
A monoski is a single wide
ski used for skiing on snow. The same
boots
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
,
bindings, and
poles
Pole or poles may refer to:
People
*Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland
* Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist
...
are used as in
alpine skiing
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...
. Unlike in
snowboarding
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralym ...
, both feet face forward, rather than sideways to the direction of travel. Similar equipment includes the
skwal and the
teleboard, with feet in
tandem
Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which two or more animals, machines, or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. ''Tandem'' can also be used more generally to refer to any group of persons or objects w ...
formation (one ahead of the other).
Monoskiing was invented in the late 1950s by Dennis Phillips at
Hyak, Washington using a single water ski and
bear trap bindings. Surfer
Mike Doyle promoted the monoski in the early 1970s, after which monoskiing's relative popularity slowly increased, but the interest eventually waned in favor of snowboarding.
Recently the popularity of monoskiing has increased, particularly in France and in the United States largely due to technological advances in the design of the ski. As with alpine skis the carved shape of the ski has meant easier turns, and as a result, skiers are finding the transition to monoskis less daunting.
Festivals
Fans of monoskiing arrange festivals during the season to try out new skis and compete in various competitions.
* In France one of the most popular is th
"Mondial de Monoski"* Also in France is the tongue-in-cheek 1980's themed held each April in
Val d'Isere
Val may refer to:
Military equipment
* Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies
* AS Val, a Soviet assault rifle
Music
*''Val'', album by Val Doonican
* VAL (band), Belarusian pop duo
People
* Val (g ...
.
* In the United States this is th
"Monopalooza"* In Colorado, United States this is th
"Cinco de Mono"
References
External links
Association Française de Monoski – one ski, more pleasureis the French monoski association. It is the biggest community and organizer of the Mondial de Monoski
Monoski.net is a US-based site with information and reviews for everyone provided by the US Monoskiers
Plesk Domain Default page is a British site that aims to inform and promote monoskiing to the UK and provides new and used monoskis to buy
RVM – RealVikingsMonoSki is a Swedish site with monoski information, photos and videos
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Skiing equipment
Sliding vehicles