Resistance to change

[skiNEwhere]

For those of you that have been skiing about 20 years, what was your first reaction to shaped skis?

My mother tried them in 97 or 98, and quipped "they almost do the turning for you."

Me being the rebel kid I was didn't want a ski that did the work for you, and I didn't get my first set until 2007.

The responses to the active suspension ski got me thinking, if those types of skis were the norm, we probably wouldn't be making fun of them.

How long did it take people to buy a pair of shaped skis?

 

[Puck it]

Had these in the early 90's. They have a slight radius to them. I still them in my basement. 215cm.

 

[drjeff]

Bought my first pair of shaped skis in '97 not too long after Bode Miller started doing some incredible skiing on his at the time K2 fours. Soon after that when many manufacturers who supply the bulk of the racers at that time got into the "performance" shaped ski market, I figured that this was a trend that was here to stay for a while, let alone that the physics behind made sense!

 

[SkiFanE]

Probably slow lol. Motherhood and all that hit about the same time the shaped skis did, and I only skied 1-2/year for a few years. Finally when I got back into serious skiing, and someone tweenie yelled from the chairlift "nice skis"...I thought it was time. But honestly...I loved my old SL skis. I would not have swapped to shaped if I had a choice. I have nothing against shaped skis, just for me there was no need. I have shaped SL skis now...no difference to me...still do what I do. But I also could ski on boards if needed, I adapt quickly...so I guess it was more "it's a waste of $, what I have is fine.." attitude, not because I hate the idea of changing my tried/true skis.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Easily adapted to the change in the mid. 90,s when i bought my second pr of downhill skis . heretofore i had been an XC skier for decades

 

[deadheadskier]

2002 Rossi Bandit X were my first shaped skis.

I did buy a set of 115mm waist Powder skis in 2000 however. Not much shape to them.

 

[BenedictGomez]

For those of you that have been skiing about 20 years, what was your first reaction to shaped skis?

I have a startling admission to make.

I know I'm in the near unheard of and definitely silent minority, but I didn't think it was THAT big of a deal. I turned fine on the neanderthal technology, I turned fine on the new technology.

How long did it take people to buy a pair of shaped skis?

1998-1999 Salomon X-Screams (still have them and use them as my rock skis/ice skis/Poconos skis)

 

[Tin]

2002 Rossi Bandit X were my first shaped skis.

I did buy a set of 115mm waist Powder skis in 2000 however. Not much shape to them.

The 2x4s you brought out at the loaf? lol

 

[jrmagic]

I wasnt sold on the early parabolics. My first pair was around 2004 or so. I demoed a pair of Atomic sl11 skis in a 171 length and was amazed at what I could do compared to my Olin Mark IVs and event and found a pair the next day.

 

[Smellytele]

I still do not actually own a pair of "shaped" skis. Until recently the last pair of Alpine skis I owned were 1990 something 200 cm Atomic EXT's. Then all my tele skis are nonshaped. 2 years ago I bought a used pair of Fischer world cup DH race skis - definitely not shaped.

 

[crank]

I got a pair of Salomon Pilot 10's in 2001 or 2002. They were free - a bit of work swag, and I really liked those skis a lot. I was fine with old tech and years before had changed my style from the old legs and knees glued together wedelen 70's style to a more modern shoulder width, more evenly weighted stance so adapting to shaped skis was easy. Yes they turn easier, but you can apply your old technique and they respond much like your old skis did.

The Pilot 10's were 67mm at the waist, now my narrowest ski is 93mm.

 

[Hawkshot99]

When shaped skis first came out I heard that they were not very stable at speed and chattered a lot. This made me not interested in them.
Mid 90's my mom bought me a new pair of Rossi's (I didn't want shaped so got some straight skis) and herself some new k2 shaped skis (the salesman had told her how much easier they were to turn)
I guess my first shaped ski I bought 99-00'? It was a pair of Rossi CUT's and I could ski them great.

