Beginner's guide to ski sledding from SNOOC

Safe as a sled, cool as a ski !
Where and how you can ski down miles of slopes on a sit-ski !

Do you know that by opening this guide you will enter an extraordinary universe of fun, laughter, sliding, skidding but also - if you want - speed, strong sensations, curves, turns, snow in your eyes, excitement, euphoria...?

Is that what you want ?

Find that childlike soul and at the same time get a full tank of adrenaline ?

So, go ahead, scrowl further down the page, discover the good reasons to try SNOOC and your future surf spot !

The slopes are waiting for you! They are there, ready to be ridden !

What? Are you still on this page ?
Come on ! dive deeper into the SNOOC universe...

SNOOC is for you !

Before we tell you all the secrets of SNOOC and where to do it, make sure you are in one of these categories, which gives you the right to do it...

You are a beginner, confirmed, junior or senior skier? Then this is for you !

You've never skied because you didn't have the opportunity or because it scares you? Then this is for you !

You can ski but you can't enjoy yourself anymore because you have bad knees ? Then this is for you!

Are you with your parents and want to have fun as a family? Then this is for you !

You do not ski but you accompany someone who loves to ski and you would like to share this pleasure together ? Then this is for you !

Do you love sledding and anything that rolls down the snowy slopes? Then this is for you !

You have fun on a sled, but you don't like to walk up ? Then this is for you !

You like to ski but not too much when the weather is bad ? Then this is for you !

Do you want to be a kid again ? Then this is for you !

You want to have fun ? Then it's clear... this is for you !

You want to have fun on the slopes with friends who can't ski ? Then this is for you !

You don't have the physique to ski ? Then this is for you !

Well, you got it, I guess !

SNOOC is for everyone! And it's definitely for you !

The only two conditions that will ensure that you love your SNOOC experience are that you love the snow and that you enjoy sliding down a hill at your own pace ! Easy, isn't it ?

It's time to tell you a little more about SNOOC...

 

What is SNOOC ?

If you do some research on the internet, or on the official website snooc.ski, you will realize that there are two types of SNOOC.

SNOOC Touring, and SNOOC Downhill.

The one we are going to talk about in this guide is the SNOOC Downhill.
We will call it the SNOOC.

If you want to know more about the SNOOC Touring - and if you want to go up the slopes like in ski touring or snowshoeing and come back down with a ski sledge - then you can check out the snooc.ski website. snooc.ski.You'll find all the information you need.

Let's get back to our SNOOC downhill !
It is a ski sled that allows for seated skiing.
Simply a seat that rests on a ski.
A sled on a single runner !

Just like a sled, with the SNOOC, you will be able to slide down the slopes while sitting on a seat and without effort.
But just like skiing, with the SNOOC, you will be able to turn and even carve (nice turns that send a lot of snow on the side!) simply by moving your chest and shoulders

And, above all, you will be able to go down the ski slopes, in the resorts where it is allowed (and there are already more than a hundred, and there will be more and more !)

 

Hybrid between skiing and sledding, what is the interest to practice SNOOC ?

First of all, the handling is very simple.

As simple and intuitive as a sled.

To start with, you don't need any special equipment for a SNOOC descent: no ski boots, no poles. Just a helmet: it's the usual caution as for cycling, skateboarding, etc...

You stand at the top of a runway, facing downhill, put your feet up, hold the handle of the SNOOC with one hand and let yourself slide down. If you are afraid of going too fast, you can always brake a little with your feet, at first, but you will soon realize that you can do it much more efficiently and simply.

To make a right turn, you just have to turn your chest and shoulders slightly to the right and move your right arm away from your body. And the miracle happens... you turn right.

Same thing on the left.

To stop you, you just have to insist a little more in the turn: as with skis, if you are perpendicular to the slope, you will not go down anymore !

It will take you just a few minutes to figure out how to do it.

And it doesn't matter if you don't know how to ski: SNOOC is not skiing. You will learn very quickly.

Are you going to fall ?

If you've ever been sledding, you know that sometimes the most fun is falling, because you never get hurt and you have a lot of fun !

Witness the famous bowls that are great fun to film.

With the SNOOC it's exactly the same feeling of fun, since you can only fall from the top of your seat, that is to say about twenty centimeters (less than the length of an A4 sheet of paper or that of a large notebook).

You will not fall from the sky !

The SNOOC is attached to your waist with a long leash, so it won't go off and leave you alone. It will be held in place by this leash, so you can leave as soon as you dust off the powder that has covered you !

Secondly, what about piloting ?

This is where you'll really appreciate SNOOC.

