Had a chance the other day to try out some things including a brand new pair of KTP’s and thought I’d pass along some comments.
These really are a hoot. I’m not a park rider, but at our modest local midwest resort, the lift lines are often long and the runs are short. It’s not Colorado but it’s better than watching reruns of “Mannix” on TV. To get the most enjoyment in these conditions, I like to maximize “dwell time” on these mini-runs by goofing around, stopping, starting, spinning, playing around switch, etc. I thought the KTP’s might just be the ticket.
The first thing I found interesting about these was how easy it was to, while barely moving, stand flat and spin or move any direction with just a slight weight shift and subtle edge pressure. It’s easy to see how, with some practice, these could be made to do almost anything. With some more speed and slope, tight arcs were super-easy and suprisingly stable. I thought the width might be a problem for skating but it wasn’t difficult at all. Ice hold here is always an issue here, but this wasn’t a problem. Like all skiboards and especially with this kind of width, it’s critical to always stay on an edge.
My snowboarder-nephew is always challenging me to “races”. I generally ride longboard-type skiboards and always beat him. If I ever lost there would be shame and humiliation involved. I won the first of these races on the KTP’s, but just barely. Subsequently I took him by bigger margins as I learned to ride these on the correct edge angle. I can see where there is the big upside to these for advanced riders. It’s too bad there’s nothing but ice here, I would have liked to try out the extra setback inserts
Once, when we got on the lift, the attendant hollered something at me using terms I didn’t understand. I didn’t know how to take it. My young nephew informed me, however, that it was a compliment in “skater-talk”. I don’t remember the exact phrase that fellow used, but several folks were complimentary and inquired about the KTP’s. There was another guy at the resort that day with a brand new pair of Revolt chickens with Spruce Risers, he seemed to really like them…we’re trending up!
These won’t replace my 120’s for general cruising on Colorado trips, but for a change of pace or just having pure-d fun these are a blast. Thanks, Greco and Kirk, for coming up with a really neat ‘board!
Rider – El Slurpo – Intermediate Skiboarder
