 Poster: A snowHead
|
I have noticed a trend over the last year or so, that All Mountain and Freeride models are backing away from the ever increasing width race, that happened for a few years.
Not so long ago:
AM went from 84 - 93....with most falling in the 88 - 93 bracket.
Freereide went from 100 - 110
I have just received the SCGB Mag, where many AM Skis tested are in the 82 - 84 bracket
Last year, many of the Freeride Skis were in the 90 - 100 bracket, with over a third of them in the mid 90s.
Is there a reason for this, aside from marketing. Personally, I felt skis were getting too wide for genuine versatility.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Categories are largely bollux. Advertisers ( erm totally independent ski companies) get put in the category they want to be by media. For me All mountain means all over the mountain so includes stuff up to 115mm ish i.e. skinnier than pure play powder skis but labels like Freeride and Big mountain confuse stuff.
I think the market trend of wider= moar betterer has dialled back a bit not least because many punters realised they weren't skiing off piste or 3D snow that much and no doubt a wider ski is more of a pig on a hard piste. Key is not to sweat it too much, run what you like that puts a smile on your face...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
just like oversized tenis rackets when they first came onto the market then eased back, the same thing is happening with skis, after all other than a small % of people the vast majority ski on the piste or venture just off it, the manufacturers are just finding what is optimum to their markets, it is different if you live in alaska or chamonix but at the end of the day the brands are looking to maximize sales in the areas that they know they can
classic example, 9 pairs of pin equipped boots are sold for every 1 pair of skins.... seems that a lot of people think "they MIGHT" go ski touring, or a lot of stores are trying find another reason to sell the shift binding
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
Categories are largely bollux. Advertisers ( erm totally independent ski companies) get put in the category they want to be by media. For me All mountain means all over the mountain so includes stuff up to 115mm ish i.e. skinnier than pure play powder skis but labels like Freeride and Big mountain confuse stuff.
I think the market trend of wider= moar betterer has dialled back a bit not least because many punters realised they weren't skiing off piste or 3D snow that much and no doubt a wider ski is more of a pig on a hard piste. Key is not to sweat it too much, run what you like that puts a smile on your face... |
+1 terms like "freeride" & "big mountain" sound like they come from some teenager spouting poop.
A thought that just entered my head, if the length of a ski increases as the height/weight of the skier increases, why not the width too?
ie the Acme xyz model of ski for a 1.5m 50kg skier may be 1.4m long x 60mm waist, the same model of ski for a 2.0m 100kg skier should be 1.9m long x 75mm waist?? (No calculator or any form of advanced mathematics was used in this guestimate!!!  )
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
if the length of a ski increases as the height/weight of the skier increases, why not the width too?
|
Some brands/models do this. My Head Kore 93s are 91 mm underfoot (171 long). The next size up (180) is 93 mm underfoot. Whether it scales with skier weight, I don't know.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Thank you all for the replies.
My view would be along the lines of what CEM said - ie. They are tailoring ski parameters around what the average punter actually skis during one or two weeks per year.
I quite like the American definition of: AM "Front-Side" and AM "Back-Side"....where the Former is used around 70-80% On Piste - so has a bit more width than a Piste Ski. The Latter is used at least 50/50 - so has widths/designs appropriate for this use.
Personally, I think the vast majority of Holiday Skiers don't go Off Piste enough to justify going above 90mm - so the new breed of AM Skis make sense.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| tangowaggon wrote: |
| ....A thought that just entered my head, if the length of a ski increases as the height/weight of the skier increases, why not the width too?..... |
Probably half of the manufacturers do this, they just don't tell you as it's too confusing. It's done to give the same turn radius across all the ski lengths. The other half will keep the widths the same but then the radius' will change as the lengths change.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
I have noticed a trend over the last year or so, that All Mountain and Freeride models are backing away from the ever increasing width race, that happened for a few years.
|
Indeed.
After quite a lot of exaggerations and a fashion trend for large skis, the market has moved to more reasonable waist widths 2 seasons ago.
As an example, the Mantra went from 100mm underfoot ( 2016 version) to 96 mm (current M5 version, from last season). The new 2020 Kendo is now 88 mm instead of 90 mm, etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| CEM wrote: |
| .........classic example, 9 pairs of pin equipped boots are sold for every 1 pair of skins.... seems that a lot of people think "they MIGHT" go ski touring, or a lot of stores are trying find another reason to sell the shift binding |
Think I've been saying that on here for quite a while 
If you look at Scott for this coming season they too have moved away in the vast majority of their range* for anything over 100, in fact the max-width in their touring lineup is 95mm !!
*the fun Scrapper is from 90 --> 115
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| CEM wrote: |
| classic example, 9 pairs of pin equipped boots are sold for every 1 pair of skins.... seems that a lot of people think "they MIGHT" go ski touring, or a lot of stores are trying find another reason to sell the shift binding |
I'd wager that Snowheads has been a good catalyst for that. I know that half the kit I have I probably wouldn't have bothered with if I hadn't found snowheads and been on bashes....although my stuff generally has been used and I haven't bothered fooling myself that I need boots for walking up hill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Shocking stat that 9 pin boots to 1 set of skins sold.
I wonder if its more the manufacturers are struggling to come up with new ideas/concepts every season and do a subtle change to dimensions and bang out a flashy new ski for the season rather than ski widths are on the decrease. The volkl kendo will probably be increased to 91mm next season 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
