Invented in 1963, the “skis” are essentially plastic tracks, from 60 to 90 centimeters long, with thin plastic shields protecting the internal workings from grass and dirt buildup. The skier secures their boots—usually the stiffest possible, as plastic softens in the heat—via toe and heel bails before bombing down their intended line.
The skis are made to be carved, and so snow-plowing and hockey-stopping aren’t possible, meaning options for stopping are limited to falling or running out of momentum at the bottom of the hill. Steeper, less-groomed pistes that make North American slopes so fun in the winter are brutal for grass skiing. Grass does not cushion your falls the way snow does.
