A snowskate is a hybrid of a skateboard and a snowboard, intended primarily to allow for skateboard-style tricks on the snow. There are many types depending on the brand or style of snowskate.
The first snowskate traces its history to the Snurfer circa 1964. The Snurfer is considered to be the first snowboard to ever hit the market, but it could arguably be called the first snowskate, since it was without bindings. Joshua Luther first coined the phrase snowskate when he needed a way to get across town during a blizzard.
Circa 1970, a product called the "Snow Skate" was sold in local toy and sporting good stores. They resembled the modern day Fuse snowskate. There were two ski-like aparati that were attached to the area around the truck of a skateboard, allowing the skateboard to move through the snow. The "Ski" portion of the snow skate is made of a hard plastic with rubber straps that went over the skateboard wheels to hold them together. Other mentionable early snowskate brands were The "Skeeter" and the "Snodad". Designs of this early era ranged from two skiblades on the lower deck (Like the Skeeter) to four blades on the lower deck. Sometimes, the early snowskates used metal runners, similar to ice skate blades, enabling the snowskater to use the momentum to ride well.