Category: RVL8

Tanshos are now my favorite boards

Just a few things. I’m a lighter rider, and having ridden on 75’s, 98’s, 120’s, and now 90’s, I will say that 75cm is too short a length for pretty much everybody. With 90’s, the added stability on landings and the noticeable increase in the ability to plow through unexpected patches of powder is priceless.

These Tanshos are now my favorite boards. They fully deserve all the praise they’ve been given. I’d just like to add that just like everything else, they have their place, and they do have their limits if taken grossly out of their bounds. I was able to bomb some steeps, and they do travel as fast as I feel comfortable going. They probably aren’t as fast as some longer, wider boards, but I and most others won’t be able to notice or miss the extra speed. They turn on a dime but I never felt that they got squirrely, and they’re so light that skating around is a pleasure.

I did faceplant once when I sped into a little mound of ungroomed snow that I didn’t notice, but I doubt anything could’ve saved me at that point.

Their light weight (with non-releasable bindings) is invaluable in the park, and make them a lot of fun. They just feel a LOT less cumbersome than any other snowsliding devices, which makes them really nice for carrying around with you.

Rider – Jay – Intermediate Skiboarder




Rockets are like no other…

These boards are like no other. RVL8 has done an excellent job of filling the gaps between the 75cm and 110cm boards over the years and the Rumspringa Rocket only continues the tradition.

If you have been afraid to commit to a longer pair of boards because you’re so used to the 99cm feel, but don’t think you’ll like the larger width of the other skiboards in the 99cm range the Rumspringa boards are your saving grace. They give you the length to stretch out those long carves and the ability to cut the quick turns. Not to mention the width of the board is very different from what most modern skiboarders are use to, its skinnier and its beautiful. For riders that want to go edge to edge as quick as possible this is your board. With an effortless tilt of your legs you can be going from edge to edge at any speed and be comfortable doing it on any slope.

Don’t think the fun stops there boys and girls, this board gives you the versatility needed to conquer any park feature you have the nerve to try. The length of these boards has a dual use when it comes to balancing yourself on a rails and landing nice booters. Longer length, bigger sweet spot, better stability equals happy face. The bottom line here is, if you’re looking for something to get you on the slopes without going to an extreme in length or width, these are the boards you want.

Rider – Kirk Schrecengost – Riding the Rockets – Skiboardreview.com graphic artist


Mary Jane’s handle very well on groomed runs…

What a good looking Skiboard! Beautiful graphics! I am 5’4″ about 145Lbs female.

They handle very well on groomed runs and the steeps; they and even handled non groomed runs. Easy to maneuver and ride.

They are a perfect first skiboard for anyone at any age. Length is very nice, not too long at all! Carves just fine, powder was just OK for me, speed was fine but lacked some stability and I didn’t push them super hard because of that, but when I did ask for more I got it. I am used to the wider R8’s and their superior stability combined with speed. Overall a nice first board for someone, again beautiful graphics!

Rider – Shelley Bright – Riding the Mary Janes – Intermediate Skiboarder


Mary Jane’s are perfect…

We got out to a local hill today and put up with cold temperatures, wind and rock solid corduroy.

While on the lift, I kept interrogating Maria to describe how her MaryJanes ride so I could post a review. She was having difficulty describing her ride and was getting frustrated with me for pestering her. Then she responded: “I just ride without having to think about them!”

That statement is probably the best accolade that can be bestowed on a skiboard. They have become one.

Note that Maria is a lighter and short rider at ~117 pounds, 60″ tall, and is a cautious intermediate, who enjoys cruising the groomers, a gently sloped tree run, or shallow powder while taking in the sights. The MaryJanes are perfect for her.

Rider – Slow – Riding the Mary Janes – Intermediate Skiboarder


Rockets are very fast…

The graphics are amazing. However, I was having a hard time stopping. The Rockets are obviously very fast and easy to get on edge. The boards are very fast and every time I rode them I had to push really hard and put a lot of effort into stopping.

In the park I think these are great. They aren’t too short so you still have a very nice landing surface, plus this narrower board is easier to control.

If you like skiboards with speed, the Rockets are the ones for you. It just wasn’t for me.

Rider – Jeaho Park – Riding the Rockets – Intermediate Skiboarder


Revolts are super easy to turn…

I’ve got the Chickens with the Pro Prime releasable setup.

The weather wasn’t on my side, but I couldn’t wait to try these things out. Boreal is the closest resort, they have night skiing, & fairly easy terrain, so I headed up there after work. They’d gotten 6″ of new snow the day before & 3″ of powder on my way up (& another inch while I was there).

First run I did the bunny hill. Right off I thought I was completely out of control. I then realized it was simply that the boards were responding to every input of my legs & the terrain. Second run down the bunny hill was just plain boring so I headed off a Blue run.

Hit this run a dozen times or so.

