|
Introduction.
Over
the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number
of people taking to the winter slopes of Austria, Switzerland and
France. Many have tried the traditional winter sport, and spent
their first couple seasons of skiing in a ski school, but by far
the biggest increase in interest has been towards the snowboard.
It's popularity seems to go from strength to strength.
Skibiking
on the other hand, has stayed pretty much in the background. We
feel the probable cause is under-exposure, and we hope, through
this site to try and remedy the situation.
Skibikes
have been around for many years, albeit under a different name,
"ski-bobs" to be precise. The name may have changed, but
the sport has continued with little change. Modern technology and
materials have however allowed considerable improvements to the
design and production of Skibikes in general. Their versatility
and adaptability is exceptional, allowing riders a variety of speed
ranges, from 2 to over 100 mph, and are quite able to cope with
all types of snow conditions, from deep powder to sheet ice.
So how,
and where did it all start, and why has the sport not gained the
popularity of skiing or snowboarding? All very good questions, and
ones that are not easy to answer. The origins of the sport are debatable,
some will say America, and others will say Europe. We feel its true
origins lie firmly in Austria, Salzburg to be precise, more detailed
information can be found in the section (About).
Their
original use is also open to debate. We heard a theory many years
ago which sounded logical to us, but is as yet unsubstantiated.
It is thought that after the end of a day's skiing and the lifts
were turned off, the lift attendant at the top station was required
to ski down under the lifts and check that no person or persons
were still on the lift, and doomed to certain death in the freezing
overnight air. Considering the long day's toil, and the rather uncertain
terrain under lifts, then add to that the poor light conditions
that usually apply at that time of day, a less energetic and safer
way than skiing would be more appropriate. Over the years we have
seen many skibikes parked at the back of ski lift huts, and occasionally
seen lift attendants skibike down the side of the lift at the end
of the day.
We hope
you enjoy our Website. We will continue to improve and update both
the format and content, but this site will always be 'under
construction'. If you have any comments queries, or suggestions
please contact us, our contact address can be found below.
Happy
Skibiking.
gail@skibikers.tk
mervyn@skibikers.tk
About
Skibiking:
The
name skibike is a relatively new term for what traditionally used
to be called a "Ski-Bob".
If you have ever watched, the Beatles film "Help", you
may well know the answer to the above question, as the film has
a short sequence, where John, Paul, George and Ringo can be seen
riding early examples of skibikes.
The
skibike can best be described as a bicycle with the wheels removed
and short skis added in their place. It's height is approximately
24" (60 cm) and its length, depending on the type of skis fitted,
can be up to 7 feet (213 cm). The weight of a skibike varies considerably
and is dependant on its intended purpose, a light weight touring
model would weight around 15 lbs (7 kg), a racing model can weight
up to 40 lbs (20 kg). Most skibikes have some form of suspension
system, usually in the form of light weight shock absorbers. Brenter
Snowbikes have their own unique and (patented) suspension system.
The
name Snowbike is unique to the manufacturer Brenter and is patented
by them, the general look and ride of a Brenter bike however is
very similar to skibikes manufactured by other companies.
Small
skis, called foot-skis, with an approximate length of 22" (55
cm) are clipped to the feet, using standard ski boots and bindings.
These foot-skis provide additional stability when riding, and aid
turning.
When
the sport was in its infancy, there was a tendency by some to ride
without foot-skis, and use their feet to aid turning and speed control.
This method is extremely hazardous, and can cause considerable damage
to the pistes. All resorts that we know of now forbid this practice.
History.
The
Guinness Book of Records, state that the first record of the skibike
dates back to, 1891, when a gentleman by the name of: J. C. Stevenson
of Hartford, Connecticut, USA, invented what he called a "bicycle
with ski runners", and patented the device on the 19th April
1892, patent number (47334). We are not aware that the invention
ever went in to production though.
We feel
the true roots of the skibike, lay much closer to home, Salzburg
in Austria to be precise, where a gentleman by the name of: Englebert
Brenter, invented what he called the "Sit-Ski" back in
1949. His descendants the Brenter brothers, Erich and Willie, continue
to produce some of the finest Snowbikes to be purchased to date.
Versatility.
Skibikes
can be ridden on all types of terrain, and in most weather conditions,
they can be transported on most of the current lift systems to be
found in ski resorts. We have found it possible to skibike with
ease in conditions that have proved to be difficult for both skiers
and snowboarders.
There
are resorts where the use of skibikes is restricted or forbidden.
These restrictions are usually applied by the resort management,
and it is not an indication of the resorts unsuitability for skibikes.
About
Us.
Hi all,
I first
became involved in skibiking in the mid 70's when it was a relatively
new sport in the UK. I was fortunate really because my younger brother
Brett had been an instructor in the sport for quite a few years
prior to that, and had the reputation of being probably one of the
best skibikers in the UK; when it came to style and technique there
were few who could match him, I learned a lot from him (many thanks
Brett).
My parents
Don & Joan, were for many years active members of the SAGB and
my father was for a period one of their chief instructors.
I went
on to get my SAGB instructor's licence, and at that time, the new
Swiss Gold Proficiency Medal.
I ride
a skibike that was designed by and custom made for Tony Marsh, a
well known figure on the World Cup skibike circuit (Europe) in those
days.
My dreams
for the future are: to skibike in Canada or America, only to see
if they have moguls as big as the ones in Europe of course!
Regards.
Mervyn
Charlton.
Hello
everybody,
My first
experience of winter sports and ski-bobbing as it was known then
was back in 1983 in Saalbach/Hinterglemm Austria, I hated every
minute of it and could not get out of the resort quick enough.
I reluctantly
returned to the sport in 1987 after much persuasion from my new
partner Mervyn. He taught me the correct procedures and all the
little tricks he had picked up over the years, and gave me the confidence
to carry on where others had failed in the past.
I have
gone on to be a competent skibiker on all types of piste and in
all weather conditions, and have had the pleasure of instructing
many a beginner since then. My most recent pupil was 'Brian the
Boarders' girl friend Sharon, I had her skibiking down red runs
within two days of her first lesson, which by pure coincidence happened
to be in the resort of Saalbach/Hinterglemm Austria (March 2002.)
I ride
a Brenter Downhill Snowbike and love every minute of my annual excursion
to the winter slopes of Europe, and look forward to trying the slopes
of America and Canada in the not too distant future.
Happy
Skibiking.
Gail
Charlton.
|