No, skateboarding IS a crime

[revloren]

OK I have a confession to make.

I am a longboarding jonser.

I don't really subscribe to any skateboarding lifestyle (unlike tele-skiing), but longboarding is the closest thing I have found that mimics the sensation of carving, albiet snowboard carving. In the summer it's like methadone for skiiers.

The problem is the resultant damage to the body. Last fall I spent 10 weeks in a cast for a broken wrist, multiple sprains to the other wrist, currently a cracked rib and countless skinned knees and other boo-boos. I'm not a big downhiller; I really just enjoy cruising town and maybe a few parking garages. You might say that I just crash too much, but thinking about it I actually fall much less than on snow. It's just that the consequenses on pavement are much greater.

So what to do? I considered wrist guards, but I have been told that they just transfer the fracture from the wrist to the radius/ulna. I really am quite cautious. But one little rock at the wrong speed and....

Is there any other sport that will give me the same feeling as skiing during the long snowless summer months?

[cesare]

Inline speed skating.

I retired from it after it cost me twin shoulder surgeries and agravated my occipital and trigeminal neuralgias from previous crashes on pavement. You want my carbon fiber skates? $800 firm.

[Dostie]

Not sure anything on pavement quite equates to skiing - both your examples supply enough proof. But if you're game, speed blading might appeal. The problem has always been braking. That problem has been reduced with the Gravity Master system. The problem of pavement still exists, but theoretically more control is now available.

Personally I find windsurfing or kiting to be a decent substitute. It isn't the same, but it is water and, like skiing, a helluva lot more fun when you crash (usually).

[Ddog]

Is there any other sport that will give me the same feeling as skiing during the long snowless summer months?

Grass skiing circa 1975...not without it's hazards however, mainly grass burns ("strawberries"). Still have the grass skiis, haven't tried them with tele boots however!

[Ross Taphari]

Great pics Ddog!

[Greg]

I have seen some videos of folks making some nice tele turns on nordic roller skis. However, based on the constant skinned knees and elbows of my kids, I think this option does not solve the "pavement problem."

Despite having about a dozen pair of roller skis in the garage, I have not yet been tempted to try them out. I have found that bicycles are a fun summertime diversion, although not without their own risks.

[dschane]

Brilliant pics. -- cutoff jeans, tank top, and the pre-term mustache -- hard to top that. And you invented inline skates, the off-road version!

[upslope]

Is there any other sport that will give me the same feeling as skiing during the long snowless summer months?

Are you within striking distance of the ocean? If so, Surf.

[Baaahb]

Rev, were you longboarding under the moonlight?

How much mountain biking you been doing?

[Nurse Ben]

Downhill inline, it's not tele, but it's plenty thrilling. I used to skate all the big grades around Lake Tahoe. I wouldn't say it's safe, I have plenty of scars from high speed falls.

Grass skiing is tough, not that fun, and plenty dangerous. Let me know if you want to buy a set

Mountain boarding is thrilling, but your getting closer to the danger zone.

Unicycling? Yeah, yeah, try to suppress the giggles, but it's waaay challenging, and if you get good enough, you can get your pulse up for sure! I ride off road uni three times a week, rain or shine.

How about riding downhill trikes? There are some cool videos on Youtube, looks a little safer than skating, still need a shuttle, not very good for cross town cruising, but fun on the downs.

A few years back I went on a crusade to find a summer tele replacement, it was quite the endeavor, ran the gamut from castor style skate trucks, a mountain bike wheeled "skate board" (can't remember the brand name) Cross Skis, grass skis, etc...mountain boarding end up being the best but after a few shoulder injuries I sold all my gear.

@Ddog, are you still living on Vancouver Island? We're interviewing for jobs in Port Angeles, could be out there as soon as April of next year. Do you ever get across the strait?

[Carpe Canem]

Kickbike

http://www.kickbikenw.com/Bikes/CrossMax.html

Closest thing to skiing I have found in the summer.
You can take it to at a resort, but I usually earn 'em.
Good cross training. Gets the core involved more than with a gear train.
NG on rocky technical stuff, but graded dirt with a few jumps and banked corners. Ye Haw!
And I believe they are safer than a Mt Bike if you respect the low clearance. If you don't you get a free flying lesson.
Low center of gravity and no frame/seat to negotiate when you are trying to sling yourself around to stay upright.
Bottom line? They are a blast.

[bbense]

Is there any other sport that will give me the same feeling as skiing during the long snowless summer months?

Windsurfing or kiteskiing, but both are more expensive and even more dependent on the weather than skiing. Finding somewhere you can
windsurf ( and carve turns ) on a regular basis is even harder than finding powder days.

MTB on a good trail can come close, but the consequences of failure are also pretty high. Good "flow" trails are few and far between in NorCal.

You can get that same gravity carving sensation on a road bike, but you need a steep turny descent and if you screw up the consequences are even higher
than MTB.

Windsurfing is why I moved to the SF Bay area. Sans kids, my yearly goal was 80 days windsurfing and 40 days skiing. Those days are long gone. Windsurfing at speeds where you get the carving sensation of skiing is also pretty hard on the knees. Windy water is bumpy water and burns the knees like mogul skiing.

Probably the best simulation of ski carving would be windsurf/kite skiing some where with offshore winds and a relatively shallow depth. Tidal estuaries are ideal for that. Some of the best windsurfing days I ever had for that carving sensation were at SeaBrook NH.

What you are looking for is the variation of preceived gravity with a free energy source, carving turns goes from low g to high g to low again and you use the free energy of gravity to power it. Skiing is the lowest impact gravity sport, all the rest happen in the hard world of dirt, pavement and rocks. On water, the only source of free energy is the wind or waves.

Sand skiing?

[cesare]

Downhill inline, it's not tele, but it's plenty thrilling. I used to skate all the big grades around Lake Tahoe. I wouldn't say it's safe, I have plenty of scars from high speed falls.

I used to skate from my office on Colorado Blvd. to the top of the Cherry Creek Dam and back for lunch. Tucking it down from the dam on race skates sure was thrilling. I'm glad I never fell doing that. All of my skating falls were at relatively low speeds from hitting small objects that tossed me off balance. The bad one that destroyed both shoulders was faster and in an intersection. I veered to my right to avoid a cyclist who swerved into my path and hit a drain cover that I never saw until after. I supermaned through the intersection to the horror of the drivers. Got up and went on to skate another 25 miles. Skied the sand dunes a few days later and then went in for surgery when I couldn't sleep due to the pain.

I sincerely hope I am finished with surgeries but my knees are not too happy with me these days and some doctors want to cut the occipital and trigeminal nerves in my head. We'll see.

Gravity sports on pavement are stupid.

[william]

Gravity sports on pavement are stupid.

That should be a bumper sticker.

[cesare]

Maybe so. But for now, Telemarking is stupid will have to suffice.