Being dumped on by massive amounts of snow and cold just after all of the holiday cakes, cookies, and cocktails makes me want to crawl into my little den and "Z-out." New Year's resolutions are great, but when I see all that snow, my motivation stays right under the covers with me. After a couple days go by, however, I get cabin fever. And nobody likes a girl with cabin fever, trust me, we can get pretty ugly.So, desperate for something to do to get myself motivated to explore the great outdoors, or at least actually go outside, I started exploring the urban winter sports options. The same old crap came to mind: ice skating -- round and round in circles with screaming kids and anxious mothers; skiing -- by the time you rent a car, drive a couple of hours, well you know the drill. Then there's always cross country skiing -- I'm just bored by the thought of it, what's the appeal anyway? I wanted to do something different! So, I hunted around and discovered two very fun, slightly weird winter sports: Snow Skating and Golfing!
Ever heard of snow skating? It's totally rad. Skiing meets skating with total freedom. I'm a pro in-line skater and have been moaning and groaning about the snow. Well, I'm over it! A company called SLED DOGS manufactures these snow skates and they are wild.
The product was first designed for alpine use on groomed, packed snow. The skates are an alpine boot with a 3" wide ski base that extends about one inch off the back.
I think aggressive in-line street skaters are going to be the first to infiltrate the sport. Snow skating is appealing to in-liners like snow boarding appeals to skateboarders. The good news is, snow skating is way easier to learn. Beginners feel comfortable after about 15 minutes. Not to mention that snow is a lot softer than concrete. You can launch off of almost any snowy surface, fly through the air, you name it. Use your imagination. There are no limits. You may get arrested, but what the hell.
The other day I saw some incredible aggressive skaters trying all kinds of tricks. They were mastering all the standards: frontside, backside, and soul grinds, as well as a few Sled Dog originals.
Sled Dogs has four models of snow skates which range in price from $200-280. I recommend the SD-150 and the SD-250 because of the metal edge. The metal edge on the base of the runner provides better control on icy surfaces and is great for turning.
You can call these guys at 1-800 SKATE ON. They'll tell you where to rent, where to buy, which ski areas allow them, and any upcoming demos in your area. I highly recommend giving it a go if you've got the winter blues and especially if you're a snowed-in inline skater like me.
