One foot in front of the other, with the body facing the direction of movement – this is skwal. In 1992, Thias P Balmain launched the first skwal, in Val Fréjus Maurienne. He launched himself down the slope with his feet one in front of the other in the direction of travel and his body facing down the slope – a brand new board, a new position and new sensations. Skwal was born. Skwal is not difficult to learn and it meets the biomechanical demands of boarders seeking to achieve maximum efficiency with minimum effort. Thias opened whole new horizons for board sports enthusiasts, whether skiers or snowboarders, by offering them a range of skwals. The skwal, which is narrower than a snowboard, allows for unexpected changes of direction and gives the skwaller the aesthetic appearance of a big cat, hence the name of the boards (Leopard, Panther). What most impresses board sports professionals is the ease of movement and the control of trajectories on curves, right from the start. With a pair of sticks, it is easier to learn skwal than snowboarding or skiing.

What are the best boots? Boots that allow good heel flexion because the position is lower than that of a skier. Laterally, you need boots that are sufficiently rigid to give maximum control during turns. Alpine snowboarding boots are very flexible during flexion and are currently the most appropriate footwear for skwal. Alpine snowboarding or hiking boots are currently the most appropriate footwear for skwal, preferably boots without any manual angle adjustments.

STICKS: the sticks should be 15 cm shorter than ski poles.

SKI LIFTS: T-bar: front foot in position, rear foot set across the board. Use of sticks: one in each hand (without the straps). Let them drag along the ground – it controls sideways balance. Chairlift: only the rear foot is in position on the board.

SAFETY RULES: The safety rules are the same for everybody using the slopes. Extreme carving or speed should not be attempted on crowded slopes. Choose the slopes that correspond to your technical level and the type of movement that you want to do. Add the “Skier Guide” pop-up.