Dedicated Left Ski and Right Ski

[David Chaus]

For me, the ON3P Billy Goats have a different feel and dynamic from the Elans, not sure why. I like the Billy Goats a lot, am always almost buying them. I really don't notice the different symmetry there, maybe because to me it feels so dialed in, integrated. I just notice the Billy Goats work, in both soft snow and on soft groomers.

Can’t speak to the Elans as I’ve never had the chance to demo any of them. That said, when I have tried to tip and carve my Billygoats with the same initiation as my Renoun Z90’s, weird things happen, I think it’s the different tip geomentry tends to make the tips diverge, especially as I get the inside ski on edge, the outside ski just wants to keep going the direction it was going. OTOH if I just steer with my feet a bit and pressure the outside ski a little more, without worrying so much about early edge engagement, I can feel the edge grip underfoot really well on both skis. It requires a bit more patience. The BG’s have a much longer turning radius anyway, so that’s part of the equation.

So, not to digress too much, I think there is a point to having asymmetrical skis, depending on how well they are designed for the use they’re intended, rather than “all good” or “all bad.”

 

[Tony S]

for me they feel grabby, bossy, maybe - they want to tell you how and when to turn

I think you were on my ex's skis.

[Sorry, dear, that was a joke! Not one of your flaws.]

Seriously, I have not experienced that. It's possible, however, that my default turn is shorter than yours.

 

[Doug Briggs]

I only have skis with graphics that are left and right. And not many of those.

Skis like the Bent Chettlers really 'care' to be left and right since the strong graphics work well when they are positioned correctly. Another pair of skis are left and right due to an edge repair.

With the BCs, the bases are left and right as well. <cartman voice>'Hippy!' </cartman voice>

Some people that slip and race on one set of skis mark left and right so they slip the course on the 'wrong' edges and race on the 'right' ones, thus preserving the sharpest edges for the race runs.

 

[cantunamunch]

I only have skis with graphics that are left and right. And not many of those.

Did you never have a set of Dynastar HX Fusions? I thought you had.

EDIT: And then there's the asymmetrically mounted Powder Pluses

 

[Tony S]

Long history of this crap. c.f. Sarner

 

[cantunamunch]

Long history of this crap. c.f. Sarner

Yep...and we're not even going into the race skis *cough*Atomic*cough* let alone the telemark skis.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Did you never have a set of Dynastar HX Fusions? I thought you had.


View attachment 98655

EDIT: And then there's the asymmetrically mounted Powder Pluses

No Fusions in my past. I forgot about the asymmetric binding mounts on the PPs.

 

[Cheizz]

The inside edge of these Amphibio skis has full camber. And very agressive camber too. combined with the tune, probably, that makes for a bit grabby, clingy, not very forgiving tip. Even though the flex of most Elans is quite nice and gentle, this grabby, cambery tip makes the Wingman and (to a lesser extent) the Ripsticks not ideal in bumps and in the trees. I recognise that grabbiness, that agressive directness of the inside edges of the tips.

 

[Tony S]

Even though the flex of most Elans is quite nice and gentle, this grabby, cambery tip makes the Wingman and (to a lesser extent) the Ripsticks not ideal in bumps and in the trees.

Okay. On the same page with you now.

 

[Cheizz]

Talking of decdicated left an right skis... I do have big problems with skis that are the same in construction (no specific right and left ski of difference between one side and the other), but that have top sheet design that complement each other. By that I do not mean the Blizzard Brahma, where on one ski it says 'Blizzard' and the other it says 'Brahma' (it doesn't really matter which ski is on which foot).
But I have two pairs of skis of which the graphics of the two skis include lines that continue on the other ski. And that is where my OCD kicks in every time I notice I have them on the wrong foot. I don't think of this when I put them on. But when I notice it in a chairlift, for example, it sort of hurts. I don't act on that, though. I just cry silently and try to get on with my life.

The skis I'm talking about are 2015-2016 Völkl Kendo and 2018-2019 Blizzard Rustler 10.

 

[cantunamunch]

The inside edge of these Amphibio skis has full camber. And very agressive camber too. combined with the tune, probably, that makes for a bit grabby, clingy, not very forgiving tip. Even though the flex of most Elans is quite nice and gentle, this grabby, cambery tip makes the Wingman and (to a lesser extent) the Ripsticks not ideal in bumps and in the trees. I recognise that grabbiness, that agressive directness of the inside edges of the tips.

Whenever I read something like this I always wonder about boot setup - as in whether a less direct boot will load the inside more slowly - and that being what the designers expected.

ontinue on the other ski. And that is where my OCD kicks in every time I notice I have them on the wrong foot. I don't think of this when I put them on. But when I notice it in a chairlift, for example, it sort of hurts. I don't act on that, though. I just cry silently and try to get on with my life.

Elan have been doing that for a long time - since at least the 2010 era - fortunately their graphics are a bit arty and one has to really focus on noticing that one ski has the sun and the other the houses, that sort of thing.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Consider the ski technician's dilemma when mounting Knee Bindings on skis with left/right graphics. Fortunately the hole patterns are symmetric even if the binding isn't.

Speaking for a friend...

 

[cantunamunch]

Consider the ski technician's dilemma when mounting Knee Bindings on skis with left/right graphics. Fortunately the hole patterns are symmetric even if the binding isn't.

Ah, the classic telemark problem has finally crossed into alpine world.

 

[ski otter 2]

I like having different picture graphics that run over onto the next ski. That way, I don't have to mark one ski left and the other right, or put a piece of tape on one of em that has an "L" or an "R" on it. There are several situations that have me start with the skis the "right" way, and at some point shift: a quick switch when I notice (with a straight edge) a "from the factory" imbalance to base flatness that would make one ski apparently better for left or right, short term edge wear, a tendency for an edge to stutter a bit (and thus a switch of skis to see if the stutter stops or happens less when the skis are reversed) and long term edge wear (wanting to use all four edges relatively evenly long term).

 

[pete]

I have my "left" and "right" ski and all mine are symmetric design.

I suppose I could make claim that it's due to wear and hence, how they ski but deep down I know it's driven by the same reason I wear my lucky Basenji briefs ... kept me from tearing out a MCL when trying moguls, and keeps me safe today ...

Anyhow, my reason for left/right I think is driven by the old sports superstition to keep things as they are ... don't wash those lucky socks ...

 

[wooglin]

I have my "left" and "right" ski and all mine are symmetric design.

I suppose I could make claim that it's due to wear and hence, how they ski but deep down I know it's driven by the same reason I wear my lucky Basenji briefs ... kept me from tearing out a MCL when trying moguls, and keeps me safe today ...

Anyhow, my reason for left/right I think is driven by the old sports superstition to keep things as they are ... don't wash those lucky socks ... View attachment 98787

Ha! 40 years after my high school jock days and I still wear mismatched socks for luck.

 

[Tony S]

And ... this is why we need female leaders.

 

[Ogg]

I don’t think I’ve even skied on a pair of asymmetrical skis. Reading this thread it sounds like I probably wouldn’t like them but now I’m curious. I always try to alternate left and right unless I have a damaged edge.

 

[cantunamunch]

^Ever wondered why asymmetrically mounted bindings aren't still a thing - at least for the 'feel width in my knees' set?