Indeed, depending on the resort, you can practice SNOOC on the sledging slopes and/or on the ski slopes.

YES! The ski slopes. Blue and gradually, red, black! All the ones that are allowed !

You'll be able to enjoy many miles of trails without walking !

All the sensations of skiing, but in a sitting position.

Without putting pressure on your knees.

And without having to spend three days going downhill in snowplow mode like skiing! We like to tease at SNOOC.
AWith your group of buddies or your family who usually let you enjoy the solitude in front of your glass on the snow front or worse, do the shopping while they have fun on the snow !

You will go down with them !

So, this piloting ?

Well, if you read the beginning of the paragraph you already know how to make right and left turns, how to brake, and how to stop.

That's it, there's nothing more to know !

You can go already! Grab your SNOOC, hop on a gondola, put on your helmet, clip your leash to your waist and let yourself slide down the hill !

During the first two or three turns you will quickly understand how to coordinate with your chest, shoulders and arm, and then you can let go.

May the fun be with you !!

If you already like or discover that you like to make great curves on the snow, you will quickly understand that the speed will allow you to enjoy carving with your SNOOC just like a snowboarder or skier !

On the snooc.ski website, there are plenty of tutorials and videos that tell you how to make your first descent and how to have fun on the slope ! Run quickly and get inspired !

 

Who can do SNOOC ?

Finally, the question that kills !

No, actually, you'll see, that's the killer answer.

Question: can anyone do SNOOC ?

Answer: yes, all big kids over 1.20m! And everyone will have fun from the first minutes of the descent !

Yes, yes, it is possible, and it is even safe.

 

Do you already ski ?

Hesitant beginner or demon of the black slopes, same fight.

Do you know why you'll love SNOOC ?

First of all, because it's a sliding sport and you like it.

Secondly, because you won't have to sacrifice days of skiing to learn a new sport (personally, we're not fans of snowploughing) ! With the SNOOC, you'll feel comfortable right away and you'll be able to carve like a pro !

But also, you will enjoy SNOOC because you will be able to ski in all weather conditions, even on a white day or when it's snowing really hard. You're close to the ground, you can see the bumps and the piles of snow, you have good control of your trajectory, you're going to have a blast (not in the trees, let's be clear about that) !

And then you will be able to share a moment of skiing with those in the group who do not ski. Vacations together are also about sharing good times !

And then when your thighs get hot in the middle of the afternoon, when you start to doubt your legs, and when you tell yourself that it is more reasonable to go and have a chocolate, SNOOC allows you to enjoy new sliding sensations to make the most of your day. And use your ski pass until the last minute.

 

You have skied a lot in the past but you can't anymore ?

You don't feel comfortable anymore because your body doesn't follow you anymore, or maybe even because the docs have forbidden you after your last knee accident ?

Well, here is a good way to have fun again while sliding down the slope... without pressure on your knees!

The SNOOC allows you to have a stable support (your two feet plus the skate, that's three supports!) close to the ground. At about 20 centimeters from the ground, if you fall (and you can only fall on your side!) you won't hurt yourself.

Your knees are not under the pressure of your weight, you are sitting. It's not like skiing or snowboarding. You can even go downhill without ever using your legs: just lift them off the ground lightly and effortlessly.

No falling from a standing position, no straining of the knees, no twisting ... you feel the urge rising ?

The SNOOC is the solution that puts the least strain on the joints because it is sit-skiing. I'm sure that sitting skiing will appeal to grandpas, who even with joints that start to predict the weather would still make a few runs! You will be amazed by the possibilities and the sensations that this solution offers.

In addition, you can go down the slopes with other skiers, perhaps your friends or family members who can still ski !

The SNOOC is one of those magical pieces of equipment that allows you to prolong the pleasure of skiing down the slopes without the fatigue of an intense skiing sequence. No more burned thighs, no more knee pain and no more ski boots! And for that, I tell you, your feet will thank you! And no more risks of a standing ski descent.

 

And you, who have never skied !

You'll finally have fun somewhere other than the snow front !

You will be able to go up there with your friends or your family and without having any experience of skiing you will be able to appreciate the ski slopes, the variations of slope, the landscapes, the sensations of speed (that you control perfectly) in full safety, without being afraid of the fall but on the contrary by having benefited thoroughly from your day on the snow.

The time of the non-skiers confined to the preparation of meals, shopping and reading on the terrace of a bar which are nice when the weather is good but which quickly become frigid when the sky is overcast !

That time is over! !

Non-skiers too will finally have fun on a snow holiday with SNOOC.

 

You who come with your family !

