‘Just a bunch of homies attempting to pull it off’: Breckenridge business enterprise hopes to make snowskates the subsequent trend in winter sports

A fleet of Aloud Snowskates on a winter day in Breckenridge.Aloud Snowskates is attempting to make snowskates the subsequent huge point on the mountain across the county and the planet.
Aloud Snowskates/Courtesy photo

It was not that extended ago when the only way to get down a mountain was on a pair of skis. Skiers made use of to dominate snowsports with no other competitors and could have a ski day without having possessing to be concerned about one more “strange form” of finding down the slopes.

Having said that, in the late ’80s, slopes began seeing fast transform with the rise of the snowboard. Turf wars ensued at ski locations across the nation.

The snowboard craze at some point leveled out at the finish of the 20th century, and it is now widespread to see skis and snowboards in nearly equal numbers on a chairlift. Practically 40 years soon after snowboards emerged onto the snowsports scene, a new system of cruising down the mountain has arrived, and a Breckenridge-primarily based company— Aloud Snowskates — is attempting to make snowskates the subsequent greatest trend on the mountain.

A lot as snowboards had been very first met with confusion and opposition from skiers, snowskates at the moment have each skiers and snowboarders not pretty realizing what to believe of a skateboard-variety deck — with no bindings — fastened to the major of a ski.

Former qualified skateboarder and Summit resident Eddie Sixberry was inspired to get started Aloud Snowskates soon after riding quite a few other companies’ snowskates. Sixberry, 60, enjoyed the idea of hauling down a piece of wood though only getting attached by a leash fastened about his waist, but did not get pleasure from the really feel of the snowskates at the moment on the market place.

“I began snowskating about 2009, like all the time,” Sixberry stated. “There weren’t quite a few accessible and there had been only a handful of men and women performing it. I was a ski and ride instructor (at Breckenridge Ski Resort) and I was permitted to ride my skate in uniform. I didn’t like how the other skates performed. I began modifying stuff.”

A single of the greatest issues Sixberry ran into though riding other versions of snowskates is that the wooden major deck of the board would snap when he attempted to land tricks off of terrain park jumps or organic side hits.

“I was breaking the tails on the jumps,” Sixberry stated. “At the skatepark it is cool to break a board. You can stroll to your auto and leave, but if you break a board at the terrain park you have about a mile stroll down. It sucked.”

As a outcome, Sixberry began designing a snowskate that was sturdy, powerful, exciting to ride on and could deal with any terrain on the mountain. Sixberry developed a extra sturdy board by altering the trucks of the board and partnering with Denver-primarily based Folsom Custom Skis to offer a smooth-gliding ski for the subdeck. 

Sixberry then assembled a crew consisting of his two sons  — Andrew and Matt — along with other Summit County residents who all helped him officially launch in 2019.

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Every member of the “fun-having” and hardworking crew has their personal part, with Eddie Sixberry getting the key mastermind and fearless leader of the business, Andrew Sixberry getting in charge of screen printing merchandise and overseeing on line sales, Matt Sixberry designing the trucks of the snowskate, Wealthy Fisher of Rocky Mountain Tattoo Emporium designing the art of merchandise and skates, and each PJ Parkinson and Jim James (Eddie Sixberry’s roommate) serving as the media, sales and events organizers.

With every member of the group assisting to make Aloud Snowskates the subsequent huge name in the snowsport market place, the group now has six unique snowskates for sale to the public. 

Every board provides riders a unique knowledge, with some boards getting geared towards quickly and flowy groomers though other folks are best for terrain park riding or moguls. An additional aspect that tends to make Aloud Snowskates exclusive to skis and snowboards is that they are very easily interchangeable to any rider with no prior fitting or customization required prior to barreling down the mountain. 

A single of the greatest obstacles Aloud is at the moment attempting to navigate is producing the public comfy with seeing snowskates on the mountain. 

“A lot of men and women haven’t even heard of snowskating till they see us,” Parkinson stated. “They believe we are on a snowboard since we are flying previous them and going the identical speed as skis and snowboards.”

A closeup shot of an Aloud Snowskates snowskate. Every single Aloud Snowskates item options a wooden deck with traction attached to a Folsom Custom Ski, with custom trucks and a waist leash.
Aloud Snowskates/Courtesy photo

As soon as introduced to what a snowskate even is, the Aloud crew is usually then met with a fury of concerns ranging from how does one particular ride and keep on one particular to how could you not injure oneself.

From the point of view of Sixberry and Parkinson — who each made use of to snowboard — snowskating does not differ significantly from its cousin, snowboarding. Snowskate customers may perhaps not be fastened to the board through bindings or clips, but the grip tape on the major side of the board aids to hold riders attached to the board though the style of Aloud Snowskates’ skis enables them to carve nearly identically to how one particular would on a snowboard. 

“A lot of men and women who are made use of to snowboarding can just jump ideal on and get started producing turns,” Parkinson stated. “Eddie is the very first individual to make a snowskate that is that significantly like a snowboard.”

“When I got with Mike at Folsom, my key target was to make these ride like a snowboard,” Sixberry stated. “I wanted these to excel technologically so that it is permitted on mountains. So that it is recognized.”

Though falls can nonetheless take place on a snowskate, not getting clipped in enables riders to slide out on their back or run off the board alternatively of crashing their knees into the snow and ice like on a snowboard.

Sixberry stated after men and women can get more than the initial fears linked with a snowskate, they usually obtain joy with experiencing their preferred mountain all more than once more.

“It tends to make it seriously thrilling when you are on the blues and greens once more understanding,” Sixberry stated. “It is reissuing the challenge.”

More than the previous couple of years, Aloud Snowskates has began to make its presence recognized in Summit County, with items getting noticed on and off the mountain and sold at snowboard shops like Breckenridge’s Underground Snowboards. 

Sixberry and Aloud have also branched out to Breckenridge Ski Region, hosting clinics for ski college instructors to find out how to safely ride a snowskate.

“We have carried out 3 clinics so far with the Breckenridge Ski College,” Sixberry stated. “That sort of began since each and every time we rode previous the ski college the complete class is hunting. Now they can inform their students that I have ridden them and they are fairly cool. All we are attempting to do is place the pieces of the circle with each other and make a larger circle.”

Eventually, Sixberry’s dream is to make snowskates the subsequent widespread mode of transportation down the mountain, with Aloud getting the go-to brand. Snowskates are at the moment permitted at quite a few ski resorts in and close to Summit County, but are not permitted at each and every ski resort in the nation. Sixberry hopes to transform that in the subsequent couple of years. 

“We are reliving it, ” Sixberry stated, comparing their function with snowskates to the historic efforts to legitimize snowboarding on the slopes. “And it is seriously thrilling to me. We are just a bunch of homies attempting to pull it off.”

Aloud Snowskates has plans of developing its attain at the starting of the 2023-24 winter season by hosting extra clinics, group parties and other events. To obtain out extra about Aloud Snowskates, or to acquire a board, take a look at AloudSnowskates.com.