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Edge Angle

thetrailboss

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So I just got my skis back from the shop a few weeks back and went out to tune them. What angle do you recommend for edges? I've been using 0 degrees, but I know that 1 degree or so is the norm. Your advice?
 

kbroderick

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I keep my general-purpose utility skis at 2 degrees of side and 1 degree of base; I run my Skiercross 66's (GS-type ski, used only on groomed trails and primarily for GS-type skiing) at 2 degrees on the side and 1/2 degree on the base. I may go to 3 degrees of side bevel for the 66's next season, as I've been tuning them almost every time I ski them and usually ski only one or two warm-up and two beer-league race runs on them when I do use them.

Personally, I'd never ski at anything with less than a one degree effective bevel if I could help it, and I'd stay under 3 degrees of raw side angle on any pair of skis that went more than three ski days between tunes. 2' side / 1' base for an effective 1' bevel is the best all-around compromise, IMO. When you start going to bigger side angles, the skis tend to dull faster and (IME) they're harder to put into a brushed turn. Less base angle is going to be tougher to control and probably feel a bit grabby, particularly when you're not running arc-to-arc; more base angle is going to be tough to actually get the skis on edge (but likely rather easy to get them to swim, if so desired). The last few years I was racing, I did run 3' side bevels on my GS, SL, and SG skis; with the bigger edge angles and firmer conditions that I was getting to at that point, 3' worked rather well. However, it was noticeably harder to control in a brushed turn and dulled much more quickly than a 2' side angle would.
 

NYDrew

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most modern skiis use a 1-3 bevel (base-edge). There are a few exceptions such as dynastar who use a 1-2.
 
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