Northstar-at-Tahoe: Toys for Gliding on Snow

By Tammie Thompson

The first time I saw the Snowbikes I thought it was just a gimmick. Yeah, like biking on snow would be any fun at all. But then again, they did look appealing – gliding through the fluff and over bumps. Maybe I was underestimating this new device. Only one way to find out. Here we go:

I got suited up at Northstar’s Snow Sport Center at mid mountain. The Snowbike looked the least intimidating and closest to the skis that I felt comfortable on. I clicked into the mini skis for my feet and sat cautiously on the bike. I immediately began to slide. "Help, how do I stop?" My lesson had begun.

It turns out that the Snowbike is really not that difficult to master if you’ve been on skis before. Turn up the hill to slow down utilizing the handlebars as well as your mini skis. What you get is a skidding sensation. Add a lean on the inside hand, shoulder and leg and you get a beautiful carved turn. Once you feel comfortable with the carve you can get a little more “aggro” and hug the bike seat with your thighs, exerting more pressure with your legs and transferring that powder to your lower legs. And voila – you have mastered the carved turn.

The Snowbike and other snowtoys are a powerful tool in teaching skiers and boarders how to carve. Less intimidating than skis or board, the snowtoys can give beginners the feel of gliding, skidding and carving almost at once. Almost everyone has ridden a bicycle, so balance is not an issue.

So I grabbed my Snowbike and made it awkwardly over to the lift. I hugged it across my chest and fell onto the chairlift. Though lightweight, carrying a Snowbike can take a little getting used to. This is the main reason that children under ten are not allowed to use snow toys. Certainly they can master maneuvering the bikes, scoots, etc., but lift access is the main concern. I managed to disembark all in one piece - and then get comfortable on my bike.

Trying to steer the Snowbike like a regular bike proved to be a problem. The front wheel is a ski and easy to over steer. Leaning was most effective as I descended the short slope. After a few turns I was getting the feel for the bike and slowly got the rhythm of leaning and carving. I was doing it! With each turn I became more adventurous and tackled fresh snow and wide bumps. I could feel the carving sensation and how subtle movements worked better than big jerky movements. Slight pressure on my outside thigh could actually turn the bike. I had to take another run to turn up the volume. Fun stuff.

It turns out the snowtoys are not really gimmicks at all. While they are great fun, they really do teach gliding skills making it easier to mimic those skills on skis or boards. Booth Creek (owner of Northstar-at-Tahoe) is so sure about this methodology that they have instituted a program at all of the Booth Creek resorts. They even printed a guidebook about use of the snow toys, “Good Things to Know… About Gliding on Snow” by Stu Campbell and Tim Petrick. The book highlights important concepts about gliding. Simple things like turn uphill to slow down and think about the curve coming up instead of the one you are in, make great sense. Changing edges to change direction may be difficult on skis, but on a snow bike it’s simple. More advanced concepts like pulling the edge through a turn instead of pushing, are exemplified well in the guidebook. (Click here for more on the guidebook.)

Northstar and the other Booth Creek resorts use various snowtoys to teach gliding (and to play with). They utilize ski boards (short short skis), which are great fun for kids and really get your weight centered. The Snowscoot is another interesting contraption. It is basically a BMX bicycle frame attached to two short snowboards. It can be ridden with both feet pointing forward or sideways like on a snowboard. The Ski Fox is a seat mounted on to a ski with use of mini skis for the feet. It is relatively easy to get the hang of but carving tight turns takes quite a bit more practice. All of the snowtoys are available for rent for kids aged 10 and over and for adults. Get out and glide!

More info on Northstar at our KidzResort page here.