Wow! That is a really clever folding ski. It is interesting that it was developed for snowboarders, and not spring skiers. I’ve tried to build my own spring ski but this looks better in many ways. Of course, I have questions:
1) How well do they glide? The binding looks like it would glide fairly well. The permanent skin is a mistake (in my mind) but it makes sense for their market. Otherwise, you have to put on/take off the skin every time you fold the ski. I would prefer doing that, and simply have fish scales on the skis (with decent camber).
2) Do the bindings provide enough control? I was really surprised at how much control I had with Berwin bindings and my all leather hiking boots. My boots are pretty stiff, so that is where the control came from. But compared to Alpine ski boots, the boots I hike in are much lighter and softer (and much better for hiking). Yet I was able to control my mini-skis with great precision (at the cost, unfortunately, of gliding). So, if these fit like Berwin bindings on top of a hinge, then they should work really well (the “Berwin on top of hinge” works really well for my brother).
3) Any chance you can make them skinnier? That width seems like ridiculous overkill. Now, granted, this is sold as a powder approach ski, but still. More to the point, for a spring ski, I would want something a lot skinnier. At that length (150 cm) I think 80 mm would be plenty.
4) Is the price negotiable? :) As much as I don’t like it, I can understand why they charge this much. It really isn’t for skiers, but for snowboarders. Split boards are really expensive, while regular snowboards can be much cheaper (and certainly perform better for the price). Using snowshoes is a cheap alternative, but if there is a long flat or rolling section, then snowboarders will want something like this.
