 Poster: A snowHead
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So, after a few years on my current skis (Salomon X-Wing Blasts), I reckon it might be time for a new pair of skis. However, looking through the various options I realise how little I understand about skis - in particular what effect different sidecuts / stiffness / swing-weights make to how a ski performs.
To give an example, I would have thought that a bigger radius would mean that short turns would be trickier ... but having read a few reviews this doesn't seem to necassarily follow.
I realise that the best way to find the right ski is to actually ski 'em, but I reckon a bit of knowledge is always useful!
I prepare to be educated 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My last trainer say he prefers a long sidecut as they are less tiring to ride. Short sidecut skis just want to do short turns all the time. IIRC, he said about 28m for a piste ski.
My offpiste guide (offpisteskiing also, incidentally, a BASI trainer) says that short sidecut skis can be a libility in softer conditions and, in particular, on breakable crust. The thinner waist has a habit of punching through so you're left with the tip and tail near the surface and the waist somewhere underneath. Could be 'interesting' as he would say. He reckons about 20m radius is good.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| altis wrote: |
| My last trainer say he prefers a long sidecut as they are less tiring to ride. Short sidecut skis just want to do short turns all the time. IIRC, he said about 28m for a piste ski. |
28m is a big radius for a piste ski (a World Cup GS ski will have a radius of about 27m). I agree that a tight radius ski can be a bit tiring, especially if they are very stiff, but I prefer to be on something with a lot smaller radius than 28m if it's a pure piste ski.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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In my view/experience/opinion:
Sidecut - large radius likes to make big turns when *carved,* small likes to make small *carved* turns. I often find a mid/larger sidecut is actually better for really small pivot turns though. Then you get 'dual radius' - ie smaller radius around the front is good for turn initiation, larger in the rear will let the tail smear out (bit of a gimmick?). For on piste I like around a 20metre radius (feels more stable at speed than a slalom turn, and is less effort as you can let the skis work trhough the turn for longer before transitioning into the new turn). My current big pow skis have a 27/8 metre radius, which seems spot on offpiste, although with the tip rocker and tail rocker they are very adept at small turns on piste too.
Stiffness - stiff skis are harder to bend/tkae more force to bend, so generally work better at speed and *usually* are more suited to bigger turns (FIS slaloms being the obvious exception). Great for variable snow as they will smash through stuff that will deflect a softer ski. More stable at speed and in straightlines, however they can tend to tip-dive in powder (you need weight/force to de-camber them), although rocker will alleviate this. Softer skis are usually more forgiving and easier to turn, easier to de-camber (so can be fun and surfy in powder), usually pretty horrible in crud/cut up mank.
Swing-weight - eeerrrrmmm, guess low swing weight is good for park rat's spinning? Probably less tiring if doing a lot of pivot turns too... More generally with weight, heavy skis will smash through stuff, whilst lighter skis will be more reactive - pros and cons to each, and can be quite individual preferences.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Then there's rocker, reverse sidecut, early taper, pin tails, 5 point sidecut, rocker-camber-rocker combinations, flex in different parts of the ski, construction, etc...
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abj, Buy my legend pro XXLs and experience stiffness, minimal sidecut and high swingweight all in one sweet package 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Okay .... so it's a bit more complicated than I first realised 
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I often find a mid/larger sidecut is actually better for really small pivot turns though.
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clarky999, this actually answers one of my concerns. I'd originally ruled out skis with larger radius sidecuts as I'd assumed that it would be harder to make short / pivoty / skiddy turns. So interesting to hear that this isn't necassarily the case.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Arno, why do you want high swing weight?
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You know it makes sense.
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under a new name, he doesn't (anymore), he's trying to sell the things!
Of course it could be that he can't quite commit to those airborne 360s, and needs a ski which, once given an initial impulse, will have enough momentum to carry on turning, corkscrewing his whole body into landing hopefully facing downhill 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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under a new name, you don't really but it's pretty inevitable given the size of the skis. that said, if straightlining crud, moguls etc is your thing the extra heft probably adds stability. i am too old and fat to get the best out of those skis which is why they are for sale
horizon, i've got some snowlerblades for that sort of stuff now
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Poster: A snowHead
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Arno, maybe for crud, though I'm unconvinced - but in moguls you really really want the lowest swingweight you can find.
Unless you really mean straightlining - andI don't see many people doing that! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've found a solution that works well for me. When I decide to buy a new pairs of skis, I first decide what I am going to use them for - piste, powder etc. Then I (truthfully) assess my skill level.
Then I research online to find the common current consensus amongst the professional reviewers for that type of ski.
Most seasons, you will find one or two skis in each category rise well above the rest. Then I will rent that ski and try it out. If it works for me, I buy it from the rental shop and a good discount, with the rental cost knocked off.
Sounds simple - but it does make some sense, and has worked very well for me.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@abj, what do you want your new skis to do - ski on/in offpiste? piste only? dabbling in the side? park? etc etc
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@PeDaSp, @kitenski, have you noticed how old this thread is?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The best thing I ever did was go to a centre mounted bi-directional twin tip ski with traditional camber underfoot.
I currently ski on the 176cm Majesty Local Hero ski (116-82-111, r18m). I'm 188cm and 95kg and prefer a shorter, smaller profile ski.
This gives me the best of all worlds. Great on piste, great off-piste.
Easy to pivot, easy to carve, easy to ski backwards when I'm teaching.
Only negative with that waist width is wind and/or sun crust. But I make it work.
For those who haven't / don't spend as much time on snow as me then I'd recommened a centre mounted bi-directional twin tip ski with traditional camber underfoot but with a bigger profile allround.
125-135mm in the tip
85-95 mm in the waist
Tail width close to tip width
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Valkyrie, nope
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@Mike Pow, interesting I am thinking of "downsizing" my 112 width off piste skis to something under 100, any recommended skis to look at?
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Centre mount for off piste or carving? Sounds like a hard day out
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@kitenski, The WD R.108 & R.98 skis like a narrow Llasa's 
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Everything I thought I knew about skis was blown away when I skied an older pair of Whitedot Directors. They cheated what should be possible on paper. Then the same happened on my Preachers which carve better than a Kniessl ski that I thought was the best carving ski I'd ever used.
The simple answer to this is that it is impossible to tell how a ski is going to perform based on simple numbers. It needs a lot more info than that and even with the info it comes down to a certain amount of personal preference that is hard to qualify.
I know now that there are two or three of my mates that love skis that I hate. I also know that there are two or three that love skis that I love. So I follow one groups advice, and do not follow the other. Of course, I recognise that those in group 1 like each others skis, for reasons I can't understand. The internet doesn't have a group 1 and group 2, and indeed there are probably 10 or more groups, many of which will have the same ability but prefer totally different things in a ski.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@spyderjon, R.98 was on the list, got any 15/16 models left?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| kitenski wrote: |
| @spyderjon, R.98 was on the list, got any 15/16 models left? |
Currently we've got the following 15/16 R.98's left:
Trad build
1 x 167cm
1 x 176cm
3 x 185cm
CarbonLite build
2 x 176cm
There's a few unsold 15/16 skis coming back from the Spanish distributor next week. I'm not exactly sure what's coming but there might be a pair of 185 CL's in there.
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@spyderjon, I'm tempted by the 167 trad, on paper only 225gm per ski heavier than the CL - I may call you
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You know it makes sense.
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FAQ
come on arno,smallzk,fatbob 
