There seems to be a lot of next winter type inventions on the up-and-coming. Upon first glance at the Zibock, it’s not immediately intuitive how it works–perhaps, a testament to its innovative potential. In development since 2007, the Zibock is a transformable hike up/ski down piece of mountain hike equipment driven to revolutionize winter hiking activities.
It looks like a ski with a seat with a handle (or control) right in the middle. Zibock’s developer likened it to “go-karting on snow.”
The entrepreneurs behind Zibock are a small team of French outdoors and ski enthusiasts who wanted to create new winter sports equipment for all skill levels, ages 12 and up. One that allowed everyone to easily enjoy hiking in the backcountry, as well as the ride down through the powdery snow. The more seasoned skiiers would appreciate its capacity for speed and adrenaline, and those who wanted a calm ride downhill would be able to do just that. Its skis are intended to be used for climbing up the mountain, but the skis could then be transformed and assembled into one piece, and the seat added.
The Zibock was developed by Cyril Colmet Daage and Jacques Dollè with comfort, safety, ease, and efficiency in mind. It’s comfortable because of an extremely flexible carbon blade shock absorber; great for rough terrain you are wont to hit upon mountainous wintry hikes. The seat is carbon fiber and the handle is aluminum and both weigh only 4 lbs. altogether—perfect for carrying up in your backpack. Safety was another feature that was important to its design. The handle collapses in case of a shock. The Zibock is easy to handle and gives you full control over your direction. It even gives you the ability to stop instantly (something I wished true during my downhill skiing trial).
Since its mid-February 2015 launch, Zibock has received media, public, and professional attention and support—including 40 mountain guides and stores in the Alps ready to adopt Zibock). Zibock is priced at $999 USD + tax.
To support Zibock’s campaign to build a community sharing good times together in the some of the most beautiful outdoor environments, you can visit here and learn more at: www.zibock.com
Have a look at Zibock’s IndieGoGo Campaign!
