# Monoski?



## mlowe (Oct 16, 2008)

I was wondering if anyone on the forum has ever tried a monoski, or currently uses one. I have been interested in trying it out but I'm a little hesitant on dumping a bunch of money into one. I'm also wondering what the transition to the single ski is like. Any info would be appreciated.


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## Greg (Oct 16, 2008)

mlowe said:


> I was wondering if anyone on the forum has ever tried a monoski, or currently uses one. I have been interested in trying it out but I'm a little hesitant on dumping a bunch of money into one. I'm also wondering what the transition to the single ski is like. Any info would be appreciated.



Moving to Gear. Don't take this the wrong way, but I put monoskis in the same category as snowblades. Too gimmicky for me.

Welcome to the forums!


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## Philpug (Oct 16, 2008)

They have Monoskis in Shelbyville.


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## eastcoastpowderhound (Oct 16, 2008)

don't waste your money!  I tried it back in the 80s...even bought a Rossi MonoExtreme...I used it 5 times, carried it around from Tahoe to Maine for a couple years while it gathered dust, then finally sold it for what I paid for it.  Monoskis lock you into a very tight stance and pretty much force you to use a skidding pivot type turn (at least the swallow tail boards do, never tried one with sidecut), encourage you to lean back, don't allow you to angulate and really don't use the same skill set as skiing on two skis.  my $.02


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## snosharkrider (Oct 16, 2008)

i currently ride a monoski and think its a blast; i keep trying to get back on the duo skis but never seem to anymore except when its icy.

i own two including one that's a twin tip. both are new in design and materials so i dont have any experience with monos made in their 'hey-day'. i understand they were kind of a PIA. well they still are to some degree especially as one needs to be their own ski and binding technician as many shops wont touch it for fear of liability issues.

while eastcoastpowderhound makes a few good points but i dont agree with all of what he says. i've ridden the mono over a 100 days in the past 3 years as compared to 5 times 20-30 yrs ago so perhaps my experience differs.

i found the transition to be quite easy although getting off the first chair was interesting. i love the monoski in the trees and in the bumps; especially the bumps. it also excels in the cruddy spring snow;  the mono blasts thru it as if it were powder.

if you'd like more info check out www.lateralpressure.com. its a forum for/about monoskis.


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## BigJay (Oct 16, 2008)

and how about tele-board?

All these things try to emulate the true feeling of surfing on snow... like on a snowboard!

Would fat skies even exists without snowboarders coming along to surf the snow like no one else did before? Totally other debate... but to me, monoski belong in the same rank as snowblades and straight skis: something I'm glad to know it's over with!


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## hardline (Oct 16, 2008)

eastcoastpowderhound said:


> don't waste your money!  I tried it back in the 80s...even bought a Rossi MonoExtreme...I used it 5 times, carried it around from Tahoe to Maine for a couple years while it gathered dust, then finally sold it for what I paid for it.  Monoskis lock you into a very tight stance and pretty much force you to use a skidding pivot type turn (at least the swallow tail boards do, never tried one with sidecut), encourage you to lean back, don't allow you to angulate and really don't use the same skill set as skiing on two skis.  my $.02




ha ha you actually bought a mono ski


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## jaja111 (Oct 16, 2008)

I'm in the same boat, wanting one but never having tried one. Good luck finding an el-cheapo to trash / experiment. There's one on ebay right now that sits at $93, but its previous listing (apparently the buyer was in Norway and didn't go for a $300 shipping cost) was well over $200. A new Coda board (www.codaboards.com) with bindings is $650ish. Euro's are even more. That's a fat bet on an unknown experience. So in the mean time, everyday "craigslist monoski" is typed into my Google. Sucks.

I think those that hate the mono, ski "correctly" with the wider stance of shape skis. I am self taught, do both at times, but love the old parallel method (swinging the hips so to speak). I've been told that if you are prone to the graceful (yet inherently unstable) feet locked together pendulum skiing a mono is a blast. In other words, if you look down while skiing and see that your skis resemble one ski as they're nearly touching, the mono ends up being a pure joy even with the loss of the inside edge. If your skis are a foot apart and you thrash curves at 5g's, a mono would be pure hell. I dunno, just my $.02.

Lemme know if you find a stash of used ones! I know some schlub out there has one in their basement and has no idea what it is, willing to craigslist it for $40.


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## eastcoastpowderhound (Oct 16, 2008)

hardline said:


> ha ha you actually bought a mono ski


yup...on a shop form.  cost me $200 sold it years later for $250.  Hey it was the 80s, people did stupid crap back then...and it was only slightly less popular than snowboarding at the time.


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## RootDKJ (Oct 16, 2008)

I saw a guy rip it up on a monoski one day at camelback.  leather jacket, no gloves & jeans. He lights a smoke at the entrance to margie's and then proceeds to rip it down the trail.


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## Philpug (Oct 16, 2008)

RootDKJ said:


> I saw a guy rip it up on a monoski one day at camelback.  leather jacket, no gloves & jeans. He lights a smoke at the entrance to margie's and then proceeds to rip it down the trail.


I don't smoke any more.


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## RootDKJ (Oct 16, 2008)

well this was a few years ago...


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## Philpug (Oct 16, 2008)

RootDKJ said:


> well this was a few years ago...


yup 

I want 2 monoskis..one for each foot.


