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Originally Posted by oneotwoandcounting Hi Ph0eniX,
I went from straight skis to a pair of Rossi Vipers at 198 cm in 1998. Since than I have become a huge shaped ski fan. I also have gone from skiing the longest skis I could find in a ski shop to being an advocate of short shaped skis. Here’s my shaped ski history:
1998 Rossi Vipers @ 198 cm
1999 Fisher RC4 GS Shaped Ski @ 196 cm
2000 Solomon Pilot 10 @ 184 cm
2001 Atomic SL 11 @ 164 cm
2002 Volkl Vertigo @ 177 cm
2003 K2 AXIS mid-fats @ 171 cm (I have not yet skied these – they are going to be my western powder skis).
This year I have skied the Atomics and Volkls. The Atomics have over 100 days of skiing on them and I have to slow down or they become squirrelly. I used to ski them as fast as I did a previous Volant GS 208 cm skis. I have gone primarily to the Volks and ski them as fast as the old Volant GS skis. I have demoed an all mountain shaped ski at the maximum length they make it (191 cm) and hated them. I went to a shorter length (184 cm) of the same ski and loved them.
What helped me adjust to shaped skis alot was in 1998 I took weeks worth of lessons at Whiteface with their best "carving" ski instructor. He changed my skiing (for the better) for ever. I now ski much more two footed than before and unless I am in powder or the bumps I ski with my skies further apart (shoulder width) and do not unweight as much as I used to. Actually when I really get cooking I don’t unweight at all. I just pressure the tips at the start of the turn and tip both skies in the direction of the turn. The skies practically turn themselves as I feel them cross over under my body. In powder, the bumps, and on really steep trails I change the technique more to my old straight ski technique modified by hundreds (if not thousands) of miles on shaped skis.
I have friends that refuse to ski shaped skis and still manage to find straight skis some place but it’s getting harder and harder to find them. They also refuse to wear a helmet and one of them still wears jeans under his ski pants and 17 year old rear entry Solomon ski boots. Healso can ski circles around me on a 15-year-old Atomic straight ski. I ski pretty well but he is much better. No matter how good you are, unless you are Bode Miller (or the likes) there is always someone better than you are, especially at my advanced senior citizen age.
Anyway good luck in your pursuit of skis and I hope this rather long post helps you a bit.
Oh by the way. I have another skiing fanatic ski that bought a pair of Rossi Bandit Xs @ 177 cm and he skis faster than I do (or just about anyone else on the mountain). |
I would love not having to change my quarter century old now technique to match the type of ski. I'm stubborn like that
