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Skis Getting Narrower -- Did Colorado Ski Shops Not Get the Message?

Rod9301

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Turn can be so much more dynamic in 3d snow on fatter ski. It also part of the reason why I actually kind of hate lighter snow, not enough push back to get any thing out of the turn, also in 3d snow you can lateral G force while displace laterall and if you go with skill blending a world of turn shape not possible at speed on groomers is there for you to explore. Make that snow dense at the G forces are dynamics are so far beyond groomer skiing. My carving in dense snow on my Renegades is way harder than my carving my SL skis. SImple because an edge on hardpack versus an entire ski platform in semi solid mass is not really comparable.
I'm with you.
I much prefer denser maritime snow to light Utah powder.

I like the feeling of something to push against.

Plus in narrow steep couloirs it's easier to control speed and turn shape.
 

SBrown

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Would you ever think that at Alta? Just wondering....

You mean the terrain, or the snow? Or both? It was very very wet at JH, we were absolutely soaking wet at the end of the day. I have never been that wet after skiing.

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Still February, so a little unusual but not totally. I have never skied PNW like you, so it was just not a normal day for me.

However, the previous couple trips (ie, earlier in Feb) were at Alta and Taos, and one day during each trip produced some unusually (for the location) heavy snow. Alta, it was mostly a wind issue. Last day was a 15" report, and I sunk in maaaaaybe 4 in. because of the firm top. That was fun, just surfy and cool. (Until it got tracked out, and then I quit.) Taos even had a heavy day in early or mid Feb.

I'm just not accustomed to that kind of snow, and would have a ski in my quiver to deal with it if it was something I encountered often.

eta: I am just now remembering last season, lol -- I had a ton of great snow days, and pow days, but waaaay more heavy snow than ever before. That crazy early March stuff in CO was heavy af, too -- so excited to get out that one day that all the avalanches hit the roads, but nothing steep enough was open. It was a lot of poling on blues, through dense snow.
 

David Chaus

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I'm just not accustomed to that kind of snow, and would have a ski in my quiver to deal with it if it was something I encountered often.

eta: I am just now remembering last season, lol -- I had a ton of great snow days, and pow days, but waaaay more heavy snow than ever before. That crazy early March stuff in CO was heavy af, too -- so excited to get out that one day that all the avalanches hit the roads, but nothing steep enough was open. It was a lot of poling on blues, through dense snow.

Sounds like you had a particularly memorable day.

For “that kind of snow”, the best thing I’ve found is a Billy Goat, decent enough edge hold for a 116 wide ski, but what makes it so good for heavy snow is the tail, releases so easily, great for mashed potatoes and slush. Not bad in bumps either, very quick for the width. Frankly, for the conditions prevalent in the PNW, a ski like that can be very useful 30-50% of the time.

Keep in mind I’m perfectly happy with an 85-90 wide ski for a lot of conditions, though 95-108’s are prevalent around here too.
 

SBrown

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No doubt Susan a wide ski is useful on a day like that. But of all the days you skied last year, or even the last 5, how many were like that?

Probably a dozen just last season (aka enough to make it worth the purchase) but that wasn't really my point -- I initially just meant that the inbounds/outbounds delineation isn't the only or main one. And to your original post, most of those days were not in CO (even though Feb in NM or UT "shouldn't" have been that way, either). Last season was unusual. But back to what some have said, I had quite a few days last year when a narrow ski would have been unskiable for 97% of skiers, even on the groomers -- or what were supposed to be groomers. Whereas a wider ski is skiable in the opposite conditions -- not so fun, but at least you can move, and stay upright.
 

Ken_R

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No doubt Susan a wide ski is useful on a day like that. But of all the days you skied last year, or even the last 5, how many were like that?

I used my 122's a lot last season. A LOT. :D They surf low angle powder easily. :daffy:
 

François Pugh

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Lol no duh Francois. Most of us used narrow skis for 20+ years and then found that wider skis are more versatile, even in the Northeast. Sadly my old Volkly P50s no longer hold and edge and in the last year I've bought new women's skis, new kids skis, used kids skis, new pricy kids boots, new mens boots, and a used ski condo. On Sunday my friend would beat me at the end of each run using SL skis, but he's better than me anyways.
Wider skis are more versatile. Wider skis with tip and tail rocker are much more versatile. There's no arguing against that.
I'm just saying that a modern narrow carving ski like a FIS SL or GS, or for lighter folk a Fischer SC or RC (choose your speed) is better suited to and much more fun on hard snow groomers, and if that is where someone spends 90% of their time, that's the ski they should treat themselves to.

About that P50, I have a pair of P50 F1 Energy skis I bought for cheap (the bindings cost me two and a half times as much as the skis) as left overs. They are not P40s or P30s. They are rigid enough with regards to torsion, but the longitudinal flex is too soft to get much force to the tips; they feel great and encourage you to push your luck at speed, but when you need them to save your adz, and nail a hard turn, the tips fold up to too big a steering angle and slide on you instead of cutting. And I agree, versatile, they certainly are not! (although I like them in bumps).
 

SBrown

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@SBrown , what length 100-eights and what do you weigh? Inquiring minds want to know. I had lots of float with the 181 length at 150 lbs.

Float isn't usually an issue, which is why it's my widest ski. I'm 135ish on the 181s. It was the combination of snow density, tight spaces, and proper speed. Yeah, I would have been fine in a steep wide open bowl because I could open it up. But in the trees and narrow spaces, if I checked my speed, I would sink. (Not to mention the flats in that stuff...) That's all. I wanted to ski on the snow that day, not in it.
 

Talisman

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For “that kind of snow”, the best thing I’ve found is a Billy Goat, decent enough edge hold for a 116 wide ski, but what makes it so good for heavy snow is the tail, releases so easily, great for mashed potatoes and slush. Not bad in bumps either, very quick for the width. Frankly, for the conditions prevalent in the PNW, a ski like that can be very useful 30-50% of the time.

My Billy Goat experience has been they are great here in fresh light powder. When the snow is other than deeper powder Kartels are a better choice for me. Billy Goats are not my first choice for bumps that aren't covered in about of foot of cold smoke. Maybe the denser snow in PNW has your fitness peaked at level unavailable here?
 

Ken_R

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I'm more interested that that boot (I believe Hawx XTD w/ WTR sole) fits in that binding.

Oh I sold the XTDs last season those are my Hawx Ultra 130S. They have an Alpine sole not even WTR.
 

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