Everyone’s heard of the “shaped ski” revolution. In the past decade or so ski design has advanced so radically that it sometimes feels like modern skis almost turn themselves. These advancements in technology continue with no end in sight, and in an effort to get a handle on what makes a given ski tick, we’ve broken it down into four critical characteristics that will determine a ski’s performance. You may still use a rotary phone or cassette player, but going “retro” on the snow will only get you left behind! Be an educated consumer and pick the stick that’s right for you!
Ski waist width – This factor generally determines the best use of the ski. For the most part, the narrower the ski, the better the edge hold on hard- pack, and the wider the ski, the more flotation it provides in deeper snow. Due to improved technology, skis have been getting wider every year and still maintain an edging ability that allows modern skis to cover an ever greater spectrum of conditions. Recognizing a sizeable overlap, skis generally perform best in their specific design envelope. A waist width of 65-85mm performs best on hardpack, 85-105mm in crud and chopped powder, and 105+mm in deep powder.
Camber and negative camber or “rocker” – When you set a ski on the floor and you can see daylight under the center where it’s slightly raised, that’s traditional camber. When weighted, this helps the ski maintain contact with the snow throughout its entire length being most effective on packed snow conditions. Negative camber or a “rockered” shape is the opposite and is a fairly recent design feature of powder specific skis that causes them to float and surf like never before. Partial rocker has now made its way into all-mountain mainstream skis in the form of “early rise” tips and/or tails. This popular hybrid design results in a more forgiving turn initiation and increased versatility.
Sidecut – this is the hourglass shape of a ski expressed as both absolute width measurements in millimeters, and also as a” turning radius” in meters. The measurements are normally expressed as three numbers taken at the widest point of the tip, the narrowest point of the waist, and the widest point of the tail. These numbers determine the skis turning radius which is a calculation of how tight the ski will turn if set on edge. The greater the difference between the tip/tail and the waist results in a more exaggerated hourglass and therefore a tighter turning radius. Although sometimes rather obscure, these numbers are usually printed somewhere on the top coat or sidewall of the ski.The tradeoff is most always quickness versus stability. A short radius will provide quick response and tight turns on hard snow, but tend to be squirrelly in deeper snow, while a long radius will produce a slower, longer arcing turn on hard snow and be very directional in the deep stuff.
Flex (or stiffness) – Generally a stability and power vs. forgiveness issue. There are many nuances regarding this characteristic and how it ties in with the other design features of the ski. But in general a stiff ski will be aggressive and a softer ski forgiving. That being said, remember that “aggressive” is not always good. A stiff ski in the bumps can be miserable, and unresponsive and “diving” in soft snow. On the other hand, “forgiving” is not always good either. A soft ski at high speeds can quickly become unstable and have poor edge hold on hard pack. Most high end all-around skis try to strike a good compromise.
So now’s the time to fatten up that quiver! You don’t have to be a total gear slut like us, but you should take advantage of the early season sales before its too late. Remember, “friends don’t let friends ride junk”.
- Minimal Quiver
In the Phoenix area, to see these cutting edge products or get more expert info, visit any one of our fine ride shops at Ski Pro, Action Ride Shop, or Alpine Board Sports.
Fritzski out
Looks like a great site. Can’t wait to see whats next and what this season will offer. Keep it coming! Great job Fritzski…
The latest design for deep powder skis was originally taken from water skis. I believe it was Shane McConkey who pioneered the notion that the medium of bottomless powder has more in common with water than it does hardpacked snow. The concepts of negative camber, or rocker, and reverse sidecut were all inspired from waterskis.
Glossary:
Quiver – The various pairs of skis one owns. As in having the right tool for the right job. A good “one ski quiver” is your do-everything, all-mountain design. As a rule, the appropriate number of skis in one’s quiver always = current number + 1
Some Ski Tech History:
With their turned up tails, the 1974 Olin Mark IVs became the first twin tips. They also became one of the best selling skis of all time.
You don’t tend to see that many Volant skis on the hill, but this lesser known company has been around for a long time and is responsible for initiating many of the modern ground breaking designs well before their time. In 1993 the appearance of the Volant Chub with a hefty 90mm of width under foot brought us the first “midfat” ski. Then in 2002 they introduced a specialty deep powder ski called the Spatula with revolutionary reverse camber (rocker) and convex sidecut.
Forty percent of skiers are women and 36 percent of skis sold are “woman specific”.
Remember Suzy “Chapstick” Chaffee? She pioneered the first female specific ski.
In 2005 Roxy became the first company to produce only women’s skis and snowboards.
Over the years, women specific skis have evolved from only cosmetic differences to modified binding placement / orientation, flex characteristics, and sidecut. These changes are based on a different center of gravity and are not only meant to enhance performance, but also safety.
Surprising fact:
Did you know there is actually no difference at all between alpine and telemark skis other than graphics, marketing, and a hole in the tip? And probably price…
Wider Rocker Skis Make It Easy
The holidays are behind us, life has slowed down, and it is time to get back to what we do best: skiing.
Last year at this time, we had almost skied our 30 inches of snow to the dirt with no snow in sight. With the snowfall we received just before Christmas and the storms that dropped a little more before New Year’s, the skiing is considerably better than a year ago.
We have had a couple of teaser powder days but haven’t received the big one yet. We are patiently waiting for the day we can break out the wide bodies. There is nothing quite like floating through a foot or so of fresh, dry powder.
Modern ski technology has not only made carving easier to learn and master but the powder equipment today is absolutely awesome. Every skier should have a two-ski quiver, one for carving — all-around skiing — and a powder, off-piste ski. Powder skis are defined by the width under foot and the stiffness. Wide, softer with rocker and a short-turn radius is the right combo.
http://www.snowmasssun.com/article/20130116/OPINION/130119991/1064&ParentProfile=1039?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co
If you bring your skis into a shop to get tuned, they will likely use 1 degree edge bevels on the sides and base. Kind of a default. If you’re a serious skier, here are some recommended edge bevels and you will have to specify to the shop tech when you drop off your skis.
3 side / 1 base for aggressive front side carvers
2 side / 1 base for all-mountain skis
1 side / 1 base for fat pow skis
My go-to shop tech at Ski Pro Ride Shop is Chad at the Mesa Riverview location. Tell him I sent you for VIP service :>) — at Ski Pro.
Finally a explanation of modern ski design that actuallly makes sense. I cannot thank you enough for writing this.