J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by pavelski

A Boutique Ski

This "ski sickness" invades the mind slowly, silently. All skiers succumb to it. It is powerful and lasting.
It has one major symptom. The constant desire to find that perfect ski. To find that ski which will make you soar, which will answer your slightest hints from your knees. This is a story of such a ski.
I hope you all watched the movie, "A Good Year" since you will appreciate even more this story.


Every year around August I make the rounds of my skiing friends and collect "wax money". We buy ski wax at low, low rates from an importer and I am the person who selects the waxes and makes all payments. I have been doing this for years so the importer lets me go into his huge warehouse to select waxes and tuning material!
Here I am going up and down these long long rows of industrial type steel shelves, picking tuning files, diamond sticks, bevel guides etc,,,,,then by chance, I stop, look up at the end of the dark row and what do I see?
Some skis all pushed to the corner. All sorts of skis that I do not know! Some of you the know me,,,understand my puzzled look! I know my skis. I dream of skis! I still have all the SKI magazines from the 1960s in my office! And yes I read them still!
What are these skis? Never seen them in any store in my area! In fact I have never seen these skis in any ski resort! Strange, unique graphics. Unique bindings! All leaning against each other like discarded mops!

Once I had all my skiing goodies ready, I go into the office to pay and I ask owner, "What are those skis"?
A sad look comes across his face as he replies, "Pavel,,,,have you a minute"?
So over coffee he tells me a sad story. This is his story.
Seems he is stuck with all these skis since a very exclusive ski company (very small, very chi,,,, chi) which he represented in my country decided he was not "exclusive" enough! He did not know the right ski people,,,,you know the people who like to show their ski brands more than ski! In short they terminate his contact with him!
He is stuck with an inventory of skis. He can not sell to public since he does not own a store! He can not sell to stores since his contract stipulates, "he no longer represents the ski company".
As he is telling me this,,he pauses, looks at me intently. Then I see a faint smile ,, his eyes narrow as he takes a deep breath.
"Pavel" he begins,,,, " you can sell them. Take them all. I trust you since we have known each other for years."
Off I go with 20 pair of skis that cost $2,000 each! I hide then from my wife since she knows my "addiction" and I am sure she would call the hospital have have me "committed"! Since I know little about these skis,,like all of you I go to Google and search! Imagine my amazement when I do not get one "hit",,not one for a specific model! This ski is flying below the Google radar! Not possible!
I then type a more generic term, just the ski brand! Now I get information and strange messages from skiers about, "hot skis", "rare skis", "unbelievable skis"!
My interest is now at an all time high! I measure all of them and enter data into my ski data base! I find strange "errors"! That ski length of 175cm. is not 175cm if you take out tape! That waist mm figure is way off! I finally call owners of ski company out of frustration and then I realize what I have, as he explains how these skis are made! Hand made skis,,,made in the old way with one person making one ski from A to Z! No robots cutting steel. No heated presses injecting fluids between layers of wood, rubber and steel!
Before I could sell skis,,I had to try them. All of them! So every morning I would get up, before my wife was up,,sneak four or five pair into car and get to ski center before crowds!
This is where that movie, "A Good Year" come into play! If ever you have sipped a "garage wine" ,,you will know how I felt as I tried these skis on the slope! I thought I knew skis. This was an awakening to me. I was like a little boy who had just discovered what a toy store was! Each ski was different. Each had its distinct personality, its own pleasures which it allowed me to share if I knew how to be "nice"!
Then on the fourth day of testing,,,I found my match! A sleeper, since its cosmetics never revealed what it could do! No wild COMPETITION graphics. No huge RACE letters! No EXPERT logos! Just four simple letters, discrete, unique!
Ask a good skier what is a great ski and you will get a look rather than words! A misty look that all men know that reminds them of their first car, first date, their first,,,,,!
That is what this ski did to me! The boutique ski!
All I hope is that you all find such a ski in your life time! All good skiers deserve such pleasure!
PS. I know what is on all your minds! What is this ski? That is part of this ski disease,,you must discover your own ski. Trust me the trip to discovery is worth it! Enjoy it!
If ever you see an old man, with a white beard and a great big smile soar just above the snow,,barely touching the flakes, well look down at what is making him levitate.
Those are the boutique skis!

Just got 10 pairs of skis to lend to various skiers and I discovered a "tuning option" many ski companies have, yet do not explain.

