Is snowscooting easy to master?

Yes, the advantage of a snowscoot is that it’s easy to keep your balance, because you steer it not only with your legs, but also with your arms via the handlebars. Unlike skiing and snowboarding, the equipment is not attached to your legs, so you don’t have to constantly control your upper body, which makes the snowscoot a very stable and easy-to-handle machine that you can master immediately. If you’d like to learn the basics first, we recommend our tutorial: How to ride a snowscoot.

How do I brake on a snowscoot?

It’simportant to note that the snowscoot has no brakes. All you have to do is start skidding by tilting the machine to one side, and the snow will scrape under the edge of the skates, bringing you to a halt.

Which snowscoot is right for you?

If you’re a beginner thinking of taking up snowscooting, you’ve probably heard the words « suspended » and « rigid« . Well, we’re talking about two styles of snowscoots with different purposes. The debate is likely to continue to animate the meetings of snowshoers. The best thing to do is make up your own mind before buying, and we’ll explain the main differences in detail here:

The Rigid Snowscoot

Made for thrill-seekers looking to freestyle, i.e. perform jumps and tricks, with more emphasis on technique than speed, they are mainly found in Snow Parks. This is the origin of the snowscoot, and until 2005 there were only rigid models on the market. And this is still the most widespread type of model, manufactured by all the brands on the market.

In terms of handling, it’s direct and straightforward, with every movement felt in the arms and legs, a communion with the piste – in short, snowscoot in its raw state. Rigid models are the lightest, weighing between 8 and 11 kilos, and, despite the arrival of XL frame models, have a lower center of gravity.

The different materials used to make the frame offer significant advantages:

• Steel: the most common. They are heavier, but also quite flexible.
• Aluminum: Aluminum has the advantage of being a lightweight material, but extremely stiff.
• Cromo: High-quality steel alloy, a compromise between rigidity and flexibility for a high weight.
• Titanium: Titanium offers an interesting stiffness/flexibility compromise for a low weight.
• Carbon: Fragile but light and fast.

Freestylers can do the same trick hundreds of times until they get it right. This can be a little frustrating for a beginner, but it’s a challenge that becomes a satisfaction when achieved, and watching a rider who has mastered it this kind of trick is spectacular.

Suspended snowscoot

Also known as a full-suspension snowscoot, this one is designed for freeride: It’s all about speeding down snow-covered off-piste slopes and avoiding obstacles. Blackmountain invented this model in 2005. Suspended models are more comfortable and lighter, and their front and rear suspensions smooth out riding errors, dampen vibrations and mean that piste faults are felt much less during a descent. These lighter models offer unrivalled riding comfort.

The suspensions work in harmony with the boards and frame.
Heavier (between 12 – 14kg), they nevertheless offer good handling despite a higher center of gravity. Less sharp and more supple, suspensions allow you to play in difficult terrain without being too shaken up, and to get the most out of it. There are several levels of suspension range, depending on the model.

Note that suspensions require special care if you want optimum performance and a normal lifespan. They also allow you to make precise adjustments to suit the terrain, the person and the type of ride, so you can be as close as possible to what you want.

The Semi-Rigid Snowscoot

The first semi-rigid appeared in 2010 with Blackmountain’s Torik model. It’s a response to those looking for a compromise between the support and sensations of a rigid model and the comfort of a suspended model. A clever blend of flexibility and stiffness.

The little roughnesses of the slopes are erased, but you can still feel them. The suspension also forgives a few minor riding errors. Taller and more massive, the Torik weighs between 11 and 12 kilos, depending on equipment.

Now that you’ve got a rough idea of the model that’s right for you, I’d like to introduce you to the main snowscoot brands and manufacturers.

Brands

The main snowscoot manufacturers are as follows:

• BlackMountain (this manufacturer is credited with inventing the suspended snowscoot)
• JYKK (Japan’s largest snowscoot manufacturer)
• Eretic (a brand that manufactures snow scooters)
• Insane Toys (the brand behind the snowscoot)
• Snowbaar (a Czech manufacturer of snowscoots from A to Z)

Where to go snowscooting?

95% of ski resorts and ski lifts allow snowscooting, provided you wear a leash. We’ve put together a page for you: snowscoot rental, which lists stores near resorts that rent them out… Most ski areas today have a snowpark, a real playground where you can enjoy freestyle tricks.

With 60,000 enthusiasts worldwide, including 10,000 in France, snowscooting has become increasingly popular in recent years, making it the 3rd most popular winter sport. A French association was even created in 2005, the FFS: Fédération Française de Snowscoot (French Snowscoot Federation ), a grouping of several national associations whose aim is to promote the sport and bring together sports groups with a view to organizing competitions; on the competition page, you’ll find a list of the different disciplines.

Ski lifts

In France, the sport is approved by the Service Technique des remontées Mécaniques (STRM), part of the Ministry of Transport, which means that skiers and snowboarders can use chairlifts, drag lifts and cable cars in the same way as monoskiers and snowboarders. All you have to do is stand on your feet, unlike the « vélo-ski », « skibike » or « ski-bob », its cousin requiring you to be carried and whose users are considered pedestrians.

All you have to do is sit down, hold on to the handlebars and make sure your leash and strap are securely fastened to your foot.

What equipment do I need to snowscoot?

The equipment you’ll need is pretty much the same as for downhill skiing and snowboarding: you’ll need waterproof boots, a helmet, warm clothing, goggles and gloves. We explain in detail on our snowscoot equipment page, where you’ll find all the gear you need to enjoy your snowscooting in complete peace of mind