First things first,  ALL our skis are for adults, some can be used by teens and taller/heavier kids as well but we don't sell any kids skis at all.

Ok, so you want to know more about Short skis and snowblades, read on.

Most people in the UK call mini skis, "SNOWBLADES" this is because of SALOMON's very popular brand of mini ski. It wasn't the first of its kind and it  wasn't the most technically advanced ski either but it was one of the first to gain world wide popularity, it had a very catchy name and it stuck in the memory.

Mini skis are also known as "Blades", "Skiblades", "Ski blades" Skiboards", "Ski boards", "Mini skis", "Short skis" and so on. Most blades are under 100cms long but a few models are also made between 100-130cms long, these are referred to as "short skis" or "long blades".

We will refer to them all as "blades" in this particular FAQ section.

Blades verses normal skis?
Its very difficult to compare these two totally different types of ski but I will try.  For most holiday skiers, which is most of the UK skiing population, you will not ski your best on long skis. Fact.  There are several reasons for this.

1. Right from the outset It takes several days to get reacquainted with standard long skis after a long layoff. For most people on a 6-7 day ski holiday, thats 1/3 of your holiday gone right there. If the weather and snow conditions are not perfect, it may take much longer just to reach the same standard you were at the end of your last ski holiday, if the weather is poor then you may struggle this time round too even get back to that standard,

2.Long skis are too difficult for most folk to handle in anything except the perfect piste, on the perfect snow and in the perfect weather. Long skis are easy to cross the tips, they are faster than short skis, (its a friction thing), so more speed = less time to get yourself organised = feeling not in control. 

3. Some long skis feel more or less like long planks, having hardly any sidecut, this makes the ski almost impossible to turn for the average holiday skier. You will spend many hours trying to get them to work for you, when they are simply working against you, as only the technically gifted can make some long  skis perform and this takes hours,days or weeks of practice.

4. Beginners feel awful with long skis, like wearing super long clowns shoes. Its very easy to cross tips and fall. They are taught to snowplough, why? As its virtually impossible to teach skiing in any other way with long skis. So why use them? Lessons create jobs, lots of jobs. Long skis are the main reason why beginners struggle for so long. They are difficult to handle, not natural at all.

On short skis or blades you can turn on a sixpence! Imagine skiing on any terrain! Imagine not having to look at a piste map to "find" the easier slopes, so that you can enjoy yourself! Imagine NOT feeling afraid of steep slopes anymore! Imagine what its like to just think about stopping and you have already stopped! Imagine having unlimited fun, all the time! Thats blades.  All blades are designed to help you achieve this easily, long skis are not. Thats why most blades are so different to normal skis.

So why are blades so different?
It is very important to understand why blades work as they do and not all blades are the same. Here's the important bit. Its the turning radius, that is the most important feature in my opinion. We are independent ski retailers, we select our stock with the same care as we would chose skis for ourselves, Only the best performing blades are sold here, so beware buying elsewhere.

What's a Turning radius and how is it important,  I hear you ask?
The turning radius is one of the the most important bits of information on a ski. Its stamped on most skis somewhere, usually near the middle or the back. It is worked out from a number of factors, the length of the ski and the width of tip, middle and tail measurments.This radius measurement is measured in metres and is the radius of the circle that would be drawn if you were to extend the edge of the ski indefinitely outwards. So it is effectively the turning circle of a ski, and is suggestive of how long it will take the ski to complete the tightest turn possible.

Now a typical rental ski of around 150cms long will have an average radius of anything between14-22 mts depending on the brand/model, etc.. This means that when the ski is set upon it edge, (WITHOUT ANY OTHER OUTSIDE INFLUENCE) that particular ski will a long time to complete a turn. So lets say its 20mts, put that 20 mts into real perspective on the slopes and you can see why some people struggle with longer skis.

