"Skiskates originated in the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic, where they were developed by two friends Zbynek and Michael in 2019. As both friends have been passionate about ice hockey since they were little, they had the brainchild of creating a new winter sport to combine both skiing and skating. They named it skiskating." - Skiskates Press Release

When it comes down to it, since the haters like to trash anything that isn't the same as what they ride, using traditional skis, skiboards, and now skiskates are all in the same sport, though they all have a slightly different feel. As the skiskates have gotten down to the smallest of the bunch, coming in at under 20 inches (50 cm), it is likely that they will feel more like skates that anything else that has been taken on the mountain before.

When it comes to small skis, be they skiskates or skiboards, the most obvious advantage is portability. With the skiskates, one now has the option of tossing their skis right into their backpack. Not attached to the backpack or carried under one's arm like a set of school books, but right into their backpack. Not only would this be wonderful for a day when a person just wants to throw their stuff in the trunk of their car and go, but it would be great for a day when the shuttle bus is in play. Think about how much easier that would be. 

Skiskates with the snowboard boot setup.

Skiskates are available now from their website, https://www.skiskates.com/. Right now they are running at $299.00 U.S. and come in two colors, white and black. Also, and this kind of makes them unique out of the box, a buyer can choose bindings that work with either traditional ski boots or they can pick up a pair of skiskates with bindings set up for snowboard boots, for those looking to cross the old equipment line.

Will skiskates be the next big thing on the side of the mountain? Well, if you were around in the late 90s when skiboards started hitting the scene, you will know that those didn't become the next big thing in snowsports and don't have the following that some of us believe they should have. However, these could push the boundaries of small ski popularity, and will if the developers have anything to say about it. Actually, one of the developers, who goes by the name Zbynek, has said, “We are on a mission to make skiskating the next big thing among winter sports. Our community of skiskaters is growing every day and we’re having more fun than we could ever imagine.”