If I hadn't been told that shaped skis chattered real bad, then I would have happily gotten a pair. So my avoidence for a bit was misguided.

I really want to find myself an old pair of straight skis. Mount a current binding on them and see how they ski.

 

[buellski]

First for me was a pair of 2004 Volkl Supersport 6 Stars. Prior to that I had been on a pair of 1993 210cm Rossignol 7xk.

 

[steamboat1]

I got a pair of Salomon Pilot 10's in 2001 or 2002. They were free - a bit of work swag, and I really liked those skis a lot. I was fine with old tech and years before had changed my style from the old legs and knees glued together wedelen 70's style to a more modern shoulder width, more evenly weighted stance so adapting to shaped skis was easy. Yes they turn easier, but you can apply your old technique and they respond much like your old skis did.

The Pilot 10's were 67mm at the waist, now my narrowest ski is 93mm.

Back in the day the sign of a good skier was when the outside part of the boot got scraped up between the two boots because you kept your legs & ski's together. You can't physically keep your skis/legs together anymore with shaped skis because of the wide tips & tails. I think it's a misnomer that shaped skis are easier to turn. I think the main reason skis are easier to turn today has to do more with the shorter length most of us ski on today, not because of the shape of the ski. I for one skied on 195cm-205cm length skis most of my life. My last two sets of ski's have been 178cm skis & even that is considered long by today's standards.

 

[Quietman]

I really want to find myself an old pair of straight skis. Mount a current binding on them and see how they ski.

I brought out my old pair of Rossi's(4S 203cm) this spring on a crud day and tossed them back in the car after 2 really crappy runs. Sad, I really loved those 4S's when I got them, and they were the most that I've ever paid for a pair of skis.

 

[VTKilarney]

I was expecting a bigger difference from parabolic skies. But I do believe that they are an upgrade - just not the huge game changer that the hype led you to believe.

It's interesting to see what they were saying about them back in 1997:
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/16/sports/caution-urged-on-new-shaped-skis.html

 

[xwhaler]

I had the K2 Fours 178cm with the USA graphics on them circa '98 when I was on high school ski team. They had the little chip in them that supposedly dampened the ride and kept the skis more stable at speed....small light that illuminated when activated. Thought that was pretty slick back then...course it probably made zero real performance difference!

I then stepped up to a big heavy K2 Axis X in 188 and went through 2 pairs of those before finally going shorter again in '08

 

[The Sneak]

Circa 95-97 I was on Rossi 5SV, 7XK (if I ever hit tunaspeed in my life, it was on these blasting down Hayburner and Narrow Gauge @ the loaf), and 9S (I think, the yellow ones?) all around 198cm. I remember all of a sudden those Rossi Cut something point somethings were everywhere up @ the Loaf. I switched to shaped skis for the 1999 season, Rossignol something or others but I cannot remember the name. I do remember buying them too long and hating them.

Shortly thereafter I bought K2 4's with the piezo light thing. Great skis.
Then no skiing for a few years due to broke and stupid 20something me.

 

[jimk]

I first got to ski on "parabolic" Elan skis on a trip to Sugarloaf in 1997. They gave us a free demo for about an hour or two and I instantly loved them. I was always a "turny" sort of skier. Problem was I had "just" bought a new pair of straight Blizzards in 1993 and as an old schooler I usually kept the same single ski quiver for a decade or more. That's just how I rolled back then In Oct 2002 I finally bought a pair of used shaped Fischer XTR Carve Plus skis, 183 cm with Marker 9V bindings (cost $100.00). Believe they were about three years old when I bought them. So my resistance was mostly due to my cheapness. I liked those enough to get some excellent Fischer RX8s a few years later. Here is a 2014 photo of my first shaped skis and my latest shaped skis, 107mm vs ~65mm:

 

[Smellytele]

those 107's under foot to me are not "shaped"