As an advisor for my high school's ski club, I get a free season pass to our local ski area. However, I was getting bored with skiing, and found myself taking fewer runs during our ski days, and making fewer ventures up to the mountain on my own, despite the free season pass. But my love of snow hadn't waned...I just needed a change. About a month ago, on a whim, I rented some skiboards, and followed one of my 15-year-old students out on the slopes. Wow! Within an hour I was confidently going down the bump run I always avoided, and I even sneaked into the terrain park for the jumps! At the end of the evening I called my husband and announced I was selling my skis.

Four weeks later.....I've sold my skis on Ebay and have purchased a pair of Atomic E120's and Canon M7's. (I had to have 2 different pairs to play with....there's so much variety out there)! My attitude towards the mountain has completely changed.....even though I've skiied there for years, and know all the runs, everything seems different; more like a playground. Now the boring blues are fun because I venture up the sides of the run into the trees for the whoop-de-dos that are found there. The bumps are a blast..I keep searching for more, and am now a little disappointed rather than relieved when the double-black is groomed rather than bumped up!

On to the skiboards.....the Atomic E120's carve like crazy. They are powerful like a good ski, propelling me through the turns with amazing precision and speed. In the bumps, they turn quickly but are forgiving enough so that mistakes in technique don't put me in a faceplant. They hold their edge well in hardpack, and in crud and soft piles they excel. I found myself looking for those heavy snow piles that I used to avoid on my 180's. While carving turns down a wide run, I swear some of the snowboarders looked on in envy! I was able to easily keep up with some ski patrol friends, and they remarked in surprise how fast my Atomics were.

My husband tried the E120's a few days ago and has now declared them HIS. Enough said? So, on to the Canon M7's: The width of the M7's is noticeable after getting off the E120's...perhaps they are not as quick edge-to-edge. But who cares? They still carved like crazy, and in powder and crud....I just floated right through. I found myself zooming past snowboarders and advanced skiiers, and never did I feel unstable or out of control. My husband, on the Atomics, raced me down many runs....we were right on each other's tails.

The M7's are a stiff board and therefore highly energetic; this is most noticeable in the bumps...they respond with a lot of energy when turning on top of the bumps, so they are mightly quick through the moguls if you want them to be. However, I was able to easily slow down and just glide over the bigger, gnarlier stuff. However, when I pick up speed, and hit bumps or jumps, they respond with a lively spring that says, "Again, again!"

And so begins my addiction. I'm perfectly content (psyched, really) to ski on the M7's for the rest of the season. I love my (er, my husband's) Atomics, but the coolness of the snowboard-like look of the M7's offers a greater mental separation from the 180cm skis that so plagued me. And...I have no more knee pain! If you are a skier who can't quite part with your skis, go for the Atomics...they are more ski-like but just as fun as skiboards. You'll find you won't need your longer skis after all. If you want a feel more like a skate, with a whole lot of energy, then the Canons are perfect.

Now, skiing just on weekends isn't enough. I'm trying to figure out how to sneak in some runs after school during the week....

Wendy,
Kutztown PA

Atomic 99cm The Atomic freezones (99cm) are the most versatile skiboards I've ridden. I like that the boards can let you control your precise swift turns in the woods and dodging little kids if you need to. If you like parks as much as I do, having light skiboards to really tweak out a grab "phat", these are the king. I've ridden other boards and these are on my top 3 list.

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