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Are fat skis a waste of time?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
kitenski, You'll be fine on missions, our studdies have concluded, on average, that 111mm is the limit. Albeit we've dropped a few super fats in the range for the locals.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Megamum, I'll quite happily ski around on the piste all day with my 140mm it's a mind thing, plus my knees aren't going to last much longer anyhow.
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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?
Martin Bell wrote:

Fatter skis make it easier to float in deep snow.
Narrower skis make it easier to grip on hard snow.


Yeah but much over 80mm is a waste of time for 95% of the powder conditions we get in Europe. I remember having this debate with an American instructor this winter - his opinion was similar... in the US you encounter conditions where you simply can't ski without bottoming out and you really need the float. This year I skied one day in Europe in such conditions (in March). The last time I remember snow as light was in 1999.

Most of the time I ski 67mm underfoot but sometimes ski 80mm. I think this is a good width for anyone learning powder.

That said the varialbe snow conditions, esp. crust, that we get in France do benefit from a wider ski.

YMMV
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I do believe width helps enjoyment in slush, breakable crust and other conditions as well as deep powder....
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I skied Kiwi1's range of Icelantics in VT and loved the Shamans on everything I took them on. There was no deep powder we could get to that day due to lousy visibility, but in the off (as in next to) piste they blasted through crud and were a joy, on the piste they were no worse with over 100mm underfoot than my scream xtra hots are with 80mm'ish. Had I had them on the weds when the vis cleared after 2 days of snow then I am sure the days off (as in well off) piste guiding would have been even better. Next year when they are out I shall be having a pair and thats that.

Todays fat skis are generally great (though I hated a pair of Rossi Scratch Back Country I tried), but I would choose to own a pair of skinnier skis too. maybe in Europe we don't have to have so much float to avoid bottoming out, but whats the harm in having it? I would have liked something a bit wider underfoot in St Anton in March when it was coming down in buckets, for the off piste and also to bash the crud and slush into resort as it was very warm.

there you go thats my take and seeing as it involves a Yorkshireman spending money you can tell I'm serious.
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Agree with kitenski Fat skis not only excel in powder - frozen crud, slush, chopped up powder etc are all conditions where the stability and power of a fat ski can be major benefits...

Anyone that claims fat skis are a waste of time obviously has never had a chance to compare 80 and 1000mm skis in spring snow...
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
skibomb, OMG where can i try those 1000mm skis???? Madeye-Smiley
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Arno, Oops wink I believe they are quite manageable if you ski them duckstance... snowHead
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Arno wrote:
skibomb, OMG where can i try those 1000mm skis???? Madeye-Smiley

They'll be Parlor's then wink
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Can someone change the thread title to 'Waist'? Cool
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A Super Fat ski needs a sidecut of 35m(approx) to equal all the forces.
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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.
SMALLZOOKEEPER, What would you define as super fat then? >120 mm?
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
skibomb, In there. Puzzled It changes Bi Annually
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
skimottaret wrote:
But if you take em on piste they turn like battleships, taking ages to get from edge to edge and struggle to make short radius turns.

Seems like someone forgot to tell my 95mm, 25m radius skis that. OK, they're rubbish if the piste is rock hard, when the only thing worth skiing is a FIS SL/GS ski, but with a few mm of softish snow on the surface they're fine. You just need to ski them rather than be a passenger.

I think Arno's fix was almost right, but still needed a slight revision.
Quote:
Unless you ski em fast and hard, I reckon most pistes are a waste of time for most decent skiers.
Unless of course there's no snow on the mountain. And even then the pistes are too full of grockles to get any decent skiing in anyway.

Wink

And to be serious for a moment, European powder's no great problem with e.g. a 78mm ski (and davidof must've been unlucky, I've had about half a dozen 'bottomless powder' days in Europe in the last 5 or so years), but a ski mid-90s wide makes breakable crust a joy to ski. That's a trump card in my book.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I've played in the local powder all winter, i know which i prefer.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I have jumped from 84 to 94 this season and it was a big jump, but apart from scratching they are just great for the big lines. My 63 SC skis are only good for hard pistes of whitch there were few this year.
SZK knees v liver the race is on.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
jbob, My point, Cham' ain't europe. Well it is, but here, speed is your 'Mistress'.
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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?
That said, nothing beats a great GS ski on the piste in Jan/March. Cool
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The thinner the ski the faster you need to go, but going fast on a fat ski ....bliss... or is it blister.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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GrahamN, 4 full seasons bottomless powder- 3 days.
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Oh dear SMALLZOOKEEPER,
"kitenski, You'll be fine on missions, our studdies have concluded, on average, that 111mm is the limit. Albeit we've dropped a few super fats in the range for the locals. "

My Factions are 112mm.

Best get aggressive with the edge file to make them safe!
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GrahamN, says:

I think Arno's fix was almost right, but still needed a slight revision.
Quote:
Unless you ski em fast and hard, I reckon most pistes are a waste of time for most decent skiers.

