Does the Ski Make a Difference?

[drjeff]

Most people that never take a lesson eventually plateau pretty hard. I know that from experience. And I see it everyday I ski. People do continue to get better... lots of days skiing and observing and skiing will always make you better in skiing. But it will never make you truly great.

Hell, I could use a refresher lesson myself. I know I have slipped into bad habits lately.

Given enough days, everyone improves. But it takes a long time to get there and those "breakthrough" moments won't come as quickly. Unlike the founder of this forum, most terminal intermediates are not putting in 30+ day seasons and bashing bumps at their local ski area when ever they can.

+1

 

[KevinF]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet... "Expert" skis (labeled so by the manufacturer or ski-review sites) in my experience tend to be much stiffer then the next ski down in the line. If you routinely cruise at mach schnell or are a heavier person, then stiffer skis have their place.

I consider myself to be a pretty good skier, 170 pounds, cruise at a medium speed or so, and the only thing "expert level" skis do for me is leave me exhausted at the end of the day because I can't bend the damn things. I find myself happiest on intermediate / advanced level skis, and I pretty much go anywhere -- powder, groomers, bumps, it's all good.

A well-tuned pair of skis and some time invested in learning how to ski a nice round arc goes a looonnnnggggggg way into increasing the stability and holding power of a ski. If you're making heel-pushing, over-rotated turns -- well, even race skis aren't going to hold on ice or feel stable at speed doing that. If you're trying to make a round turn on dull edges -- it's not going to work.

 

[drjeff]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet... "Expert" skis (labeled so by the manufacturer or ski-review sites) in my experience tend to be much stiffer then the next ski down in the line. If you routinely cruise at mach schnell or are a heavier person, then stiffer skis have their place.

I consider myself to be a pretty good skier, 170 pounds, cruise at a medium speed or so, and the only thing "expert level" skis do for me is leave me exhausted at the end of the day because I can't bend the damn things. I find myself happiest on intermediate / advanced level skis, and I pretty much go anywhere -- powder, groomers, bumps, it's all good.

A well-tuned pair of skis and some time invested in learning how to ski a nice round arc goes a looonnnnggggggg way into increasing the stability and holding power of a ski. If you're making heel-pushing, over-rotated turns -- well, even race skis aren't going to hold on ice or feel stable at speed doing that. If you're trying to make a round turn on dull edges -- it's not going to work.

The other thing that many people need to do nowadays when buying a new ski is to FORGET many of the preconceived notions that used to apply to old, long, skinny skis and stiffness. With the construction/material advances and length, width and shape changes of a modern ski, you can get all the performance in terms of stability and edge grip on firm surfaces with a much softer ski (especially in the tip) than one could have imagined say 10-15 years ago. It's not like it was back in the "golden age" of skinny skis when the salesperson at the shop would grab a ski by the tip with one hand and then push on the mid section with the ski and hardly have the thing flex at all and we'd all just stand back and nod our heads and say "Ooooooh" in amazement at how stiff it was

 

[dmc]

Get good boots first. Then skis.

Without good boots, good skis will not make a difference. Yes, a more advanced ski will be a big difference for you over the softer intermediate ski that you have now for your size. BTW, never buy this years, always buy last years.

uh oh....

I totally agree...

 

[HD333]

Speaking of does the ski matter. I need some opinions.

I am in the market for a new set up. After skiing for 20 years I gave up skiing 6/7 years ago and started snowboarding. Now the kids ask why I don't ski so I am thinking of going 50/50.

When I stopped I would say I was a real good skier, comfortable anywhere but not a real fan of moguls.

That said is the K2 Apache Recon to much of a ski for me? I was thinking I would probably take a quick lesson to get back in the grove and be back in old form after a few days on the skis so I would buy a ski to match where I want to be if I am not already at that point. I am thinking of the 177, I am a big guy, 6 ft 220.

Anyone have experiance with these or other K2 Apache skis to share?

Thanks.
HD

 

[Greg]

Unlike the founder of this forum, most terminal intermediates are not putting in 30+ day seasons and bashing bumps at their local ski area when ever they can.

Who you callin' a terminal intermediate...? :angry:


:lol:

 

[Sky]

I am thinking of the 177, I am a big guy, 6 ft 220.

Anyone have experiance with these or other K2 Apache skis to share?

Thanks.
HD

I demo'd Recons two or three years ago and loved them. A pal demo'd them @ Loon last Mar (softer snow) and loved them.

Definitely demo and see what you think.

Atomic Crimson Ti's get a good review as well as Fischer Watea's.

 

[HD333]

Ordered last years Recons (177) from O2 Gearshop. $550 with bindings. Hopefully they arrive before New Years so I can take them up.

After years of boarding I may need to take a lesson to get back in the groove.

HD

 

[bigbog]

St.Bear, a well-made ski will often be much more responsive from a skiboot's pressure via the bindings than would a beginner-level ski. Construction and design...etc. Of course, as said...in order for the skier's movements to get to the ski...the boot fit/performance is the initial link. (Nothin' new from me)

$.01

 

[thinnmann]

Get racing skis - SL and GS. Get an all mtn ski with turned up tails and a wide bottom. Get some rock skis you can clobber in the woods early and late season. Get some groomer specific, ice specific, pow specific. Get some bumpers. Get some longer ones and get some shorter ones. Switch them up depending on your mood for the day. Don't ski the same ski two days in a row at the same mountain. Switch them up depending on the snow. Switch them up depending on whom you are skiing with. That is how to have fun! Thank you all you shops selling your demo stuff on eBay! Thank you Craigslist! Thank you free demo days at the MTN because I will never have this year's ski until 2012 - it will be a little beat up, but just as good and I won't have to lock it onto the ski rack.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Thank you all you shops selling your demo stuff on eBay! Thank you Craigslist! Thank you free demo days at the MTN because I will never have this year's ski until 2012 - it will be a little beat up, but just as good and I won't have to lock it onto the ski rack.

this years is so last year...I'm already skiing on next years.

and to answer the op, yes the ski makes a difference, ask anyone with a powder ski, ask anyone who skis on a race ski. of course the skier makes a difference too but put the same skier, expert or otherwise, on different skis in the same conditions and you'll get different results. Just take it to the obvious extreme, take a pro skier, put him in waist deep powder on slalom race skis, then powder skis...now repeat the process on a rock hard world cup slalom course. It takes two to make a thing go right...ski and the skier.