Suspension systems are used in motorcycles, bicycles, cars, baby strollers, camp chairs, and even shoes. But why not skis?
That question led Nick Foster and Ken Nichols to create ShredShox — the first and only full-suspension ski platform. Like a mountain bike uses air shocks at the front fork and tail, ShredShox uses them to suspend bindings above the ski. The brand claims the suspension enhances control and jump capabilities while reducing fatigue.
To call this idea “unconventional” would be an understatement. ShredShox is one of the weirdest developments in ski technology we’ve seen in a long time. But the brand told GearJunkie that this shock-absorbing air spring platform system makes skiing smoother and more comfortable no matter where you’re ripping.
“Based on mountain testing and testimonials, riders reported stability at high speeds, ease in setting and maintaining carves in all conditions, and excelling in variable snow conditions,” Jarrod Kirsilof, the head of brand at ShredShox, told GearJunkie. “Performance and tune-ability is the foundation of the product.”
If ShredShox can truly help skiers reach the next level of performance with greater comfort, it could change skiing, just like full-suspension systems changed mountain biking when they started being integrated in the early 1990s. That’s a very big if. But it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility for this to blow up in the right circles.
ShredShox Full Suspension System: Game-Changer or Over-Innovation?
To be crystal clear, GearJunkie has not tested these — yet. But they’re a wild idea. We have already booked a demo and plan to test them in the coming weeks. So keep an eye out for a review coming soon.
ShredShox developed its design in Indianapolis, Ind. According to Krisiloff, it is in its sixth year of development and on the sixth-generation pre-production prototype.
The system uses motorsports fundamentals in its design. It supposedly provides added static pressure so the skis have better, more constant contact with snow and ice. They’re also customizable with compression and rebound adjustments to tune them based on your skiing.
However, skiers rely on the ground feel to control their descent over changing terrain and conditions. Putting a shock-absorbing damping device on a ski would mute and could even distort how someone discerns what’s beneath them. To some, that might seem like a way of blindfolding yourself.
Krisiloff said that is a very common skepticism, and that’s why it’s so important to get acclimated to and tune your ShredShox.
“The impact of the suspension and damping will [provide] a slightly different experience. But it has not been reported to negatively impact the ski function,” he said. “The combination of the torsionally stable carbon platform and the air shocks provides a very solid feeling to the rider as the platform compresses and dampens forces being [created] by speed, conditions, and impact.”
Krisiloff stated in no uncertain terms that this is not a binding system. It’s compatible with any downhill alpine ski binding you want to put on it.
“We believe we are bringing a level of technology not possible at the ski or binding level,” Krisiloff said. “Therefore, we are a complement for those who look for more customization, much like off-the-shelf boots versus customized boots.”
The brand is confident this technology will become “the most significant advancement in ski equipment in decades.”
That could be true. It could also be an answer to a problem that doesn’t exist — innovation for innovation’s sake. Only time and user experiences will tell, though.
If you want to try ShredShox, you can book a demo on the brand’s website. Or, if you’re going to be at Beaver Creek this weekend (Dec. 6-7) for the men’s FIS Birds of Prey World Cup ski race, ShredShox will be demoing its system there as well.
While you can’t purchase your ShredShox full-suspension ski platform kit yet, you can preorder one. The deposit is $500; the units are expected to ship sometime in 2025.