So, imagine being confronted with an unexpected steep slope on an otherwise fairly innocuous piste, (yes its happened to all of us at one time or another) and you need to throw in some short tight swings to control your speed to the bottom.That particular ski will be a real handful unless you have the skills to make that ski perform differently. Its natural turning circle is way out of your safe zone. You put the ski on its edge, it will be slow to turn in to the fall line (the fall line is the straight line down a slope). The skis natural wide radius is like turning an oil tanker, unless you can help the ski out by jumping or skidding the ski, you are going to carry on turning slowly until you are facing straight down hill. At this point you are unbalanced and one of 3 things can occur. 1. You hang onto your edges and pick up speed, that's not good as the skis are running at an angle to the fall line and you are in effect still traveling downhill, and if you do not complete the turn are no longer in control. 2. You try to help your skis around by lifting legs or rotating your upper torso and shoulders. 3. You sit back on your tails and hit the snow. None of that inspires confidence or fun. I have seen this scenario thousands of times on every blue, red and black run in the mountains every second of every day.

Now lets look at the Buzz Atom that we sell for example, this has a radius of 6.2mts. You can clearly see that the Buzz Atom will literally run rings around a standard length ski, roughly 3 rings around it in fact. So how does this help you. Easy, same piste, same you,  different ski. You put the ski on its edge and the ski will turn quickly, no nonsense, much much tighter, (3 times tighter) than any standard ski. You are able to control your speed and descent, you will feel more balance and as a result much happier to let the edges do there thing. You can see instantly that the skis are steering you away from the horrible fall line and back across the piste and as a result your confidence rises.

All our blades and short skis brands are hand picked by us to help you ski your best, so look out for the specific information regarding radius when comparing brands/models and ask us for advice if you are unsure.

How did you get into blades?
I had skied for many years on long skis. I had bad arthritis in my spine from the age of 17 years old, I am now 50. I have a condition called Ankyslosing Spondilitis, which basically ends up fusing your spine together. Its very painful too. So after 20 years of pain and fusion, my ski technique was poor, even though I had skied for 19 years., I was stiff and could not move very well to help my old long skis turn properly. In 2003 I met a few people on holiday who used blades, they encouraged me to have a go. I rented a terrible old set and had the best fun in years. I also skied better than I had done for 10 years too. After the holiday, I bought 4 sets for myself, my wife and my 2 kids, cost me over £800, this was around 2003/4. The next holiday we had in the snow was a total success as we all had a blast. We became hooked, then around 2005 we formed the company and the rest is history..

So, when can I see results?
Once you use blades, you will see instant results, your confidence will soar and the blades will inspire you further, you'll have to rethink what BLUE, RED or BLACK slopes are, as you will be able to tackle anything as your confidence soars.

With traditional long skis that are difficult to turn and control, steeper terrain can be terrifying. Now, rather than having to think how to get down the mountain in one piece, you can feel safer, have more fun and even notice the scenery. Even better, you spend less time in the mountain hut wishing the hours by and more time on the slope enjoying your holiday, does that sound familiar?

Even if you ski to a reasonable standard on long traditional skis, here's more reasons to switch. Ask yourself, what standard do you ski to? In all conditions? Are you sure? We all ski our best on velvet snow under blue skis,  but even the best skiers technique will determinate in poor snow and poor weather. Skiing in poor weather and on poor snow with long skis can be very unpleasant, the same conditions hardly have any effect when you ski with blades, as they are so maneuverable and you are always in control. Think about it!.

What size/brand are best for me?
When you have decided that "blades" or "short skis" are for you, you wont go far wrong with any of the brands we stock, I will explain. Right from the word "go", any blade will deliver CONTROL, MANEUVERABILITY and FUN, unlike anything you have ever used before or could imagine!!! So you could just set a budget, decide on the colour, order it up and let it rip on the slopes, you will not go far wrong.

