Should I Move my Mount Forward?

[dovoian]

Hi All,

Question for the gear people!

I have been reading a lot of conflicting opinions about mount point and the effect it has on the ski. This is my issue: I just got a whole new rig this year, and got the Atomic Theory 2012 skis. In most conditions I absolutely love them. However, I am getting really into tree skiing and going on trips with my friends exploring ridiculously tight spaces, looking for jumps/adventure at places like MRG etc (as opposed to with my dad, railing groomers). In the tight spaces, I find that my skis are not as nimble as I want them to be, and rather than being able to wash out turns, and arrest my progress by turning sideways (technical or non-traditional motions), I seem to always carve in and hook a little turn right into some shrubbery. It kind of messes with my confidence because I don’t foresee being able to stop myself in a tight space without “auto-carving” around into bad news. Not sure if this is the right word but they felt “hooky” – ONLY in tight spaces at relatively low speed..

Since I came off of a more carving (and much less sidecut) type ski, I had the store mount the Theories at -3 from the “Team” line (which I assume is boot center -3). This is really great for making nice GS turns on groomers.. I tried my friend’s Atomic Panic skis, and his are mounted +2 or +3 I believe from the team line (somewhere between true center and recommended). When I put those on, it was night and day! I felt really fearless and nimble and able to control myself in the woods.. I did not get them up to speed on groomed terrain, where I would suspect they would do marginally worse.

So my question is – if I remount my skis closer to true center (maybe +2 from “Team” /Recommended), will this have the effect of making my skis crank around easier and navigate/control myself easier in really tight areas? I feel that this is more important to me than the “float” given by my further back mount.

Thanks for your help; I really appreciate it.

[snowmonster]

Different skis designate mounting points differently. Where is true center on these skis? Is the "team" line true center? What I mean by true center is the midpoint of the ski if you pull a tape measure from tip to tail. Based on my experience, if you like the ski to pivot on a dime, mount them at true center since this will be the balance point of that ski. You'll probably get more tail on the ski at this mount point which is good for landings. The compromise that you make here is that you'll have less shovel in case you want to charge However, less shovel makes it easier to direct the ski in tight spaces. Usually manufacturers will designate this mount point as their recommended line for park and pipe applications. However, in my experience, I like the fact that they're easy to pivot in tight trees. My S7s are mounted at this point (+3 on the S7) and they're my go to pair in MRG woods.

If you intend to ski them in powder, keep them mounted behind true center.

[dovoian]

Thanks for your post Snowmonster!

Sorry for the ambiguity; I think "Team" corresponds to "Boot Center", or "Recommended", and not "True Center". Based on your assesment, I think I am going to remount them about halfway between the true center and recommended lines. I am willing to bet this is the adjustment that will really let me rip next season!


.....in 8 months


Thanks again!!

[snowmonster]

You're welcome, man. Hope it helps!

Boot center usually means the true center of the ski. However, because different manufacturers name these things differently sometimes (e.g., recommended line, boot center, team line, Sage's recommended line), I'd rather just describe it by referring to a tape measure rather than get into an argument about semantics.

If you're fiddling with your mount points and are not sure where to go, you may want to consider a Marker Schizo just in case you want the best of both worlds. Every now and then I wish my S7s were mounted 3 cms further back to get a real pow ski effect in deep snow but I like the balanced feel I have now. I don't want to remount then regret that decision and want to go back to the old mounting point but, at that point, it's too late.

Anyway, 8 months? There's still snow to be skied. Go out there and get it!

[riverc0il]

Don't remount. Just learn to ski better in the woods. You say in most conditions you love them. Why not the woods? What is different? Do you have any problems in non-tree bumps? If you are having trouble turning in the trees and you only just started skiing trees, it is the archer not the arrow. I think you should give it some time.

Here is a test to make sure: try another pair of skis in the woods. Do you have the same problems? When you said you tried your friend's skis, did you try them in the same woods for a fair comparison? Are the skis the same length and you are absolutely positive on the mounting position? If you controlled all the variables and you liked the other skis better, maybe you should go for it. But it just doesn't sound right to me.

Each line on the Theory's mounting sheet is 0.5cm for 5cm variance from true ski center at the furthest forward point. Since the furthest forward point is ski center, the Theory's suggested mounting points are all fairly forward. Even the furthest back position. There isn't much reason to approach the ski center mark if you aren't a park skier.

I picked up a pair after trying them and am deciding on mounting point and I am strongly considering going slightly back than than rear most suggested point. FWIW, I live for super tight crazy tree lines and quick snappy turns. Different strokes for different folks, though.

I am considering doing that due to experience with several skis and having a good idea for what I want the performance to be and knowing my style and the ski's strengths. My thoughts on mounting point are that if you have to ask....

Why would you want to move the bindings more towards a park mount? These skis are already ridiculously nimble and quick to turn. Given the background information in your post, I don't think you are doing yourself any favors by mounting even closer to ski center unless you truly controlled all the variables when you tried you friend's skis and you have confirmed the exact variance between the two mounting points. And if that is the case, then why bother asking if you already know?

[WWF-VT]

I agree with riverc0il on the need to get more time in the woods to improve your skills. The other factor is that you tried your friends Atomic Panic ski and you thought you had better control on the same terrain as the Atomic Theory. The Panic spec’s are narrower than the Theory and it looks like a more forgiving ski. It might not be the mounting of your bindings but the overall ski that would make the difference for you.

[dovoian]

Thanks for the advice riverc0il and WWF - regardless of where my feet are on the ski, I am definitely going to get better at skiing in the woods until I break down from old age!

Basically, I went through some tight spots in Paradise at MRG and felt a bit sketchy at times (granted, that place is insane!) and my friend (who is a much better skier than I am) told me about the mounting point variable, which I really never thought about. He said for him it made a huge difference moving his mount up in making the ski more "playful", etc. So I tried his skis out, and I really ripped this great section of woods, almost the same line but not quite, with way less effort than ever before.

Besides the mount, the ski is a little more flexible than mine, about 3cm shorter, and about 8 mm narrower. So it could be any combination of things really, including "all in my head!".. I percieved that his skis could maneuver more easily, and If i dropped down a tight little chute i could reliably arrest my progress if around the corner was a tree..

Other factors include the Panic's decreased surface area and length giving me a little less speed/acceleration, or even how recently the skis were tuned/specs there.

I guess what I want to know is the overall effect of moving the mount forward several cm. Can this make the ski feel more nimble, swing around easier, and give me more control at middle-speeds? Why would Snowmonster like his skis mounted a little forward and cite their ease of pivot? What would be the downside of bringing the mount up to the recommended line, or a little in front of it?

Also, I know I can search feature on this topic - I have found a ton of conflicting advice doing this however and I definitely trust this forum the most.

[dovoian]

Additionally riverc0il, your blog kicks ass.

[Bene288]

I also have the theories and I have them set to standard. I don't have any problem in the woods, I think you just need to get used to them. I've actually found these to be the most nimble ski in the trees. I have the 186, not sure if that's an attribute to anything. I was told that mounting them up further past this line was ideal for park but not too much else. It all comes down to personal preference I guess. If you mount them up more I could imagine taking that back seat in powder may be a little more difficult. Good luck

[dovoian]

Thanks guys; I probably will bring them up to the recommended line, or at most +1 from that, and see what happens.