Skates came onto the scene in a more modern form in Switzerland in the 70’s. But it was not until the 90’s that they would be branded and sold commercially.
The originals: Sled Dogs
Marketed as an alternative way to get down the mountain without cumbersome skis or even poles. Sled Dogs are basically a ski boot that, instead of being designed to snap into a binding, has a smooth flat surface area below the sole of the boot that is meant for gliding on snow.
The first major commercial company to put Snow Skates on the map, Sled Dogs were founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the early 90’s and received moderate interest and even television appearances during the Winter Olympics. By 2014 the name and product rights had shifted to a Norwegian company and an attempted revitalization even saw them make an appearance on Shark Tank. Now days the originals can be found on Amazon and Ebay, but availability is very limited. In another attempted resurgence, Sled Dogs have recently rebranded as ODR Ski, check them out here.
Photo courtesy of: the Corner Treasure Shop on Ebay.
New on the scene
Founded by two roommates via a kickstarter campaign, and quickly spreading around the World, Snowfeet are the new kids on the block for the Snow Skate scene.
Snowfeet are much more versatile than their predecessors and are designed to be an accessory to your normal snowboarding or ski boots as opposed to a replacement.
The future: SnowFeet
The newest trend in snow skating is one that is far more adaptable, portable and affordable than the original. Snowfeet are essentially a mini sled for your foot bottom that can be strapped over a ski boot, snowboard boot or even some hiking shoes. Snow Feet were founded in the Czech Republic which is where they are produced, although sales and popularity are rising for this new product and the availability is spreading Worldwide.
Snowfeet
The idea for snowfeet was born from a love of the mountains and skiing and also ice hockey, and snowfeet seem to be an adept fusion of two of Winter’s most popular sports.
Snowfeet are primarily manufactured in the Czech Republic, a country with a long tradition of manufacturing some of the best skis in the world. They are a small company of friends and family from a small town that have a global ambition of creating the next big winter sport. Snowfeet offer a wide range of their mini-sleds and also mini-skis with tons of cool colors and graphics to choose from.
Check out the Snowfeet Store here, and take 10% off with the code SNOWLIFE10
tHANKS FOR READING: tHE EVOLUTION OF SNOWSKATES
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