wife to become a snowblader ,darkside or not ??????

my wife tracy is taking up snowblading when we go away in 4 days time, she felt that after 4 years of being on the skis she should be more confident than she is ,and after reading reviews that some people that have changed to blades have improved so much and it makes you feel more confident because they are so easy to use,i hope its true ,she just bought some salomon miniverse 90 blades, x my fingers she does well on them

A couple of things you might consider. The first is that she may need some boot work to help her ski well. If she needs canting, it would make turning harder than it should be, as would several other conditions. You should be able to find somewhere to do a stance analysis very cheaply. The work to solve any problem might cost a bit though.

The second thing to try is some different skis. Early rise tip skis like the Rossignol Avenger 74 are a boon to skiers who are not able to pressure the tips of the skis. Most people in this group feel they instantly ski better, and certainly look better as well.

Snow blades are fun, and can be a good training tool for skiing, but do have limitations.

Hi We have used both O/H stayed on them longer than me.I agree they are very easy to use. You can spend alot of time walking as you don`t have poles. I have a pair in St. G but dont use them and have lent them to friends who prefer them. As long as she enjoys them what does it matter?

Trencher, what are the limitations of blades? I thought that blades were harder to use than full size skis. Mind you that's only based on a throwaway comment made by our very first instructor who said you can build up a hell of a speed on them.

i was told that of piste is a big no for blades ,but eggman is right if she enjoys herself and gains confidence what does it matter,

I can see where you're coming from. Gaining confidence was my first priority this year. If it works, maybe next year she'll feel have a different priority. I am curious though, because I never viewed blades as confidence building tools. It's an eye opener for me.

Brought a pair of blades used them for a few days for a couple of weeks and they now sit in my garage ..... got a bit bored with them to be honest with there limitations, I'd stick to skis and save the money.

Snowblades used to be in fashion a few seasons back but I don't see that many people on them now. Actually I see less snowboarders too in comparison to 5 years ago.

As for your wife, it really depends on what is causing her confidence issues, and what sort of issues they are. She feels she should be "more confident" but doing what exactly? Reds? blacks? Off-piste? Carving in general? 4 years on skis is not awfully long especially if you ski couple weeks per year with long breaks, and really says nothing about her actual progress. My true breakthrough year was the 5th one, and I ski every weekend. Is she going to ski-schools when on ski holidays? How about her boots? Snowblading may help to develop better balance, but blades are less stable than skis to begin with. Much shorter length is not everything and it doesn't guarantee more confidence. Maybe she should try a bit shorter skis instead?