Oh yes, we were about to forget about you! You ski but your children are not yet comfortable enough to ski on the same slopes as you ? So either you don't ski or your other half does ?

Why not try a nice SNOOC descent ?

As soon as they are over nine years old, you can share this moment with your children, taking your time, and enjoying the beautiful landscapes of altitude often reserved for good skiers.

No learning difficulty for the children. It is so intuitive...

Besides, children learn even faster than adults, it is known !

And we bet that a SNOOC session is much more fun (and less tiring ;) than sledding down the slopes at dusk and walking back up the sled after each run !

Family experiences are always the ones that leave the most memories, so don't miss out on this one !

Slipping, sliding, rolling in the snow, laughing, together.

SNOOC is an activity that can be enjoyed by families.

All ages and all levels are mixed together. Everyone has fun and we tell each other everything, again, at dinner !

 

You who don't dare to go on the slopes to see your children evolve.

You will finally experience the pleasure of accompanying your children, encouraging them, creating common memories, but above all, understanding their emotions and their adventures that they tell at the end of the day over a chocolate !

You will be able to calm this anxiety which sometimes assails you when you see them leaving in the morning in this unknown mountain

 

You, whose trip is sledding !

What you like about luge is the speed, it's going downhill.

But you tell yourself that the tracks are always too short.
Or that you feel like you're always doing the same straight track and that you'd like to vary the pleasures, to control your trajectories...

So that's why you'll have a blast with a SNOOC !

 

There are plenty of resorts that allow you to ski down blue, red and even black runs with a SNOOC.

And how do you get up there ?

Very comfortably, with the ski lifts used by skiers. Once at the top, you'll have hundreds of meters of vertical drop and kilometers of slopes to discover and ski down !

A little bonus if you have friends who also ski: you can go downhill together -they on skis and you on your SNOOC- to see who is the fastest and who makes the most beautiful curves !

And yes, the curves! That's the difference between a sled and SNOOC.

With the SNOOC, which has only one runner, you make turns like skiers.

You will feel the thrill of carving, stronger than the thrill of speed.

So check out the resorts where you can SNOOC on the ski slopes !

You'll have a blast !


SNOOC is really a fun and sporty activity for everyone..

SNOOC is the safety of sledding, the beauty of the ski curve, the thrill of speed and the discovery of ski areas.

It's the mountain for everyone with a capital T, skiers and non-skiers, beginners and advanced, children and seniors !

It's a moment of sharing, joy and a return to childhood ! For everyone.

And for you too !

Everyone can enjoy a day on the snow with SNOOC !

This was precisely the objective of the inventor of the SNOOC !

 

Why was SNOOC invented ?

The SNOOC is a French invention. Cyril is the one who invented it.

Cyril is passionate about the mountains and loves to ski, but he has family and friends who do not ski.

He then decided to find a way to enjoy the joys of skiing together in the winter, when they all get together to share good times.

It was the paret that inspired him.

The paret is a kind of traditional sled, originating from the region of Manigod in Haute-Savoie.

The children - and not only - used them to go down the snowy slopes from their farm to the village, to go to school, to mass or to carry cheese to the market.

Over the years, the paret has become a light, fun and easy to use recreational machine.

Today there are even international competitions of traditional paret, in Manigod, with more than a hundred participants each year.

In concrete terms, the paret is a small sled made entirely of wood, with a single iron runner (the lugeon). It is equipped with an inclined board allowing to sit with a foot on each side of the sled, and a vertical handle allowing to direct the whole.

In the Alpine valleys, from France to Austria, different types of screens have been designed year after year, but it is the one from Haute Savoie, which inspired Cyril to create the SNOOC.

By creating SNOOC, Cyril has put the link back at the heart of the adventure :
- the link with our relatives, our friends, the sharing,
- the link with the mountains, the elements, the beauty of the landscape
- the link with our childhood emotions, pleasure, energy

These are important links in our modern world which sometimes goes a little too fast, does not respect our environment enough and forgets the benefits of being together and sharing emotions.

Starting from the fact that most families or groups in the resort only meet around the meal - because of the very different ski level of each one -, we had to create a way to share intense moments of laughter, pleasure and joy.

The activity had to be :

• Accessible to all in only ten minutes to be able to share it,
• Fully controllable from the first few meters to reassure,
• Safe for 9 to 99 year olds, the fall is just one more reason to laugh,
• With universal sensations that recall intense and simple emotions.

In addition to gathering around a fun and easy activity, SNOOC is a gateway to winter sports for all those people who, for many reasons, have not or no longer dared to take up snow sports.

That's how SNOOC was born, and that's why naturally everyone can practice it and enjoy it
It's in its DNA, since the first prototype.