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## RootDKJ (Oct 16, 2008)

i hear ya


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## jaja111 (Jan 5, 2009)

Well I found my monoski on ebay for $112, Rossi pintail with some oh so gaper graphics on top. Yeah...... well.......... it's not really skiing to say the very least. Don't get me wrong; when its goin good its fun as all hell, but things have a tendency to go bad in the time it takes lightning to strike. 3 times out total thus far since it arrived at the door and my left hip is pretty black and blue. I do like it. I'll stick with it. But I went from being basically a ski anywhere on anything guy to a "can we ski blues tonight" and scared of traffic on the hill. Its good to learn something new - brings nostalgia from learning to ski from 15 years ago. But man oh man... my hip! 

People around rave about the look of it. Kids constantly ask "did you make that?" or "when did they start making that?" or "that mo'fo is sick!". Older people just say "I haven't seen one of those in 20 years!". I reply with "not so smart inventions of the 1980's brought to you by ebay" and smile. 

I find that thinking of Clint Eastwood's character in "Firefox" helps - "you must think in Russian... you must always think in Russian". I repeat that to myself when on the mono. As soon as you think in "English (i.e. two skis)", you're on the ground and you don't know why. At least its most likely impossible to blow a knee out!?!


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## roark (Jan 5, 2009)

Ski la douche!


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## dmc (Jan 6, 2009)

why in the world would you want to do that?   Feet and knees jammed together...  Wierd balance point...   

I tried one a long time ago... i hated it..  Saw a Russian guy at Hunter FLOUNDERING on one attempting Claires last Sunday...  Dud fell and couldn't put the thing back on...    To top if off he had a large silly hat...  We totally made fun of him from the Z Chair... He yelled at us in Russian...  Funny...


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## St. Bear (Jan 6, 2009)

I saw a Ski Patrol at Mountain Creek (NJ) rocking a monoski last year.  He was ripping it up, looked smooth as hell, no problems.


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## jaja111 (Jan 6, 2009)

dmc said:


> why in the world would you want to do that?   Feet and knees jammed together...  Wierd balance point...



Just somethin different. I ride a 1000cc motorcycle but sometimes like the 250cc Ninja for s%#$s and giggles. Get's a bit boring in western NY,... cut me some slack.


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## Marc (Jan 15, 2009)

BigJay said:


> and how about tele-board?
> 
> All these things try to emulate the true feeling of surfing on snow... like on a snowboard!
> 
> Would fat skies even exists without snowboarders coming along to surf the snow like no one else did before? Totally other debate... but to me, monoski belong in the same rank as snowblades and straight skis: something I'm glad to know it's over with!



Yeah, I'd be far more inclined to ride a tele-board.  Those look like fun.


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## jaja111 (Sep 7, 2009)

Well as an update; by the end of last season I was hooked. If its icy I won't entertain the idea of it. Any other condition and I have to say I now prefer it. Its just something different to give a try. I liked it so much I ended up just pulling the trigger on a coda board from CA. 

http://www.codaboards.com/index.html


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## Part Time Vermonter (Feb 2, 2011)

Hello, I know this thread is old, but I am interested in a mono purchase and interested in your thoughts and opinions of the Coda. I have talked to Chad, the owner about a V-0 board and Like the idea as I have been skiing for almost thirty years. 

I own a snowboard but I still prefer a ski and I am taking up mono after going to Utah and meeting and skiing with them and meeting Chad himself.

Any advice on the ride or the Bombers experience?

Thanks, mono info is not easy to come by.


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## KD7000 (Feb 4, 2011)

I am completely fascinated by the in-line mono ski / skwall board concept.
http://www.codaboards.com/skwall.php

Having spent much time on a slalom waterski, I'd really love to try one of these out sometime.


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## makimono (Feb 5, 2011)

KD I've wanted to try a Skwal too, also did a lot of slalom waterskiing before wakeboards came along, bid on an original Skwal on ebay over the summer but it went too high. I didn't know that Chad was making them now, pretty cool! The teleboard is another wild looking ride.

VTP, my Yama Tool has non release bindings, not bombers but a cheaper brand. Damn things snapped the toe off my favorite pair of vintage Polaris boots :-( I'm sure the Bombers are better and admittedly the 30 year old plastic in Nordica's are known to be brittle. Still not a huge fan of non-release bindings anyways. Even though you almost never want to come out of a mono and we crank our bindings to max din...there is the rare time where a double eject is preferable to the alternative, for me anyways.   

Have you checked out the Lateral Pressure forums for info and also the snowgunz blog 
. Pif and the Chamonix dudes are really taking monoskiing forward. They rip and make some really sweet sticks and cool videos too :beer:


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## KD7000 (Feb 5, 2011)

Thinking more about the inline/ skwall, I have a hard time imagining that full-on ski boots would be at all comfortable.

A setup with dual snowboard bindings & boots seems like it would be more reasonable and allow you the kind of flex you need to cant your back leg, etc.

Still, it's fascinating.


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## jaja111 (Feb 5, 2011)

I bought a Codaboard in August of 2009. I took it out at the start of that season, and.... well..... I haven't returned to two sticks since. It is the absolute best toy I have ever owned. I opted for the bomber bindings and have no issue other than an occasional liftie demanding I have a leash since the brakes are absent. They are worth the convenience and are a quality product.

You will NOT be disappointed - ignore the haters. I have used it on steeps, in tress, through bumps, on ice, in powder (oh god... the powder!), everywhere. Keep your knees touching and point them where you want to go. Its as simple as that. The most dangerous trail on the mountain soon becomes the liftline. (I mean this literally. My most spectacular crashes have resulted in me being insulted by the line behind me while looking like a beetle on its back. Its like an airplane - it has a "stall" speed.)


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## jaja111 (Dec 2, 2011)

Bump for anyone else that might mono this year, thereby exposing themselves to the onslaught of insults and homosexually themed jokes?  Who's gonna rock the mono at least once?


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