Suspension systems have long been used in mountain bikes, motorcycles, cars, baby carriages and even camping chairs. But why not on skis? This question led the two Americans Nick Foster and Ken Nichols to develop "ShredShox" - the first and so far only full-suspension ski platform. Similar to the air suspension technology used in mountain bikes, ShredShox uses two suspension struts per ski to position the bindings as if they were floating. This system is designed to improve control and bounce, but most importantly reduce fatigue.

"Based on off-road testing and user feedback, riders have reported increased stability at high speeds, easier initiation and holding of carves, and impressive performance in changing snow conditions," explains Jarrod Kirsilof, brand manager at ShredShox. "The combination of performance and adjustability is the foundation of our product."

Analogies to MTB full suspension

If ShredShox is indeed able to bring skiers to a new level of performance with more comfort, it could revolutionize skiing - similar to how the introduction of full suspension in the 1990s fundamentally changed mountain biking. However, there is a significant difference: skiers rely heavily on ground feel to master the terrain and changing conditions. Suspension could dampen or even distort this feedback. In mountain biking, this ground feel was once enhanced by the improved traction of the wheels. 

The ShredShox design was developed in Indianapolis, USA, and is now in its sixth year of development. The current prototype is the sixth generation of the product. Inspired by motorsports and mountain biking, the system is said to generate additional static pressure to ensure better and more consistent contact between skis and snow. It can also be individually adapted to the user's skiing style - both in terms of compression and rebound.

The company is confident that this technology represents "the most significant innovation in ski equipment for decades". It remains to be seen whether this is actually true or whether it is merely a solution to a non-existent problem. Incidentally, there were similar discussions in mountain biking, where there was a lot of skepticism about front suspension and later full suspension.

If you want to screw ShredShox onto your alpine skis, you'll have to be patient: The ShredShox kit can be pre-ordered with a deposit of 500 US dollars, with delivery scheduled for 2025.

shredshox.com