Wide Skis Vs. Skinny Skis: How Going Wide Took My Skiing To The Next Level
Wonder if it’s time to grab some of the beautiful baggy skis you saw in the lift?
This is why many mountain swing bulls are the best skiers. Serious skiing is no substitute for deep snow, wide line and other types of terrain that advanced high-tech skiers want to play with.
But even for high altitude skiers, switching to a pair of modern mountain skis can help uncover the secrets of high skiing. My story is a perfect example.
I’ve been skiing since I was four, in a jacket, pizza and because my life depends a little on it. Due to the long drive from my home to the California coast, however, I don’t usually get off the trails for more than a few weekends a year. So I grew up as a confident and evolving skier, but there was no aggressive faith against the Tahoe natives.
I always work against aggressive beliefs. But there is one piece of equipment that has brought me closer than ever: my wide ski.
A few years ago, my husband and I traveled to the middle of Lake Tahoe on a snowy morning to pick up used MissBehaved K2 skis from a small shop on the north coast. That elegant name and that pink coat didn’t match my style, but after wearing it I loved it at first sight. They made skiing easy and fun. Instead of exercising all the time, they made me faster and more confident. The noise was basically caused by my new big skis when alpine skiing.
If that’s what you seem to want, here’s a basic explanation of why and how to try wider skiing this winter.
Wide ski for beginners and advanced
Is cross-country skiing reserved for expert skiers? At all. In fact, I argue that this is one of the best tools for intermediate skiers looking for faster development (after working with their technique, of course).
If you choose the right pair (see below), you will likely find that the wide ski increases grip and resistance on all types of terrain. This means you’ll have fun faster, harder, and harder in all conditions.
While the ski isn’t magically available that can automatically fix technical problems, I’ve found that my standard wide ski gives me more freedom to test. They are also very responsive when I understand my technique correctly, which is a helpful answer.
Are costs important to you? Good skiing doesn’t have to break the budget. There are plenty of mid-range options for casual skiers, and with a little flair you can get used to a few hundred or less.
Wide types of skis
While “wide skis” may seem like a simple concept, not all wide skis are created equal. We can think of skiing as straight and flat boards, but there is a lot of technology in the details.
The first is the wide profile: how the width varies from the tip to the tail and especially to the “waist” – in the center under the legs. This is usually called side hunting. Wide skis have a narrower center (larger grid), which should work well even in difficult conditions, compared to tops, while wider skis have dust.
Then there is the rock and the circle: where the ski lies on the snow and folds upwards. Here is a good explanation and some useful letters for those interested, but the end result is this: the rock (front and sometimes back) helps to go deeper into the snow and fits perfectly, while the smaller rock stays on the wall and it is perfect for a durable backpack. .
Below is a summary of the broad category of wide skis that best suit them and some popular models of all types. Note that many ski manufacturers have similar layered skis, different width profiles, and sometimes different gender targets. So when you find one that is best in many ways but not perfect, see if it fits in the order.
Dust / fat
Powder / Fat Skip are original wide skis, so let’s get started. For deeper, ideally powdery snow, these skis aren’t well prepared for their element, but they can handle the rough if the mountain allows.
They are wide at the ends and also under the legs, the waist width is usually 110mm and more (sometimes slightly smaller for female models). They usually have rockers in front and behind to help them levitate and maneuver
Wide alpine ski
If you ski in different conditions – hard snow, slopes, thick snow, powder snow – and you want to do a pair of skis in all, then you probably have a wide mountain ski.
They are a bit narrower than the skate (around 90-110cm, a bit smaller for the female models) and generally a bit steeper than the big skis, but they stay in deep snow and keep the edge of the ski a little hard. backpack. They are sometimes called “medium fat” skis. Any skier, from intermediate to advanced, can appreciate a great pair of skis suitable for the whole mountain.
Examples of common wide ski touring (the numbers indicate the belt width):
Dynastar M-Pro 99 female
Snow storm Rustler 10. Gentlemen
Great mountain skiing
Large freeride skis are very similar to off-road skis and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. But “big” is an important difference from “everything”. Large alpine skis are generally stronger and heavier for high speed travel on developed and experienced terrain. They allow strong skiers to improve their game but can only hinder the couplers.
Here are some examples of good alpine skiing for high-level and high-tech skiers:
Elan Ripstick female 102 W.
Nordic Enforcer for men 115
Normal skiing for all mountains
These are the thinnest thick skis with a center width of around 80-95mm. In fact, they are not considered widespread today. You can probably call them “normal skis”. At the narrower end of the range, they are sometimes called sculptural skis and prefer hand-decorated surfaces.
At the wider end of this range, you’ll find a ski that shines and fills up on the slopes, but also crosses a lot for the occasional adventure.
Examples of popular models in each mountain category:
88th Icelandic Oracle for Women
K2 Fir Mindbender 85
Wide jumps for all terrains? Seriously?
Fat skis were just days of fresh snow again. In fact, they have a lot more fun skiing. However, as you can see from the wide ski types described above, the modern wide ski is compatible with almost any landscape and condition.
This is especially true of the larger selection of downhill skis, but as this introduction to all downhill skis shows, not all mountains are created equal in size (and California is my budget pick).
For my exclusive needs on the west coast, I have found that any easier terrain facilitates the transition to broad skiing, even for a couple who have crossed the line between mountain skiing and powder skiing. All. Alone. Guy. Included:
Scissors: More control and stability calm me down and allow me to pull very shallow scissors when conditions are right. My gas foot doesn’t have to wait that long on the elevator line, but I’m still safe and in control.
Crud: You know, heavy, lumpy things that threaten to grab your ski and send it against your will. On old skis I had the feeling that every little lump was starting to roll and make me fly. But my wide skis, when I have the courage to leave them, fall into balls and boxes.
Ice: Since there is no other powder, I have always been afraid that big skis would let me slide on the ice. Nothing! Wide skis again to save. Again, the stability and long edge with fewer sides (my new ski is longer than the old one) gives me more contact with the snow and more control than my old cute skis.
