Background information

Snowskating – or how I learned to ice-skate down a ski slope

5/1/2023

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

Skiing minus the skis? That’s a thing! Snowskates are from Norway and allegedly turn descending slopes into child’s play. I gave them a go. My verdict: descending a slope? Yep. Child’s play? Nope.

It feels strange to be on a ski slope without any skis. Frankly, this feeling sets in much earlier. It sets in at the latest at the base station. When all those people start squeezing into the gondola with their skis and poles – and you’re empty-handed. Although I’m a lowlander, I’ve been skiing since I was eight years old. So, it’s part of my DNA. However, it’s always included two skis and two poles.

The gondola to Gemsstock is still empty, but that’s about to change. My strange feeling has already set in.
Source: Claudio Candinas

Wearing snowskates for the first time

It looks like it’s going to be a fantastic day for skiing. Or rather for snowskating. We’re in Andermatt. And while it’s still shady in the valley, the peaks around us are dipped in golden light. It’s cold out. Frankly, I’m freezing my backside off. It’s 10 in the morning and the thermometer in the valley reads minus 15 degrees.

So who’s «we»? Claudio, who’ll be capturing my first attempts at snowskating, and Paul Aegerter aka iceXpaul. He’ll be introducing me to this «new» type of sport. I met Paul two years ago as part of a profile about him. The Swiss-South African has a major objective: to take part in the Winter Olympics. His discipline is ice cross downhill. Will this sport will ever become Olympic? And if it does, will Paul still be fit enough to throw himself down an ice canal? All that’s still written in the stars. Be that as it may, we’re doing a little material science in a freezing parking lot in Andermatt.

Paul explaining how the snowskates work.
Source: Claudio Candinas

The True Glide sole with its two steel edges. — Paul explaining how the snowskates work.
Source: Claudio Candinas

Simply put, we’re looking at ski boots equipped with a True Glide sole with its two steel edges on either side. And there you have your snowskates. Obviously, there’s way more technology behind this product. You can get all the details on them here.

Snowskates by Tomsen put into practice

We make our way to the Gütsch-Express. According to Paul, it’s an ideal spot for me as a beginner, as it has a few easy blue pistes. However, it turns out that, in early December, this part of the skiing region isn’t open yet. And so we take the gondola towards Gemsstock and get off at Gurschen middle station. Unfortunately, there are no blue slopes here. Something I’ll painfully experience over the course of the afternoon. But more about that later.

Learning to snowskate can be broken down into four steps. The easiest place to learn is on a blue slope or on a flat beginner’s slope:

Step 1: position
Step 2: acceleration
Step 3: braking
Step 4: carving

It feels like skating or inline skating, only on the ski slope. The following video will give you a good idea. By the way, snowskates don’t work off-piste. They’re not made for freestyling or deep snow, either. You really need a well-maintained slope with compact snow.

Video: Claudio Candinas

While leaning back is every skier’s natural enemy, the opposite is true for snowskaters. If you lean forward too much, you’ll fall into the snow head first. So, if you’ve never used a pair of skis before, that’s a plus. I have, and so I’m struggling to lean back even the slightest bit.

What’s more, you’ve got to make sure no ice gets stuck to your skates. This always happens when you take a long break on the slopes or are in no rush to get back on the slope after a toilet break. The reason probably being the temperature differences between the inside and the underside of the shoe. This difference causes a layer of ice to form and prevents the snowskates from gliding properly.

This process needs to be repeated dozens of times: removing annoying snow and ice from the sole.
Source: Claudio Candinas

After a few hesitant attempts, I start getting the hang of my snowskates and things start to be really fun. The slopes are well prepared, with only a handful of people crossing my path at arm’s length, and the sun’s smiling down at me from above. Perfect. But the whole endeavour is more exhausting than I realise. I’ll be paying for that later that afternoon.

After lunch, I feel fatigue creeping into my bones, but I don’t want to call it a day just yet. A mistake, as it turns out. What was nice and smooth in the morning has now turned into cramped and forced affair. First, my left skate gets stuck in deep snow on the edge of the slope, and I end up flat on my face. Later, I do a classic skating move by flying backwards onto the slope and hitting my tailbone. These two off-camera crashes take their toll. The rest of the descents are more of a drag than fun.

This has not escaped Paul’s attention, and so we call it a day around 4 p.m. Better safe than sorry. While Claudio and I take the gondola down, iceXpaul races down into the valley on his snowskates. Our meeting point is the parking lot.

That’s it for today with the snowskating. I’m knackered.
Source: Claudio Candinas

Conclusion: very cool, very exhausting

When we reach the meeting point, it’s time for me to take stock. Snowskating’s cool! That much is clear after one day of wearing these shoes in the snow. However, I pay for this insight with some bruises I got on the red slopes above Andermatt. And with a mother of a muscle ache that refuses to subside for several days. Compared to skiing, hitting the slopes exclusively in these boots is extremely exhausting. At least for me. It’s definitely not what I’d call child’s play. And my skiing DNA was only of limited use. But if you’ve never skied before or regularly use inline skates or ice skates, tackling the slope this way will probably come easier to you.

The great advantage of snowskates is undoubtedly the agility you have without skis and poles. The equipment you have to lug up a mountain is kept at bay and snowskates are easier on your wallet. An entry-level model by Tomsen will set you back 250 euros. What’s more, they’re different to, let’s say, Snowfeet. How so? Snowskates have no binding, so power is transported more directly. That means no shaking, because the skates form complete units. And there’s more. Whether you’re on the ski lift, the slopes or propped up at an après-ski bar: skiing without skis attracts lots of attention. You’ll definitely get some looks from «regular» skiers. I’ve rarely got talking to so many people as I did snowskating today.

PS: if you want to know how a pro like Paul whizzes down the slopes on his snowskates... Ta-dah:

Header image: Claudio Candinas

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Patrick Bardelli

Senior Editor

Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.ch

From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.

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