Race Plates: Noticable Differences?

[hbear]

I might regret going down this rabbit hole....

Is there any thought and consensus to the differences between race plates and how they function? Is there even any?
E.g. Marker Piston, vs. Freeflex, vs. R22 vs. Salomon Plate
In addition is there a preferred racer type that benefits best from the various plates? Or a skier skill/weight to determine between 10MM piston vs. 14mm, or when to move from R21 to R22 plate, etc. When to move from jr. to adult plate?

I believe Marker has a few different settings (soft SL, hard SL, GS....does it really make much difference?) and the Solly allows for fore/aft adjustment on the fly. Freeflex needs to be drilled, while the others I believe are pre-drilled.

The reason I ask is usually we are stuck with the plate/binding setup the OEM uses (e.g. if you race Rossi, rossi plate and look binder....Blizzard means Marker plate/binder, etc.) However given we are seriously looking at Stockli skis we have the option of the Solly plate/binding or ordering flat and putting whatever we want on.....so lots of options but not always a good thing for a gear head.

Or should I go on the "they are all good, choose what binder you like and forget about it!"

 

[oldschoolskier]

I might regret going down this rabbit hole....

Is there any thought and consensus to the differences between race plates and how they function? Is there even any?
E.g. Marker Piston, vs. Freeflex, vs. R22 vs. Salomon Plate
In addition is there a preferred racer type that benefits best from the various plates? Or a skier skill/weight to determine between 10MM piston vs. 14mm, or when to move from R21 to R22 plate, etc. When to move from jr. to adult plate?

I believe Marker has a few different settings (soft SL, hard SL, GS....does it really make much difference?) and the Solly allows for fore/aft adjustment on the fly. Freeflex needs to be drilled, while the others I believe are pre-drilled.

The reason I ask is usually we are stuck with the plate/binding setup the OEM uses (e.g. if you race Rossi, rossi plate and look binder....Blizzard means Marker plate/binder, etc.) However given we are seriously looking at Stockli skis we have the option of the Solly plate/binding or ordering flat and putting whatever we want on.....so lots of options but not always a good thing for a gear head.

Or should I go on the "they are all good, choose what binder you like and forget about it!"

Paging @ScotsSkier to the thread.

If anyone knows this answer along with answering in a fair manner it’s SS.

 

[bob.knox]

Reviving an old thread after I searched here for this very subject. I'm looking at Stockli GS and Augment GS Pro's for the upcoming season. Are plates helpful on GS skis for daily use on Eastern boilerplate?

 

[trailtrimmer]

By all means yes. I noticed a 4mm lift on my boots, I can't imagine driving a race ski without a plate.

 

[JTurner]

All race plates provide the benefit of significant lifting of the boot off the snow. At high edge angles this helps avoid booting out. Whether this matters in any individual case depends on the angles the skier can attain. FIS even puts a limit on this since it’s so beneficial.

 

[Philpug]

I'm looking at Stockli GS and Augment GS Pro's for the upcoming season. Are plates helpful on GS skis for daily use on Eastern boilerplate?

Do you know what a GS ski is without a plate? A mogul ski. I am half serious here. When Hart came back to the US market about a decade ago with the F17, it was a GS ski with different graphics on it

 

[Swede]

@hbear

Yes and No.
Plates/bindings makes up for more of a [race] skis feel than they generally are given credit for.
But no, not really a big deal for JR equipment (I guess this is for your daughter?).

 

[hbear]

Old post.
Yes for my daughter. We are set equipment wise now and she (and coaches) are super pleased with the setup. The lack of demo and support for Stockli here in Canada just made it too difficult to commit to something sight unseen.

As such we tested the usual oems and found the Rossi tested best for her. Bonus for mom and dad is she was already on the boot (which we will not change under any circumstance) so we got lucky to save a few pennies given some Rossi support.
She’s on the tweener lengths now so they ski so much better for her than less robust construction jr lengths. New plate and new binding construction this year (no rocker plate and the binding has a rubber contact at the heel/plate interface vs being completely unconnected last year)

We are actually heading to your part of world next week. Will be in Kabdalis for few weeks for her early season training camp. Never been, hear it’s great training.....sounds like I won’t see much of the sun for a while however.

 

[Swede]

Old post.
Yes for my daughter. We are set equipment wise now and she (and coaches) are super pleased with the setup. The lack of demo and support for Stockli here in Canada just made it too difficult to commit to something sight unseen.

As such we tested the usual oems and found the Rossi tested best for her. Bonus for mom and dad is she was already on the boot (which we will not change under any circumstance) so we got lucky to save a few pennies given some Rossi support.
She’s on the tweener lengths now so they ski so much better for her than less robust construction jr lengths. New plate and new binding construction this year (no rocker plate and the binding has a rubber contact at the heel/plate interface vs being completely unconnected last year)

We are actually heading to your part of world next week. Will be in Kabdalis for few weeks for her early season training camp. Never been, hear it’s great training.....sounds like I won’t see much of the sun for a while however.

Sorry didn’t see it was old. Great for you and your girl. Rossi seems to work for a lot of kids—my oldest raced on Rossi/Dynastar U14-U16. Stöckli seldom a choice over here too.

Never been to Kåbdalis, but nearby Dundret. It will be dark. A lot of the WC SL skiers will be there to lay the last touch before Levi. This time I usually went to Stubai, Hintertux or Saas Fee when I was a race chaperon.

 

[dban]

Do you know what a GS ski is without a plate? A mogul ski. I am half serious here. When Hart came back to the US market about a decade ago with the F17, it was a GS ski with different graphics on it

Didn't want to start a new thread with this but do you think this works in reverse? If I plate a Fischer gunbarrel, would I have a good recreational gs ski for a 20m course?

 

[Philpug]

Didn't want to start a new thread with this but do you think this works in reverse? If I plate a Fischer gunbarrel, would I have a good recreational gs ski for a 20m course?

No. Gunbarrel is a ski designed to be a mogul ski where some mogul skis, specifically junior ones are from a GS ski mold.