 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, this is my first post. Looking for some help with slow skis. Been skiing on hired skis for 4 years and finally purchased skis for a trip to Canada. Skis turn great but don't seem to carry any speed, especially on flat(ish) sections. They are particularly bad when poling along. Got them waxed in resort which helped a bit but they are still slower than hire skis. Now wondering if I've purchased skis which are beginner rather than intermediate. Does anyone know if this would make a difference to speed. The skis ar rossignol purchased last year from Decathlon but not sure of model.
Any help/advice appreciated. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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a combination of lack of gradient, upper body strength and technique topped with an inadequate wax ?
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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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a combination of lack of gradient, upper body strength and technique topped with an inadequate wax ?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@skisaint, welcome to Snowheads.  Is this right now? The snow can get very slow and sticky at certain times of the day at the end of the season. The right wax helps (or a frequent going over with Zardoz Notwax) but really, it doesn't make a huge difference.
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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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If it's slush you aren't going anywhere quickly if you're on flat(ish section).
How wide are the skis?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Anyone got an opinion (duh!) on how the camber profile of a ski or snowboard effects drag when in slush? When we were in 3V a couple of weeks ago, noticed that the new board (R-C-R profile) felt much more draggy on slush than the old trad-camber board, particularly when running flat-based. Almost felt like it wanted to 'put you over the handlebars' if you get my drift. I'd have thought that the rocker would lift the nose up and over but wondering if the slush was building up a bow wave in front and causing the slowdown...
Old board marginally longer and about an half-inch wider than the new, plus new board on shop wax.
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@Richard_Sideways,
Shop wax or factory wax?
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Richard_Sideways, The rocker will mean that there is less surface area in contact with the snow if the boards are similar length.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that base structure can make a difference in how well skis & boards glide.
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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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Sorry, factory wax, NOT shop wax.
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@Richard_Sideways, so no wax 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Richard_Sideways, that explains it then and I thought you were just slow... sorry, taking your time
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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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@skisaint, Could the skis be too short for you?
I tried various pairs of skis when buying my own 2 yrs ago and the first pair I tried were Rossignol and I found them very slow. The Rossignol ones I tried were cheap though so I don't know if they do any more expensive ones for better skiiers? The skis I ended up buying were K2 rockers and they are brilliant and I am rarely hindered by the slush now.
If you ever buy skis again I'd recommend buying in resort and trying lots of pairs..many shops will let you try hire skis of the same type before you buy.
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@primoz, behaved perfectly elsewhere, and Jones boards come infused with some delightfully dolphin-friendly eco-hippy-peace-crisps wax which I'll probably have to strip off and replace with something from the far end of the periodic table... mmmm fluroine...
@jd_evans, that was just my innate laziness coming out... plus the sun was in my eyes... and avalanche conditions and such prompted caution... and and and.... INJURY! YES THAT! ARRGH THE OLD TROUBLE AGAIN!!!
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You know it makes sense.
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Slush / wet snow will always have a dramatic effect on skis!
Spring Happens - taken from a site I was looking at a few days ago
Racers or serious spring skiers should consider a re-tune of their skis to adapt to the changing conditions. The winter may have imparted some wear on the ski or snowboard base and in addition the snow is now wetter and dirtier. Here is what to consider/examine:
Check your base flatness. Cold snow is abrasive and considerable wear and/or uneven wear may have occurred. If so, consider a stonegrind.
Warmer wetter snow means excess water under your base that leads to a slowdown from the suction effect. Your structure may be worn from the winter and need to be refreshed anyway. For wet/warm conditions should you be able to feel the structure under your fingers; in cold/dry conditions, you want a structure that you can see, but not feel with your fingers.
Check your edge bevels. Over the course of a season, well-intentioned but overly aggressive diamond stone polishing can alter the bevel. The performance of the ski can be affected by this, especially the base bevel.
Clean the bases (hot-wax-scrape-cleaning preferred - as dirt rises to the to of warm wet snow.
Try molybdenum (moly) waxes. This additive will repel dirt.
