I’ve always be reluctant to ride longboard skiboards, but I’ve got a change to try out the Spruce 120s a few times last season and this season and was pleasantly surprised.
The obvious comes to mind at first; picking wider lines (in the glades mostly) is a must, they are more board to throw around in the park, and skating around is a little bit more of a hassle, and they float great in powder.
The only option for these boards is releasable bindings, which of course is needed for this length of board, and also makes them a little heavier, but its easy to get used to that.
People who like to go big in the park will enjoy the landing surface of these boards, but they might be a little bit too soft for heavier park riders. The fairly sharp turning radius compensates their length for those who want to get creative in the park on rails and jibs, but be warned that there is much more ski to throw around than most skiboards.
On groomers they fairy pretty well. Again I found them to be a little soft, and heavier riders might find them to chatter at high speeds, but for the average rider they will hold up their edge very well thanks to the long edges.
Powder is really fun with these, i wish there was an easier way to set the bindings back, but this can be done by moving the bindings back on the Risers. Again, you’re going to have to pick slightly wider lines than traditional skiboards, but if you’re looking for float in the fresh snow you’ve got it here.
Skiers moving to skiboards will find these an easy transition. I also recommend them to medium or light weight riders looking for larger surface area and more edge control, meaning ripping groomers and shredding powder!
Rider – Jason Roussel – Expert Skiboarder Co-Founder of Skiboardmagazine.com