There must be something a bit more technical that that?
Yes, you can get more technical but essentially once you are into blades the differences are much more subtle than standard long skis. Some blades perform a little better in powder than other, some are better suited to tricks but the differences are small between one blade or another. Use this GUIDE to help you choose but remember ALL THE BLADES WE SELL offer very similar performance and the differences are small when comparing one brand to another.

Generally the shorter the blade, the faster the learning curve. The shorter the blade the quicker they are to turn. The wider the blade the better they are in powder. The shorter the blade the better for bumps or tree skiing.

I want to buy a short ski but don't know if i need a short blade (under 100cm) or something a bit longer, what do you suggest?
This is "the" question i get asked the most. I always try to answer it like this. It depends on where you are coming from.

If you are a total beginner or someone that skied before several times but has lost confidence or are stuck in a rut, then go for a blade under 100cms. The Buzz Atom 97cm with full release bindings is the bench mark ski I would recommend. Its a high quality piece of kit, its super light, inspires confidence, with Tyrolia bindings, turns on a sixpence, exclusive to us and at an unbeatable price too.

Some people turn up their noses to skis under 100cms, especially big blokes. Don't, as its a big mistake. This length of ski is used as training aids for racers by the big alpine race teams, they are capable of just about anything and everything.

If you are more experienced but only get away for a few weeks a year and want a short ski to increase your fun and increase your skill level then you could move up to a 116-136cm short ski. They are very popular, I am currently using a Buzz Slalom 126cm ski, I spent many years on a 97cm blade and loved them. These lengths will give you extra speed over the shorter ones plus extra grip on steep icy slopes. All our short skis are designed for adults and they are all very forgiving and very easy to use.

Many experienced skiers use blades under 100cm for pure fun, so in the end the choice is yours. Whatever you do choose you will not go far wrong. They are all pure joy to use when compared to long skis.

What about bindings?
All our blades and short ski packages include bindings but there are huge differences in cost and performance. Let me explain, as they fall into 2 categories,
Non release and Full release.

The Non release versions are cheaper to produce, are very simple, are very easy to adjust to fit a multitude of ski boot sizes, have an attached leash and make the overall ski package very affordable.

The Full release bindings are a different kettle of fish, they are all  DIN rated (worldwide safety standard), most are step in/step out, most have a ski brake, they contain dozens of parts, as a result are naturally more expensive and make the ultimate SkiBlade package. Our main Full release binding supplier is Tyrolia, the worlds largest producer of ski safety bindings, based in Austria.

Safety is possibly the number one issue when considering your binding options. The Non-release binding will not release, it does what it says on the tin. Which is perfectly fine if you ski on the piste, as there isn't much to snag your foot, but If you start to stray off-piste or ski in the trees you have to take more care. The Full release binding is a "ski anywhere" binding, so you have no limits. We have marked all our ski packages with either (NR) denoting Non release or (FR) denoting Full release codes, so look out for these easy to follow codes whilst you browse..The choice is yours.

What do you recommend for beginners?
The shortest blades are the easiest to learn on, your progress is rapid and sometimes lessons are not required. If you know how to skate, you will pick up skiing with blades very quickly. In a word, Buzz Atom 97 with full release bindings.

Are short skis or snow blades the same as kids skis?
No, Kids skis are totally different in design and construction, they are too soft for adults, Do not confuse proper adult short skis or blades with kids skis.Kids skis are for kids. All our skis and blades are for ADULTS although they can be used by teens and older/heavier/taller kids. Some kids are as large as adults these days.

I am very tall and/or heavy, are they suitable for me?
Blades are not like normal skis, they suit more or less every weight and height of person, so in reality any of the blades we sell will suit you, but see the relevant blade for details.

Do you use poles with blades?
This question is the most difficult to answer. I personally do use poles and have always done so, this is possibly because I was already a reasonably accomplished skier and used poles for years.  In reality the choice is yours, many people do not use poles with blades but I find them useful, especially on flat sections of piste and in lift queues. I also think it makes me ski more stylish but that maybe an illusion I have!!!  So its up to you.

Anything else?