Or as my daughter said after 3 days of Pow-Pow-Pow

"Pistes are really just for people who can't ski"
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
actually, i have decided that fat skis are a tremendous waste of my time. i hate to think how much time i have wasted:

- looking for deals on ebay
- writing in threads like this
- agonising over gaps in my quiver
etc
Confused
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Nah, I'm now convinced fat skis are great. They cope well with anything that isn't rock hard and help us punters ski in the offpiste (be that powdery, chopped or slush) by making up for lack of technique with greater float and stability.

They even cope with bumps.
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Arno wrote:
actually, i have decided that fat skis are a tremendous waste of my time. i hate to think how much time i have wasted:

- looking for deals on ebay
- writing in threads like this
- agonising over gaps in my quiver
etc
Confused


So what is your new fat reverse/reverse in the quiver if you're selling the dps?

(Still trying to justify snaffling them myself - do you think dukes would remount in the existing holes?
Unless they've gone)
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NO!
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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.
Bigger faster lines need a more stable ski.....you'll be better off on 90mm plus. If you want to wiggle S's then you can come down a bit.

If you want a decent day on-piste with a few little excursions, then 80mm plus. Hooning around on hardpack, get out a race orientated ski.

You likely have to make a few changes to how you want to ride them...but is more a mind-thing than technical... ie, don't try and throw around a big ski...you'll just tire yourself out when you don't have to.

If you have notched up 300 weeks, then it doesn't matter
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
fatbob wrote:
So what is your new fat reverse/reverse in the quiver if you're selling the dps?

(Still trying to justify snaffling them myself - do you think dukes would remount in the existing holes?
Unless they've gone)


not sure - I'm quite keen on my XXLs having finally manned up and tried them. i was a bit intimidated by the 194 length, but actually I like it. so maybe i'll stick with them as my ski for big days. there is a part of me that wants to try the 200cm Lotus 120s though...

you're very welcome to take a look at the dps or even take them to a tech for his views on a remount. that said, the price does take into account the fact that they might be a pain to mount
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
What TelemarkKing said Toofy Grin
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hmmm interesting...

I have to confess that the last time i skied off piste was in some steep deep heavy stuff. i was on some long Dynastar legend 8000's and they seemed a bit skinny in the deep crunchy bits unless i was really going fast making big lines (which didnt happen a lot as i am cr@p off piste and was a chicken sh*t most of the time and didnt let em run)

My karmas at 92 are nice in the chopped up stuff i normally ski on when i do get to ski off piste, but so will be my head supershape magnums when they turn up Toofy Grin but i will keep an open mind...

I am scared about killing my knees with wide skis but i am with SZK as there isnt much left anyways so why not go out with a bang Madeye-Smiley
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Karmas are 87 snowHead
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I went from 75mm underfoot, 168cm length skis to Liberty Hazmat's that are 94mm underfoot and 186cm long. Dead easy to ski. Amazing on bumps, crud, slush but did not get to try them in powder. Just bought some in 181cm length.

So the answer is NO!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
At last, pennies are dropping. Cool
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Has anyone tried the old monoskis with just one binding per ski?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I tried a monoski at the EOSB. Very disconcerting. rolling eyes
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Kramer wrote:
... disconcerting.

I think the word you're looking for is entertaining Laughing
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Kramer, I used to sometimes when I was young. Cool but difficult. Now, the idea I had was to get two identical monoskis and make them a pair for the ultimate fat ski powder experience!
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
rob@rar, for bysitters (boarders) and skiers alike.
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I'm fairly torn on this. I've been skiing fatter skis over recent seasons but only up to the Missions/Outlaw/B3 level (80-90 mm?) and sometimes dropping back down to skis with a 70-80mm waist. Whilst there were the obvious differences I thought any of them were versatile enough to suit my needs on and off piste. I neither race nor get enough deep powder days to need anything else.

Then came a trip to Tignes at the end of this season and a trip to a shop called SnowPark (I think) to hire some skis. The guy asked about my skiing and then handed me a pair of Black Crow Navis skis - I think they were the 186s (the longest ski I've tried for a while) and Google informs me have a waist of 103mm. I looked at the guy and laughed, explained that I'd been skiing on slightly shorter and narrower skis and wasn't sure these were for me (nor were we blessed with bottomless powder). He insisted that I'd love them. I laughed. He insisted. We repeated this performance a number of times until I gave in Shocked

6 days later I returned and they prised them out of reluctant hands. Fabulous ski. I can't say that I skied deep enough powder to truly get the most from them, but I was amazed at their performance all over the mountain. From crud to powder to hardpack (even bumps weren't bad), long turns and short, they did everything I asked of them.

So now I'm not sure what to think anymore Smile
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You don't need fat skis to ride offpiste.

Thin skis are perfectly fine.
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