In this edition of ProjectSnowskate‘s gear guide, we give you the deets on Powder Skates for the 2012/2013 season. Powder Skates differ from Powder Surfers in that they have metal edges, trucks, and a top deck. All these things combined with innovative shapes and sizes allow these snowskates to handle powder AND ride on groomed and packed runs with ease, which is something that Powder Surfers are unable to do.
From Boyd Hill:
Boyd Hill sub decks are vertically laminated poplar cores.
134cm Powder Board This subdeck has a big nose, tapered tail, and a generous sidecut allowing for optimum float and easy turning. It is a powder hound, but it is designed to be manuverable on the groomers and tracked stuff too.
Sub: $285.00
From CHILLERdecks:
CHILLERdecks come complete with 38″ top decks, CD quick release trucks, and Cap constructed sub decks.
Mountain Skate 135 (Not Pictured) has a short board inspired shape that sweeps out into a nose big enough to float. This is the skate for the rider who wants to feel like he’s riding his park skate in the powder.
Mountain Skate 145 (Pictured) has a wider nose than the 135 with a relatively narrow waist. This skate floats and rails.
135 Sub: $240.00
145 Sub: $260.00
Complete: $425.00
From Florida Powderskates:
All Florida completes come standard with a laquered Maple Top Deck with Ungi Bungi Closed Cell EVA foam grip, Dolphin Geometry, Cap construction, Rocker Classic Trucks, Ungi Bungi Leash, and a 1 year warranty agains defects – the 100% Shred Guarantee.
125cm Powderskate is recommended for up to 18″ of fresh snow. This is Florida’s most versital skate option. Although its size makes it a viable option as a all-mountain skate, its shape and contour are for powder ripping.
Sub: $380.00
Complete: $480.00
140cm Powderskate is recommended for up to 24″ of fresh snow. This subdeck has a more mild side cut to allow all your freestyle, powder riding dreams to come true.
Sub: $425.00
Complete: $525.00
152 Powderskate is recommended for up to 48″ of fresh snow. Updated this season to add 1″ of nose length, this board will float and the aggressive sidecut allows for all mountain performance. I had the best powder day of my life riding a custom FPS very similar to this one. This Powderskate is a must have!
Sub: $475.00
Complete: $575.00
160 Powderskate is the skate you need when you are swimming in powder. The progressive side cut adds versatility. The bottom line is that this monster powder ship will sail you home free when nothing else will cut it.
Sub: $560.00
Complete: $660.00
From Lib Tech:
Pow Ski is a 50″ directional peice of art that is sure to ride nice. It’s BTX rocker combined with it’s enormous nose is bound to keep afloat in the deeps. Shoreline of Tahoe has them in stock!
Sub: $199.95
From Minus 7 Snowskates:
Minus 7 Snowskates come complete with a Minus 7 waterproof, maple, ”popsicle shaped” top deck (41″x9″) with Eternal Grip II, Phase 4 Rocker Trucks, and dual arbor (oak and poplar) construction sub deck with ABS sidewalls.
Powder Skate 61″ (not pictured) is a twin tip, camber charged beast. It’s designed with two hole patterns, one set back for powder, and one set forward for racing. A cambered, twin tip for powder – this thing is definitely outside the industry norm.
Complete: $450.00
From Pioneer Snowskates:
Pionner snowskates come complete with a 38″x9″ top deck with hydro turf grip, pioneer trucks (Rocker trucks optional for additional $45), and a sub deck with a core made of poplar, bamboo, and basswood with UHMW sidewalls.
The Pioneer Powder Skate is 57″ of pure surfy goodness. It has a big nose, narrow tail, and a lot of flex. This skate was built next to the ocean, by a surfer, for riders craving that surfy feel.
Sub: $300.00
Complete: $425.00
From Predog Snowskates:
Predog powder skates come complete with a Maple top deck with a plastic base and embossed EVA foam grip, Roulette Trucks, and a vertical laminate poplar wood core subdeck.
143cm Tanuki (Pictured) This is the brand new powder skate from Predog. I was lucky enough to take a ride on the prototype last season, and I am so excited for this swallow tail beaut. It floats, it slashes, and it will bring you home through the chop and on the groomers. But, this skate belongs in the deeps.
The Sista (Not Pictured) is the women specific graphic available in all Predog Snowskates this year.
Complete: $439.99
Loving your gear guides!!
i have a slightly customish florida powderskate 125, mine has the pelican graphic instead of the gator, and i love it that way! i will also soon have a minus 7 mid-mountain, good for all conditions and terrain. and sky from rival made a top deck for me, but couldn’t make a sub, so i’ll put it together with my ralston standard sub and have fun in the park terrain until i feel like getting a super surfy sub for it. but i used to live in port townsend, so really i just want one of his subs…
By the looks of the shapes, I would say half of these are backcountry skates only, meaning impossible to ride on hard pack. Narrow tail usually means you’ll be able to turn on hard pack. Adding risers and deck position helps to a certain extent for converting Backcountry sk8s to resort sk8s. So choose wisely…
^^^
Read the title again.
The review is for “Powder Skates” not all mountain skates.
The Pioneer complete is a sick set up.