If you're not using fluoro waxes or have been using low fluoro, switch to high fluoro wax and feel the glide.
Brush extensively and completely.
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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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The conditions were quite good. If anything it was icy rather than slushy. I've been skiing for over 20 years without this problem and the friend I was skiing with had no issues so assume it must have been the skis. They are Rossignol Attraxion 154cm - Sidecuts 115 / 70 / 98.
@snowymum - I had thought about them being too short (I'm 165cm) but they were similar height to the hire skis I had used. It could similar to your issue where it's just rossignol skis. Thanks for the comments 
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Poster: A snowHead
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There are lots of different Rossignol Attraxion skis. Some are better than others, I guess. I have a pretty old pair of Rossi Attraxion V from long ago (bought second hand for £100) but mine are 163 and I am about 5'4" and 9st 8lbs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@skisaint, ...I don't think that the issue is length. I am slightly taller and ski things from 145 to silly long, and I was faster on the 145s when friends were on much longer skis. Stance makes a huge difference, as does carving everywhere, even at low speed and on the flat, (a good thing) but I note that you are comparing hire skis with these skis, i.e. its not a problem which you personally have with all skis, so unlikely to be stance. I have experienced skis from Decathlon which have quite 'furry' bases from new. When hot waxed, the bases come up all 'pimply' with a high density of little raised dots all over the base. These are PTEX fibres, and this can REALLY slow down skis. This may be what some are mentioning as poor base structure (which can also be 'glazed bases' - the reverse of this hairy effect) - but I have experienced this hairiness on NEW skis. Remedy? hot wax and good scrape with a sharpened metal scraper, or a base grind. To find out if it IS this problem, hot wax and view the base.
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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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| skisaint wrote: |
The conditions were quite good. If anything it was icy rather than slushy. I've been skiing for over 20 years without this problem and the friend I was skiing with had no issues so assume it must have been the skis. They are Rossignol Attraxion 154cm - Sidecuts 115 / 70 / 98.
@snowymum - I had thought about them being too short (I'm 165cm) but they were similar height to the hire skis I had used. It could similar to your issue where it's just rossignol skis. Thanks for the comments |
I bought these same ski's From decathlon. I skied in them last week and experienced no issues However I did put them in for a Wax, service And bindings check on advice from here before using them?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
but they were similar height to the hire skis I had used.
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I have never really considered the height of skis before. I suppose the higher height ones are stiffer
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Weathercam is pointed in the right direction as it were.............
A full - visceral inspection of the base(s) is step number one. Assuming the bases are flat and not so often concave.......... Generically......, I'd fully clean - strip, make bases and edges perfect, structure, polish edges(!), thoroughly hit with wax and I use (wax) that you can't get in Europe so I'll refrain from brand, but you honestly do not need to get fancy as it were. You can spend lots on hyper waxes that honestly are not all that and a bag of chips........ Just a good wax - a little goes a long way when operating the iron, full structure scrape (in Springtime from tail to tip) and brush.
Come Printemps it's suction city baby, so structure is important as Weathercam alluded to............... Over the past several years I've also used Zardoz on top of any wax job above all come warmer temps and that really frees up the base. But if the base is not 100% you're dead in the water to begin with.
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| equinoxranch wrote: |
| Just a good wax - a little goes a long way when operating the iron, full structure scrape (in Springtime from tail to tip) and brush. |
Or if you just keep it right way (from tip to tail) and you get better glide... even in spring conditions ;)
But before all get too expert in waxing and structure, there's one thing... majority of low(er) end skis have extruded ptex, which doesn't accept much of wax at all, and it's basically impossible to get proper structure on it. It works great for people who wax once a year (or not even that), while on the other side it's pain in the a** for someone who is used to wax race skis, as no matter what you try, it doesn't behave same way as sintered bases when it comes to waxing and stone grinding.
PS: There actually is difference between some noname ch wax and for example some Swix 200eur fluoro powder/liquid, when it comes to glide. ;) Question is, is it worth spending so much for recreational skiing, where slower skis don't matter.
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