snowskates first appeared on the market in 1998, manufactured by Premier Snowskates and marketed by Andy Wolf, former member of the Nitro snowboarding team. Today the primary manufacturers are: Ambition Snowskates, Icon Snowskates, LY Snow and Krown Skateboards. Snowskate parks became numerous when the first single deck snowskates were being sold in stores. Word of mouth quickly spread about the single deck snowskate, leading to the popularity of snowskate parks around United States. The snowskate park moved snowskating from an urban underground winter sport to a mainstream winter sport. With the introduction of the snowboard, many resorts have removed their snowskate parks, and snowskating has moved back to its underground winter sport roots. Bideck A bideck snowskate is a snowskate that has a top skateboard deck which the rider stands on and a lower ski deck, which is in contact with the snow. Bidecks come in single blade varieties and multiple blade varieties. Bideck snowskates were reportedly invented by a Stevens Pass (Washington) local named Steve Frink. He came up with the idea of a skateboard with skis in 1994 while burning his skateboard in a skateboarders' ritual. In the year 2001, after many prototypes, he completed a final and finished product which he marketed under the brand "Bi-Deck Snowskates". Around the same time, snowboard manufacturer Burton Snowboards released the "Snowdeck". Burton has since stopped making snowskates. There are many bidecking skate communities in the world. Different bidecks are tailored to a different style of riding. Longer bidecks are favored for mountain snowskating, and shorter bidecks are favored for tricks and stunts. Current Bideck snowskate manufacturers are Hovland, Parole Boards, Squampton Snowskates (eco-friendly, made with hemp), Harfang, Ralston, Pioneer, Fuse, florilda powderskate, 0910, Minus-7, Landyachtz, Chiller, LibTech and Boyd Hill. 4x4 The least common snowskate, 4x4 snowskates, provide the most skateboard like feel. They have four small skis, each replacing a wheel, and are generally a little fatter and longer than a normal skateboard. Powderskate Powderskates are the most surf-like snowskate. They are usually longer and have a larger surface area to keep you afloat as it is used in deep powder. There are two varieties; single and bi-deck. The single deck is only for use in powder, and provides the most surf-like feel, whereas the bi-deck provides more leverage, and can be used on and off the powder. References Snowboarding Boardsports