by Chris Hansen

Skis

Skis have changed a lot in the last five years or so. No longer are you looking for a recreational, slalom or giant slalom ski. Today skis are categorized by what kind of skiing you want to do: carve, freeride, powder, trick, freestyle, all-mountain, etc. There are still race skis but that category too has evolved and specialized. Skiers have always been looking for the same thing: the catch-word these days is definitely "fun."

If you're still skiing on skis that are more than five years old, or skis that aren't considered "shape" skis, then you should check out what's going on today. There's a lot to be said for the technological and design advancements of the past half-decade. And within the past season or so ski manufacturers have dialed in shape designs and matched them with what skiers who are pushing the envelope of skiing are doing. That's not to say things won't keep changing but if you've been waiting a few years to buy new equipment then wait no more.

Most of what's happening comes down to shape. The shape of a ski is determined by a combination of length, width, and side-cut-the difference in width at the tip (or shovel), middle (waist) and tail. Today's skis have become wider at all these points but have a much greater difference of width between the shovel, the waist and the tail. These measurements are given in millimeters. Often the difference between the tip, waist and tail measurements is given as a single number and referred to such as "16 millimeters of side-cut." These figures quickly become mind-numbing unless you do some serious research. The best advice is don't get hung up on numbers, just ski a few and figure out what feels good.

With increased width and shape, skis have also gotten shorter. Gone are the days where you can't be cool unless you're skiing on 207cm Giant Slalom skis. With the increase in side-cut, the effective edge of say a 195cm ski of old can now be achieved in a 185cm ski of today. In general people are skiing on skis which are 5 to 15 cm shorter than traditional, straight skis.

There are only a few ways to construct a ski well. The most widely used is torsion box construction. This employs a core usually of vertically laminated strips of wood either cut or bent into an arc giving the ski camber. This core is wrapped in a sleeve of fiberglass or other composite material which gives the torsion box its strength and name. This make-up is sandwiched between layers of metal or plastic, given a top-sheet, base and edges, and usually has vertical sidewalls. K2 and Volkl are two companies known for this type of construction.

While most ski cores are made from wood some companies use a combination of materials which are usually pressed together. For example, Rossignol primarily uses a core of Microcell urethane instead of wood in their skis. Sometimes incorrectly referred to as foam, the Microcell is comprised of urethane, fiberglass, metal and other proprietary materials. This too is often wrapped in fiberglass and sandwiched between layers of metal and/or plastic depending on the ski.

Salomon is an example of a ski company that uses what they call a structural cap. The cap serves as the top-sheet of the ski and wraps over the side to become the sidewall as well. In theory this cap helps transfer energy from the top of the ski to the edge. Inside the ski may be a sandwich or torsion box construction of wood, metal and plastic or a foam core depending on the model.

In general, higher end skis utilize wood in their core while low end recreational skis sometimes use a combination of foam and wood. But don't get hung up on what's inside the ski; if it skis well for you then that's all that really matters.

The ski industry is known for trying to come up with the latest gizmo to make skis perform better. Primarily these gizmos are attached to the top of the ski but sometimes they are built inside. For example, in the late 80's Rossignol came out with their VAS (Vibration Absorption System) plates which were rubber and metal plates adhered to the top-sheet of the ski. They still use that system but it has evolved and is now built into the ski.

The latest and perhaps most intriguing system is K2's piezoelectric dampener. The piezoelectric system, which originally comes from military aircraft technology, first appeared in skis on the K2 Four about five years ago and is now used in several of their skis and snowboards. The unit itself is about the size of a credit card and is installed under the top-sheet of the ski just in front of the binding. Basically it turns vibration from the ski into electricity in order to dissipate said vibration. In order to dissipate the energy derived from the vibration it needs to use it up somehow; this is done by lighting up a tiny LED light in the piezoelectric chip which is visible on the top of the ski. There is still much skepticism in the marketplace but if you have ever skied on one of these skis with the piezoelectric chip you know there is something going on here.

Torsional stiffness and edge grip go hand in hand and many ski manufacturers are experimenting with the shape of the construction of the ski in order to achieve better edge grip. No longer is the ski constructed in the standard rectangular shape but some are now pressed with a rounded profile in the top-sheet. This isn't just for cosmetic appearance. Often there are torsion rods of carbon fiber or another such material extending forward and rearward along the top edge of the ski such as in some skis by Dynastar or Head. Some companies are actually milling the core of the ski so that it is thicker toward the edge and thinner in the middle of the ski. This is most pronounced in Atomic's Beta technology and Volkl is beginning to do the same with their energY technology.

So you're ready to pick out a ski. First you need to categorize your skiing ability. Are you just beginning, are you an advancing intermediate, or are you an expert? Within each of these categories you will want to further narrow your focus. What kind of terrain do you ski and how aggressively do you ski it? Primarily are you looking for a ski that is good on hard-pack or bumps, or just in powder, or in both? There are skis for all these realms but you have to know what you like to do most and you have to realize the limitations of the ski you choose. If you choose a hard-pack cruiser it may not be great in powder and crud. If you choose a powder ski it probably won't do well on the groomers. And while there are skis which are considered "all mountain" skis and will do well in all conditions, they probably won't be the best ski for powder or the best ski for hard-pack.

This is the point where you have to talk to the folks in the shops and eventually get out on the equipment. There really is no substitute for skiing on what you may purchase. Many shops have a demo or try-before-you-buy program; some will even apply the cost of a few demos toward your ski purchase. Also ski areas sometimes host demos where several manufacturer's reps bring their skis to the hill so the public can try out several skis on the same day. This is a great way to narrow the field and milk the reps for some good-albeit sometimes biased-information.

While you're fondling skis in the shop and testing them on the hill you should be preparing yourself for the inevitability of sticker shock. These things ain't cheap and when you're buying the whole package, boy does it add up quick. Be prepared to pay anywhere from $450 to $800 for a pair of skis, $250 to $400 for bindings, and $300 to $500 for boots. Poles usually won't break the bank but you can still shell out upwards of $150 just for sticks.

Be willing to do some shopping around and you could save a bundle off of these prices. Look for close-outs on last year's stuff; just because it's a year old doesn't mean it isn't any good. As much as it hurts the little guy, the "big box" stores such as Gart Sports and REI always have good deals. And if you know what you're looking for and aren't too picky there are always ski swaps and other ways to pick up used equipment.

Any way you slice it a ski package is a bit of an investment so don't just jump on something because the price is right. Get out there and try as much as you can. You'll thank yourself in the long run.

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