Most ski companies now have a "rail" or grooved system to insert bindings. This is done to increase profits since it forces skiers to buy only bindings from ski companies. It also makes it easy to install bindings since there is a very high "turn-around" rate of new ski shop technicians.

The negative side to this is,,smart skiers must understand and insist that their bindings be "correctly" centered on the ski! very few skiers even bother to check,,or even know what to check for when taking a "demo ski" or even a rental (sorry,,, a "hired" ski)!

The position of the boots,,on the ski is critical to skiing. Do not assume that all skis are set "correctly"

I did an experiment last week when I got these skis to lend. I placed one binding 10 cm. forward from recommended mark! The skier was an intermediate +10years male skier! After two runs,,,,well he was not happy. He could never find "his sweet spot" on the ski!

Then I took his skis and replaced units correctly. The smile came back to his face. His new skis and him were one! His turns were "clean" sharp and even!

Lesson: Learn to just check alignment of boots and skis! All modern boots have a line, a triangle or some form of reference mark on the INSIDE sole section!
All modern skis also have a mark on ski sidewall or ski plastic plate.

Make sure these two marks are aligned before skiing. Do Not assume it has been done correctly!

Now for the "smart skier", the "adventuresome skier", the skier who wants to get the most out of his/her ski!
This rail system allows you to find your personal "sweet spot". It allows you to play around with binding location to "teak" the ski performance! Clearly this is not for beginner skiers!
Atomic several years ago had a binding with 3 postions to allow for this. So did Marker!

Read up on the various options and what they do to "change" a ski's personality.
All my skis have a varied boot position.
The racing SL skis are more forward, The "Fats" are dead center. While the 180's GS cruisers are 5mm back!
That is my choice. You find your personal options and enjoy discovering the "possibilities" open to you!

But remember this rule,,,,,,a little change is better that a huge change! Make small increments in mm!

Has always,,I have a surprise ending to all my stories.

This one will make some of you happy.

If ever you wanted to try a boutique ski for few weeks or a month,,,,,, (with no strings attached)

Wait for the story.

Then dream

Andy,
As I read it in more detail,,pearls of wisdom are found.
There is no doubt that any skier who wants to improve will do so,,just by reading this book!

I am never lending this book,,since I know it will never come back!

Pavel

terence,

Think of a ski like a lever or a playground seesaw! You are in the middle or fulcrum.
Leaning back causes pressure (weight) to to to ski tails
Leaning forward causes pressure to go to ski tips!
Do you have this "picture"?

Next picture,,this one is more difficult,,since I am going into your brain!

As you ski (perhaps too fast or in too steep terrain) this is what your brain is telling you, "
Terence terence,,,,,too fast too fast,,,slow down"
What do you do?

You lean back! Putting pressure on ski tails!

Now the skis are telling you, "Tererence,,,Terence...too fast silly man,,,,slow down"

Those tips are "indicators" on where your "stance" is!!!

My advice to you Terence is;
1. Slow down
2. Stay on slopes of your competency level
3. Learn the "mechanics" of skiing
4. Listen to your brain and react with "positive" actions,,,,ie hands in front, knees pushing forward, and use "parchute" to slow down!

Hope this helps you.

Just got a most wonderful gift.
In the skiing world there is a "ski bible" that all instructors, coaches and expert skiers have. It is "The Athletic Skier" by Warren Witherel.

There is now a new "bible",,just published. It is not for beginners. It is for the smart skier who wants to get better with more joy and understanding of what makes a great skier!

It is the Ultimate Skier by Ron LeMaster. I am not selling this book and have no shares in the publishing company.

Let me just give you a "flavor" of this book with a short quote from the preface, "Most of all, I wrote this book to help you enjoy skiing more by skiing better."

If you are an intermediate/expert level skier and want to enjoy skiing more, get this book. It will change you. It will make you a more elegant, proficient skier! Yes,,it will also make you a much happier skier!

A happy skier,
Pavel

bilip,
If you go to Neiderau,,well you must go and see Des at the Auof Inn. The very best place. Great people!
Pavel

Well the story is ready.

Waiting for your confirmations that you have seen the movie, "A Good Year"!

That American girl,,,well she is like the skier who knows what a great ski is!

She "appreciates" the contents, the "inside" rather than the label! So it is with skis!

Soon, the story!