Why are there no small men testing skis?

[Freaq]

I think you're on to something. How many of us really know how we ski unless we see ourselves in video.

The first time I saw myself on video I realized that I skied more like an ape carrying two suitcases than Picabo.
More recently, I saw some video that @DoryBreaux took and was surprised that the skier who was making those nice turns was me.

The more realistic we are about our own skiing, the better we'll be able to find the right ski.

Ha! Cracked me right the *[@k up =>)

 

[ski-ra]

Yeah there's usually a bid dis

I think you're on to something. How many of us really know how we ski unless we see ourselves in video.

The first time I saw myself on video I realized that I skied more like an ape carrying two suitcases than Picabo.
More recently, I saw some video that @DoryBreaux took and was surprised that the skier who was making those nice turns was me. ....

I love it: "an ape carrying two suitcases" - that's quite a visual

Yeah my experience has shown that there's usually a big disconnect between how you think you ski and what a video shows (and that almost "out of body" experience from your more recent video session was exactly what I also experienced on one occasion...it's mostly elating but also a bit creepy).

But even with a vague recollection of a video-taped image of myself skiing there's been plenty times when I've remarked to someone that I ski like such-and-such and their response has generally been "no you don't!" (which has cut both ways). In the end Finndog (and a few others ) are probably a much better gauge of "how I ski" then I am. Tricky issue indeed but a video session is probably still a very useful tool

 

[ski-ra]

Hmm - evil spirits at work: not sure where the "Yeah there's usually a bid dis" came from at the beginning of my previous quote

 

[Chickenmonkey]

This is an interesting topic for me as I am 5'9" and up until last ski year was about 150 lbs, but lost 20 lbs over the summer.

One of the skis I skied last year feels the same (179 Armada Norwalk) and one does not. My 175 Liberty Sequences have been a little more unruly than I previously remember and I need to ski them more deliberately now. Still fun, but they are more pickly than before.

Anyway, I feel I am squarely in the lightweight category now and my height makes sizing even more important.

 

[Tony S]

What is by no means news to anyone but which I am particularly noticing this year is that if I'm on a ski that's a bit on the stiff side - which is a lot of skis when you're light - I can usually bend it and be happy on it as long as I'm really clean and very patient through the fall line, channeling the inner racer who keeps his mass moving down the hill on the short path, even if I'm scarving through chop or bumps or whatever. As soon as I get lazy or defensive and start bulling the skis around hurriedly, with little stems and what have you, they feel like total unmitigated crap and it's just no fun. (I have lots of video of this second mode to illustrate! LOL. You can all watch it after I'm dead, but for now just look around you and you'll see this mode alll over the hill.) The difference for lighter folks is that we have either to be more on top of our technique or more on top of our ski choices when compared with the guys - it's mostly guys - who can bend any ski fine just by walking by it on the rack.