How to ski powder

[2knees]

ok so on crap skis, what's the best way to keep your tips from diving? I have decidedly unpowder friendly volants and i spent most of friday purposefully back. Not way back tailgunning crap but if i didnt do that, my tips were diving and hooking. I dont pretend to think that its just the ski, operator error was certainly a factor too but its hard to stay forward in that stuff and not eject.

 

[Brettski]

OK, Belleayre still had pow on Friday..I was diving into whjere I could, sides of trails, woods, whatever.

Flying down to the Tomahawk lift, the right side of th trail fell of several feet, so I dove in...unfortunately, I had all my weight forward...and my pocket rocket tips submarined on my and draged me staright down into waist deep snow...me left ski was buried at least 3 feet, and I thought I wouldn't be able to get out...

finally climbed out, and rode the rest of the way out...with my weight back...it was a great day

 

[kingslug]

After skiing some times very deep powder for the last 5 or 6 years I finaly tried some fatties. And yes, I felt like an idiot for not doing it sooner. Can't believe that i have been dragging Crossmaxes through this stuff. The hardest part is transitioning from pow to hardpack, usualy on the runout back to the lift. Had to stand on the tips very hard to keep them in line. In the pow it was a blast to be able to float around. With almost equal distribution on both skis it was a lot less tireing. The question is now which ones to buy. Need something somewhat foregiving in hardpack. The west doesn't always get powder and I need something to handle both. Any ideas?

 

[ski_industry_enthusiast]

Skiing powder on bump skis is an adventure! Definitely doable, but definitely different. I suppose I'll invest in some powder skis next year, since I'll be spending much of the winter in CO.

 

[Birdman829]

After skiing some times very deep powder for the last 5 or 6 years I finaly tried some fatties. And yes, I felt like an idiot for not doing it sooner. Can't believe that i have been dragging Crossmaxes through this stuff. The hardest part is transitioning from pow to hardpack, usualy on the runout back to the lift. Had to stand on the tips very hard to keep them in line. In the pow it was a blast to be able to float around. With almost equal distribution on both skis it was a lot less tireing. The question is now which ones to buy. Need something somewhat foregiving in hardpack. The west doesn't always get powder and I need something to handle both. Any ideas?

Bros, Seth Pistols, Scratch BCs, Prophet 100s. Check em all out. Something around 100 in the waist, then figure out from demoing/past experience whether you want more/less stiffness and more/less sidecut.

 

[JimG.]

Don't fall into the "sit back" trap...it's a labor intensive way to keep your tips out of the snow and a sure way to get really tired fast.

The trick is to stay centered on your skis and light in your turns. Avoid "diving" into turns and trying to engage your tips at the start of the turn as if you're on hardpack. Instead, stay centered on your skis throughout the turn, and stay 2 footed. That does not mean keep your skis 3 feet apart. In fact, keep your skis closer together but allow both feet to move a bit independently.

More than anything, get out there and ski the pow when we're lucky enough to have any...that's the best way to get better at it.

 

[kingslug]

Bros, Seth Pistols, Scratch BCs, Prophet 100s. Check em all out. Something around 100 in the waist, then figure out from demoing/past experience whether you want more/less stiffness and more/less sidecut.

Figure I'll rent some in March wherever I end up. Prolly utah.

 

[loafer89]

I think that alot depends on the type of powder that is on the trails. After 4 days of powder skiing and 5 continuous days out my body is trashed.

At A-Basin the powder was of higher density and deep and I was leaning back a bit, while Copper had deep fluff that just flew out of my way