 Poster: A snowHead
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getting some off piste lessons at weekend.
I was advised to get some wider skis, say 80mm+ for this.
Would that be better than learning on my own skis that I'm used to which are 72mm underfoot?
Worried I won't get used to the wider skis as my lesson is in the morning and I need my piste skis for the day before...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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what Yoda says. if you are used to them and the snow ain't deep enough to float on or isn't crust, use your usual skis.
Skiied some wind-packed powder cat-skiing last week on fatboys, which I had stuck to my 1080s or nomads. 
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GordonFreeman, I did hire some wider skis for skiing in powder (really ace conditions) and it was MUCH easier than on my relatively stiff, narrow and heavy piste skis. Also, in breakable crust, I didn't go through on those wide skis, lovely Black Diamonds (but I'm a pixie.) For other conditions, I bow to those with superior knowledge.
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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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Well, the off piste where I am going is supposed to be a bit tracked. It snowed a week ago and forecast is sun for next few days. It's still cold so I don't know if it has had a chance to thaw and refreeze causing crust but won't know til I get there.
Can't be a huge difference in handling between 72 and say 85 is there?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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bump bump
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| Quote: |
I was advised to get some wider skis, say 80mm+ for this
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"Adviced". By whom?
If it's by the instructor, I'd follow the advice.
I haven't tried anything over 80 yet.
So for anything under 80, it made little difference TO ME.
But it's not the size only. It's the stiffness and the shape. All the skis I tried are relatively straight (no radicle side cut) and relatively soft. So they all worked pretty good even in soft deep snow. I even got the feeling they might be better "learning skis" because you can't "cheat"...
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I am the other way, I haven't skied anything under 85mm, except I just bought a pair of rossignol zenith z9's about 2 weekss which are around 75mm. on piste I LOVE the rossi's, but if I venture off-piste, even into crud I always wish I had at least my K2 Public Enemys (85) and head straight back to the groomed run.
any kind of off-piste, especially fresh powder, go fat. and by fat I mean 90+
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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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I'l also getting some off piste lessons in a few weeks. I don't have my own skis but have recently bought a new pair of boots. Last night I went to the snowdome to try out my boots and got really narked off with the hired skis I was given. I've seen sharper edges on a Rubics Cube!! Boots were fine (thanks Lockwoods & CEM).
Anyway, I'm having a few days on the piste first to get me back into my stride before going for lessons. Should I stick to what i'm use to first to get my eye in, and then try off piste in the same skis or should I change before my lessons? I am tempted to see what the instructor says once they've seen me ski. 
Also, what ski length should I go for? I am 1.8m tall, pistes are no probs and would say i'm a good intermediate. I usually get 170's.
Thanks
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kersh, I refer to my previous answer - and would point out that people have been skiing off-piste on all kinds of "old fashioned" skis for a heck of a lot longer than "fat skis" have been available Having said that, if your quest is for surface area personally I would say go for longer than 170 (eg Missions at 177/178?) for off-piste skiing. You'll probably find that a ski like that is pretty versatile on piste as well.
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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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I skied off piste with my Volkls that are 69mm under foot. They were fine.
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So, apart from float, a lot of it has to do with how soft the ski is.
I'm pretty sure my HEAD Monster 72s aren't that soft and are more of an on piste ski. I tried them in some deeper stuff before and they weren't great, felt like I could only do short, slow, and small turns.
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You know it makes sense.
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Yoda, cheers for the advice.
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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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GordonFreeman,
You don't need to make any firm decision until you get there.
If it hasn't snowed then you will probably need to work quite hard to get nice stashes.... north facing gullies will likely give a good return here but then they might not be easy to ski. Hopeully your instructor will help you find some stuff.
Unless it is a new dump, then you needn't go too wide. Maybe stick with 80-90mm and a manageable ski for you, like the Mission or the Fury. Both have big shovels and good float but the Fury cuts through old stuff quite well. Dynastar 8000's are suitable here as well. PE's ..??
Big common mistake at the start of a holiday is to keep turning across the hill...this takes a lot of impetus out of the ski in the turn and makes
the fight againts the hill/snow more than it should be.... you might not notice it in the tracks but you will notice the lack of flow between turns or your instrcutor will, for sure.
If the snow is rehashed boot high stuff, then it doesn't really matter what you use and you will want to take that with a fast GS line...and stiffness will not be an issue here either IMV. Only if it dumps 30 cms will you need to search out 90mm plus as the float and shovel stiffness will help the ski rises up out of the snow to turn...
All these things you will get a taste and feel for and don't be put off just because the snow isn't perfect. Learn to cope with all sorts makes you a more rounded skier in europe, IMV.
If you can make a nice set of turns in 3-4 day old stuff then that will stand you in better stead than perfect S's in fresh stuff..and once you can cope there the whole hill is yours...
Perfect powder is a rare things for holiday skiers so best get past that ASAP
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FAQ
). Off piste I did sink a fair bit deeper into the soft snow and it was, at times, a struggle to stop the tips sinking. When the powder turned to crust, we simply stayed on piste as the off pisted was so awful: I have no idea if the PRs would have been better, but my mate who skis 1080s (80mm underfoot?) struggled even more than I did in the crust.