Coming from old-school 200’s, these 105’s are insanely manuverable. Especially if I kept the boards close together & kept my weight centered. Turning was easy, stopping was a bit easier than skis, & speed on steeper hills was easy to gain, but not as fast as skis. The powder slowed me down terribly. I found myself walking down some stuff while skiers where floating by.
Fell a few times & found the bindings to be a little loose (had them set at 5.5 front/ 4.5 rear). Tightened them up one full turn & all was good. Falling was NOTHING like falling with long-ass skis. Didn’t twist my knees or anything. There’s just not enough leverage in the short boards like there is with longer skis. I also noticed that I need tighter boots….gonna take care of that today.

My quads were getting a workout & the powder was getting deeper & slower so I called it a night after a few hours & came home.

The best part about the boards:
Super easy to turn & stay in control when you stay centered & keep the boards together.
(These boards will end up training me to be a better skier)

The worst part:
Walking up to the lifts with no poles to push off of.
Powder didn’t help either for my first time out.

Rider – 93Pony – Beginning Skiboarder (2008 Chicken model)


Two words to describe the Revolt’s, FAST & STABLE…

Two words to describe the Revolt’s, FAST & STABLE. I can only imagine what the RVL8 Alps or Sherpa’s are like! I felt like I was on my long skis again with the speed and stability they had, but, (yes there is a but), I did loose some of my maneuverability that I was used to with my old Canon M7’s 99cm, and my legs certainly felt the length difference… in other words my legs got tired which they never did on my Canon’s. When doing those super fun 360 spins… it was a little awkward and not as free flowing. But I was not clanking the boards together like I thought I would be doing, nor was I crossing them over like you can do with normal skis.

So with the Revolt’s at 105cm I got my speed and stability that I was lacking in my Canon M7 99cm, but felt I lost some maneuverability. With that said… I know after another full day or two I will probably regain that maneuverability because I will have gotten used to them. They will be perfect boards for long runs, fresh snow and for just bombing straight down runs for sure! I am 5’4″ rode them with non release bindings with no problems. This is the longest I would ever go in a ski board at my height. The graphics are fun and you will get comments!

Rider – Shelley Bright – Intermediate Skiboarder (2008 Chicken model)


Revolts exceeded expectations…

I used my EMPs in the Canadian Rockies this last week for the first time in varied terrain, from 12 inch powder to freshly groomed trails. The skiboards exceeded my expectations and instilled confidence to try more challenging terrain.

Some background: I am nearly 48 years old, 6′, 195 lbs, non-athletic, and I have been skiboarding mostly green and the occasional blue groomed run for 2 years using SnowJam 90s. I upgraded to the 105 EMPs this season because I found that I had to be constantly adjusting my posture to maintain my balance on the SJ90s when in rough terrain. Greco’s recommendation to upgrade to the EMPs proved to be a perfect match to my ability (or lack of); the extra length provided the stability I desired, while maintaining maneuverability.

Per Valmorel’s recommendations for an all mountain setup in other forum threads, I modified my Spruce composite bindings to provide a 40 mm setback and I replaced the bindings with S810TIs to provide a more direct transfer from the boots to the skiboards.

My first day with the EMPs was at Sunshine Village ski resort. The first run was on a familiar and easy green run, that soon proved to be boring so I moved on to blues. By lunch, I was comfortable on short blacks and was able to join my teenage snowboarding children on runs I never dreamed of being on.

My second (Christmas) day, was at Kicking Horse ski resort and we were treated to fresh powder that reached depths of over 12 inches in the upper bowl. The EMPs carried me through the powder and they were effortless to control through the trees, which I struggled with in the past, and always avoided. Traversing previous tracks and other uneven terrain proved to be easy, and enjoyable. I could not get enough of the powder and the tree runs.

During the remaining three days, another two at Kicking Horse, and one day at Panorama ski resort, I progressively became braver. I did moguls, and let the skiboards max out their speed on familiar terrain while “racing” skiers and my children.

Thank you Greco and Valmorel for helping me find a skiboard and setup that has given me the confidence to step out of my previous comfort zone. The EMPs provide the ride that instills confidence.
Rider – Slow – Intermediate Skiboarder (2007 Ethan Mitchel Pro model)


With Revolts I was throwing down the carves like no tomorrow…

These boards are top notch. They behave great on the groomers, throwing down the carves like no tomorrow, and when you cut into the fresh pow between the trees there’s nothing like it. I can’t comment much on the park performance because I’ve just begun to explore that area. So far however they seem great. My field of experience is limited, since the only other board I’ve used is long rental skis. That said, however, I have yet to find the limits of these boards, and love every minute on them.

Rider – Nate Myton – Beginning Skiboarder

Revolts have a nice balance of speed, agility, and stability…

The original version of the RVL8 Revolts, unlike the current version, have lower tips/tails. Being of the 105cm size, they have more stability and speed than 98cm skiboards, but with better turning radius and agility than 110cm skiboards. Since they are slightly shorter than 110cm skiboards, they don’t perform quite as well on powder than 110cm skiboards that have more surface area, but they do perform well enough, especially when leaning back. On groomers, they have a nice balance of speed, agility, and stability. For those who want more than what a 98cm skiboard can do, and where a 110cm skiboard is too much, the 105cm RVL8 Revolts might be just right.
Rider – Edward Ho – Expert Skiboarder