Cyril himself, explained in an interview :

"Overall, we can say that SNOOC is for those who like to slide and that it is an easy and safe solution for those who are a little apprehensive to get started.
In short, almost everyone.

If we look at the origin of the project, I would like to say that it will allow skiers to share a moment with loved ones who do not ski.
It's a great gift to offer your loved ones such an emotionally intense experience, when they never thought they would have access to it.

We have also had excellent feedback from people who have recovered their sliding sensations after having stopped due to physical difficulties.
And then, quite simply, it is aimed at all those who like to have fun without taking themselves seriously !
Cyril, the inventor of SNOOC

Technically, how is a SNOOC made ?

The SNOOC, is a modern paret (a sled with only one runner).

It consists of three parts: the ski that glides on the snow, the seat on which you will sit and the carbon shock absorber that will allow you to enjoy the descent without suffering all the roughness of the terrain.

Each element has undergone extensive development studies with the best manufacturers in the field, and numerous tests to ensure your comfort and stability.

Skiing :The ski allows you to have the best possible experience in descent. The edges of the ski allow you to ski safely while controlling your speed. It is thanks to the resistance of this ski, despite its deformation, that you can make beautiful turns during your carving runs. The SNOOC is also very agile because it offers a smoother turn initiation to allow you to take wide or tight turns.

Comfortable seat : The seat is designed to offer the best comfort when going down the slopes with the SNOOC, it is suitable for all ages from 9 years and all sizes. Don't worry about your height or weight. It's all about comfort! This seat gives the SNOOC a great stability.

Carbon shock absorber :SNOOC's shock absorber is the most efficient suspension on the market. It has been tested on jumps of 1 m high and 6 m long. These important constraints - well beyond the recommended use - have demonstrated the strength of the SNOOC. This suspension allows to absorb the shocks of the ground. The SNOOC is much more comfortable than a classic sled !

Made in Europe :in a concern of eco-responsibility and quality, and as far as possible, the parts that make up the SNOOC are produced in Europe, and even more often in France.

What precautions should I take when using SNOOC ?

The SNOOC does not present any particular risk.

Nevertheless, the usual precautions should be taken.
Since the SNOOC can be used by those who are not used to skiing, a few reminders are essential. (But for you who already know how to ski, a reminder is never too much !)

In terms of clothing, it is best to bring soft, warm shoes, preferably high boots: snow boots will do.

With a seat about 20 centimeters from the surface of the slope, you will certainly be splashed with snow! Gaiters, a neck brace and a mask will not be too much. You should also choose waterproof and warm clothing, especially for your pants and gloves, which will be in frequent contact with the powder.

Wearing a helmet is also highly recommended. It is not uncommon for a SNOOC session with friends to quickly turn into a go-karting or even a bumper car game, especially for children. This is a common and logical safety measure for all board and road sports.

SNOOC is authorized in the resort on very specific lifts in the ski area.

Always respect these authorizations for your safety.

And of course, as for skiing, there are rules to respect on the slopes :

• control of speed and behaviour
• a trajectory that ensures the safety of the downhill skier (lower down the slope) who always has priority
• a wide overtaking that does not endanger other skiers
• in the middle of a runway and fast engagement at the intersection between two runways.

You can find all the rules to respect on :
https://www.skieur.com/actu-les-10-regles-securite-les-pistes-ski

SNOOC in a nutshell !

SNOOC is allowed on the ski slopes in a large number of ski resorts. It offers new sliding sensations at ground level as in sledding or karting, all in a fun and friendly way.

SNOOC is an alternative to skiing, it allows beginners to discover the pleasures of sliding and to have fun in less than 10 minutes.

The SNOOC is a sit-ski designed for beginners and experts. It allows you to ski in a seated position, with exceptional stability and control on groomed slopes or in powder.

This modern "sit-ski"offers sliding and speed sensations at ground level as in sledding or karting, all in a fun and friendly way !

The practice of SNOOC is :

• Simple: one size fits all..
• User-friendly: it makes sliding accessible to everyone.
• Easy : it's an alternative to skiing that allows skiers and non-skiers, adults or children, to discover the pleasures of skiing in a ski area in less than 10 minutes of learning. No need to know how to ski, one descent is enough to master the trajectory and the stop.

Sitting low to the ground, the sensations are intense, you can only fall a few centimeters, and as in skiing, the turns are precise and the skidding stop very effective.
We find the feelings of freedom and the joy of childhood typical of sledding, as well as the pleasure of the turn and the speed typical of skiing !

Now that you know everything about SNOOC, it's time to find out where you can do it !

GOOD RIDE !!