Rocking Horse (tip/waist/tail)

[Fishbowl]

Up at Snowbowl, the college kids use a very centered stance, not just in the park, but all over the mountain. It seems to suit a style of turning that allows for quick transitions into switch, pivot slips, 360s and hockey stops. It’s not just that the weight is more central through the turn in fore/aft, but also more evenly distributed foot to foot. The style comes off as relaxed, almost lazy, compared to the aggressive forward leaning style of the race team kids. It many ways it looks like a throw back style.

Just an observation.

 

[geepers]

Up at Snowbowl, the college kids use a very centered stance, not just in the park, but all over the mountain. It seems to suit a style of turning that allows for quick transitions into switch, pivot slips, 360s and hockey stops. It’s not just that the weight is more central through the turn in fore/aft, but also more evenly distributed foot to foot. The style comes off as relaxed, almost lazy, compared to the aggressive forward leaning style of the race team kids. It many ways it looks like a throw back style.

Just an observation.

How much that is due to the skis in use?

A few years ago (about 2012) switched for a day from K2 Rictors to Rossi S3s, a heavier, wider ski. By the end of the day I'd adopted a totally different style, stand very upright in the middle of the skis and bounce along the top of everything, something like the style of a lot of park escapees. Didn't suit my aged disposition so went back to the light weight K2s. But can understand how the ski brings on that approach.

 

[mike_m]

Park rats use a center-mounted ski to increase the ease of switch skiing and pivoting. Works well for that purpose. It is not conducive to effective directional skiing or carving. Different tools for different uses. That same style may well spill over into their skiing out of the park.

 

[Fishbowl]

Park rats use a center-mounted ski to increase the ease of switch skiing and pivoting. Works well for that purpose. It is not conducive to effective directional skiing or carving. Different tools for different uses. That same style may well spill over into their skiing out of the park.

To be fair to these guys, they take their equipment and technique all over the mountain with apparent skill and ease. They are not chained to the park just because they are on twin tips. In fact these are the skiers that you see in the woods, bumps and off trail, as well as on the groomers; whilst the folks on their carving skies seem to stay on the groomed terrain.

The question for me is if the centered style of skiing is becoming more user friendly to the recreational skier over the more tradition "get forwards" racing style turns? I have to be honest and say that both my wife and I are having more fun since we swapped to twin tips. They just seem to have the versatility to open up more terrain. We are not running gates, so being more upright and centered just seems to make sense for exploring the whole mountain.

 

[Doby Man]

To be even more fair to these guys, I don’t think we should refer to them as rats. Rats, known for spreading the plague and being prison snitches, brings with it a negative connotation. I think park mice would be much more respectable. With all the positive mice role models including Mickey Mouse, Mighty Mouse, Jerry from Tom and Jerry and even Speedy Gonzales, all very successful mice, it brings with it a more distinguished tone. If you can imagine park features to be big blocks of cheese, it all starts to seem even more plausible. Now, a park mouse that snitches to patrol every time they smell a skunk, that’s a rat.

 

[Scrundy]

Amateur hour here. To me this subject is an aspect of being a bit ahead of the skis at the start of the turn and a bit behind them at the end. Pressure moves roughly from toepiece to heelpiece during the turn, yes, but I feel this as more of a consequence than a cause. If I intentionally keep ahead of the skis into the turn finish I lose the bend in the tails and they don't come back under me properly. This makes it much harder to get back ahead of them for the next turn start, etc. No good. If I intentionally stay behind the skis at the turn start ... well, that's just not ... I ... Sorry, just fell off my desk chair. Have to get back to work.

Yeah in his camp

 

[mike_m]

Fishbowl: Reasonable points, but a bit of apples and oranges, I think. I skied twin-tip Rossi S3s for several years and enjoyed them all over the mountain. The rear tip lift made it very fun to ski switch and play all over the mountain, especially in deeper, softer snow and in trees.

The significant point, however, is that the bindings were mounted in the traditional, slightly rearward position, as opposed to the center-mount preferred by park mice. Where are yours mounted? You say you are "more upright and centered." The mount point would not create an upright result. Centered? Perhaps, but, again, unless you specifically asked your shop to center mount them (as the term is currently in use), I would hazard a guess that they were mounted in the traditional position. A true center mount is designed for park use, changes the characteristics quite a bit and inhibits directional skiing. Nothing wrong with that, but the ski becomes a different animal, optimized for a different purpose. In any case, you like the feel, whatever caused it. Good! Many fun ways to slide down a hill!

Best!
Mike

 

[4ster]

^what he @mike_m said^
I’ve been skiing 100mm waisted twin tips most days for the past 5+ years with a traditional mount. I ski them pretty much the same as my race skis but in all conditions...

I have skied centermounted twin tips as well and all I do is spin around in circles .

 

[Josh Matta]

noone mentioned dolphin turns....

I am disappointed.

 

[4ster]

noone mentioned dolphin turns....

I am disappointed.

"Dolphin Turns"

 

[peterm]

Great pictures @4ster.
Couldn't help but notice that your right pole appears to be flexing first picture. Optical illusion? Or does it just have a slight bend in it? Long lens artifact? Just curious...

 

[KingGrump]

Couldn't help but notice that your right pole appears to be flexing first picture.

Curb feeler.

 

[4ster]

Great pictures @4ster.
Couldn't help but notice that your right pole appears to be flexing first picture. Optical illusion? Or does it just have a slight bend in it? Long lens artifact? Just curious...

"Curb feeler" is good description.
Those are GrassSticks bamboo poles, super strong natural fiber with a nice flex.

You can sorta see it here even with likely stiffer LEKI's