Snowsurfing: Blade 走者

Once in a while everything clicks and the thing you're doing feels just 権利. Whether you are taking a corner at 速度(を上げる）, 爆破ing a forehand 負かす／撃墜する the line or 開始する，打ち上げるing a 運動 負かす／撃墜する the fairway, いつかs, somehow, man and machine come together and it 作品 like a dream.

飛行機で行くing 負かす／撃墜する a ski slope with the 冷淡な 勝利，勝つd in my hair and a 幅の広い grin on my 直面する, I've got just that feeling - and it leads me to make a momentous 決定／判定勝ち（する）. This year when I go skiing I'm leaving both my skis and my 正規の／正選手 snowboard at home.

Inventing a new form of 事情に応じて変わる 負かす／撃墜する a hill has become a 最大の関心事 for snowsports entrepreneurs ever since Jake Burton 工夫するd the snowboard nearly 30 years ago.

Since then many have tried and only 部分的に／不公平に 後継するd: monoskis, snowblades, snowskates and all manner of variations on such 主題s have met with lukewarm 歓迎会s, having failed to 配達する the optimum blend of 緩和する of use and 支えるd fun so 批判的な to 商業の success.

All that may be about to change. From sceptic to 信奉者 in an afternoon is a big jump to make, but I am willing to bet it's a jump many スキーヤーs and snowboarders of all ages will be making this season once they've 始める，決める foot on a very serious 挑戦者 for the 肩書を与える of Next Big Thing: the snowsurfer.

It's a chilly December morning as we arrive at Xscape in Milton Keynes, home to Britain's biggest real-snow indoor ski slope. As someone who has either skied or snowboarded every year for the past ten years, I 長，率いる inside, intrigued but unconvinced by the idea of something the blurb says "brings the joy and freedom of surfing to the ski slopes". We'll see.

Inside I 会合，会う Ian Colley, 43, director of BareFoot 搭乗, the company that, over the past two years, has spent £150,000 研究ing, （手先の）技術ing and 実験（する）ing the 製品 it believes is 均衡を保った to 激しく揺する the snowsports world.

"Funnily enough, when Jake Burton invented the snowboard he talked about a 'snurfer', and about surfing on snow, but it never really （機の）カム to fruition," Colley says.

以前は an international 銀行業者, Colley left his 職業 three years ago after a chance 会合 with a young Cornish surfer called 認める Strover, who was 遂行するd at both skiing and surfing.

"He liked snowboarding but didn't like 存在 bound to the board and felt that it didn't give you that unique feeling of freedom you get when surfing on water," says Ian. "Having seen a snowskate (a tiny ski beneath a small skateboard deck, used for 成し遂げるing tricks in the snow), he （機の）カム up with the idea of a bigger deck with a longer ski below it.

"I went with him to M?ribel in March to see him 実験（する） an 早期に 原型, and the number of people who stopped him and 手配中の，お尋ね者 to know what he was riding and where they could get one was amazing. I 追加するd some 財政／金融 and 商売／仕事 技術s to the 事業／計画（する）, because I could see that the 可能性のある was 抱擁する - and after a lot of 裁判，公判 and error, here it is."

He 明らかにする／漏らすs the fruits of his 労働s. On 最高の，を越す is a long skateboard deck made from Canadian maple but covered in Neoprene [synthetic rubber] for 支配する. Beneath that is a 23cm anodised aluminium 開始するing, designed and built by a former aeronautical engineer, which connects the deck to a 従来の 168cm ski underneath.

"Four million skis and one million snowboards are sold every year in the world, but recently snowboarding sales have started to drift downward. I reckon people are looking for the next big thing, and the beauty of it is you don't need special boots and bindings. You just step on - in a pair of trainers if you like - and go."

'We wouldn't want it careering 負かす／撃墜する the mountain without you on it'

It's time to see if the snowsurfer 配達するs. We 長，率いる inside the 広大な refrigerator that houses the Xscape's indoor ski slope to join his young 指導者 and give it a go.

Ben Skinner, 21, or 'Skindog', is the world's first professional snowsurfer rider. He walks me 50 metres up the slope for lesson one.

First, he 大（公）使館員s me to the board 経由で a coiled leash, 安全な・保証するing it with a Velcro ひもで縛る around my 権利 ankle. "That's the only thing that 貯蔵所d you to the board," he explains. "We wouldn't want it careering 負かす／撃墜する the mountain without you on it."

He then points out my snowsurfer at a slight angle 負かす／撃墜する the slope and gets me to 錨，総合司会者 it there by standing with my 権利 foot on both the snow and the 底（に届く） ski together.

"All you have to do is put your left foot on the 前線 of the board, 解除する your 権利, place it on the 支援する and off you go." With that, he slides effortlessly off 負かす／撃墜する the slope, carving big, rhythmic turns as he goes.

"It's a much smoother sensation than snowboarding," Ben explains, having trudged 支援する up the incline. "Because it's narrower than a snowboard there's a more gentle 移行 from 辛勝する／優位 to 辛勝する／優位, but thanks to the smaller surface area it can 現実に be faster than either snowboarding or skiing. 権利, your turn... "

に引き続いて his 指示／教授／教育s, I place my left foot on the 前線 of the surprisingly grippy 最高の，を越す deck, follow it with my 権利, and suddenly I'm snowsurfing.

"Bend your 脚s and keep your 負わせる on the 支援する foot," Ben shouts as I gather 速度(を上げる）. "承認する, turn to your left by looking where you want to go."

集会 速度(を上げる）, with 武器 held outwards in a surfer-like 提起する／ポーズをとる, I turn my 長，率いる to the left. My shoulders turn with me and, amazingly, I make a 幅の広い, 広範囲にわたる turn, remaining upright, 乾燥した，日照りの and unbruised. Grabbing the board, I walk 支援する up and get my feet in place for another go.

"The beauty of snowsurfing is that, without bindings, you just step on and off, which 除去するs a lot of the exhausting aggro that comes with skiing or snowboarding," explains Ben. "It's easier to learn than either of them, it feels a lot more natural, and the sensation you get when riding this thing is 全く different."

Next time I make a left and a 権利 turn before 落ちるing off. It's いっそう少なく of a worry taking a 宙返り／暴落する, though; your 脚s are not bound on to s omething that can easily catch in the snow and wrench an ankle or a 膝.

"This time try 始めるing the turn with your 主要な arm. Point where you want to go and your 団体／死体 and board should follow," shouts Ben. Thirty seconds later, having made four 広範囲にわたる turns, I've slid the snowsurfer to a 停止（させる） at the 底（に届く） of the slope and am beaming with delight.

By the end of the afternoon the 過程 of stepping on and setting off has become second nature. And, by 事情に応じて変わる out the 後部 of the snowsurfer with 圧力 from my 支援する foot, I'm beginning to master the shorter, more choppy turns necessary for 交渉するing （人が）群がるd modern mountain 地形.

Snowsurfing does feel more natural and 直感的に than either skiing or snowboarding.

その結果, it's easier to learn, which should mean a 削減 in the 伝統的な two-days-on-your-backside rigmarole associated with its 前任者s.

"What do you think?" asks Colley, grinning at me at the 底（に届く） of the slope. I think I've just seen the 未来 of snowsports.

? For more （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） visit snow-surfing.com, or call 0870 760 2267.

Snowsurfing boards cost from £499 and are 利用できる 経由で the website.