Race skis

Hirsty,
Thr trick is to find a ski that has great stability and yet not so "heavy"! I have a pair of B5 Metrons that I rarely use because of that famous weight!

The newer 2009 skis seem to have discovered a way to make a "plate or rail system" that permits low vibration ,,yet has less weight! The Head SL World Cup and Fischers WC SL are two such examples!

If ever we meet Hirsty, you can try a real Salomon Lab racing ski on a closed testing run! You will remember run all your life! Pure pleasure!

Seems the Rossi Bandits 3 ,are fast becoming my favorite skis due to the fact that they are also my lighest units! Great for anging knees on chair!

I did not know that about skis being heavier and what that means, as i said in other posts, my skis are heavier and they are intermediate downhill/ carving skis, but now for some reason it clicks, i still have a lot to learn

The metron skis are not heavy. It's those original Neox bindings that were like attaching lead blocks to the skis. The later neox are substantially lighter.
When carving hard, the weight of those bindings bouncing from one side to the other is quite dynamic.

Trencher

pavelski wrote:
The newer 2009 skis seem to have discovered a way to make a "plate or rail system" that permits low vibration ,,yet has less weight! The Head SL World Cup and Fischers WC SL are two such examples!

No they haven't, plates have always had that function right back to Derby flex plate systems. Some manufacturers like K2 even played with piezoelectric systems inside the skis, Salomon had "suspension" binding systems at around the same time which would be the early 1990's. Most skis are designed to damp vibration, that becomes a design challenge with a stiffer ski so the function migrates to the binding and plate, obviously (or it should be) any interface provides the opportunity to provide dampening which is why it's been utilized for 20-odd years.

Trencher wrote:The metron skis are not heavy. It's those original Neox bindings that were like attaching lead blocks to the skis. The later neox are substantially lighter.

Obviously weight is an absolute but what we think of as heavy is pretty subjective. However, I'd suggest that a new B5 that weights in at around 12kg is a heavy ski, the newer Neox are certainly lighter but only by around 450-500g so it's not made much of a difference.

I never got a correct answer from the Atomic reps about the Metron weigh comments I was getting from many skiers that were testing these skis!

WE took off the NEOX bindings and weighed skis!

Then we did something really nasty! We had a ski that was bent at tip,,,so we cut at several places along the horizontal axis!

It is when you get "inside" a ski that you appreciate the complexity of ski design and ski "engineering"

Look at those B5 Metrons! Look at the center platform! The secret is withing the central 30-40 cms. A giant horizontal system to absorb vibrations!

ise wrote:

pavelski wrote:
The newer 2009 skis seem to have discovered a way to make a "plate or rail system" that permits low vibration ,,yet has less weight! The Head SL World Cup and Fischers WC SL are two such examples!

No they haven't, plates have always had that function right back to Derby flex plate systems. Some manufacturers like K2 even played with piezoelectric systems inside the skis, Salomon had "suspension" binding systems at around the same time which would be the early 1990's. Most skis are designed to damp vibration, that becomes a design challenge with a stiffer ski so the function migrates to the binding and plate, obviously (or it should be) any interface provides the opportunity to provide dampening which is why it's been utilized for 20-odd years.

If you had read the whole statement you would have noticed that he said "yet has less weight." ;)

Also, thanks to all for the interesting perspectives. I understand what you are saying about them not being "real" race skis, but that does not alter the fact that the manufacturers label them (and sell) as such. And, I would venture a guess that many non-sponsored racers do, indeed, use them. :) For example, we had a GS race at the resort where I work. And guess what? I saw a many guys with GS9's, 10's and 11's.

dshenberger,

Please do not interprete my comments as negative towards "race skis" for general public skiers! They are very good even great performine skis. The ones you mention are one of the very best skis offered to public!

Also if a ski has a Race logo written on it,,,,well it is just a logo for marketing many times! I have seen many "deck skis" made for a ski chain of stores with many race logos on top skin yet the core and design was "other than" race design!

As Ise mentioned previously race skis are not for everyone! If you are a truly "expert" skier it is worth while to try just once a true World Cup race ski! It is another performance level!Another skiing experience!
That is all I was trying to say!

PS
I ski on one of those skis you mentioned and I love them!

No offense taken! I understand what you are saying in general. Everyone likes to overbill things. The "toughest" ski I have been on is a Rossi Mutix 175cm. I did not enjoy the experience. I was not on a black runs, and with my 150 pound weight, I just couldn't get them to flex. Just goes to show how poor a skier I am! :)

In other news - I will be enjoying all the fresh powder in Heavenly tomorrow!!!