How fat?
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I'd think in Canada you're getting more of those days though. I guess I see the advantages fairly clearly and we do get the odd day where either it would good or it's actually hard to ski with the 88mm I do have.
It's all the other days though, whenever I think about getting something at 95mm (I like the kilowatts) I think of the days hacking down some wooded gully hopping around trees and rocks. When I was doing the instructor training a trainer told me to ski all season on slalom skis and by the end of the season I was pretty good in a meter of powder on them, I've lost that a bit now of course, but even so, I can hop around any bit of tree on a slalom ski and I struggle even on the 88mm's and sometimes just the length is hard to get into some gullies.
That's always seemed the reality of off piste skiing to me, sure we're on big slopes at the top but the ski out is so often a handful and I sometimes wonder what ski nirvana some people are in if they're comfortable on 2m 120mm skis or similar.
Much more commonplace in North America really, but fat skis are getting more popular over here. Its much more of a "culture" in Canada and the US though, if you see what i mean.
I'm not sure we do see many around here, maybe bandit has noticed? It still seems the rarity and once we're into proper back country it's so very rare, in fact if you see someone touring on 90mm plus skis you can nearly guarantee that a) they're English and b) they bought them in Chamonix and c) they're slow :D
I suppose that's because while a a metre or so of powder isn't unusual then more than a couple of metres is fairly rare. Even so, I'm impressed at people in the US touring on 100m skis, they must be a nightmare to kick turn although I wonder just how common it really is despite the hype. I can't help but notice that pre-cut skins at those sizes aren't really common and Fritschi and Dynafit don't bother making crampons that big either which makes you wonder.
If I had ten pairs of skis I'd probably have something at around 100mm but otherwise I can't convince myself.
good point, we've got to look to the future, there's already more wooden skis over fireplaces than were ever made, what would we have over the fire in future? I'd say my old force 9's but I may have thrown them away so my zags are a good looking ski which would look OK.
I'm not sure actually. I have noticed that you point and laugh out loud, when you see what you call...and I quote you here
Then again, you did spend last winter on a pair of 88mm twin(ish) tips. ... :lol:
Have you checked the rack recently, you must be close? 8)
I know there's one local guy who has some but I've always assumed he was a hairdresser and drove a suzuki vitara. There's another guy who's got some as well but he manages to carry more kit than I've got in the whole chalet about his person all with silly stickers on it as well. I've never seen either of them actually ski though so I assume they don't.
To Create or Answer a Topic
Started by Ise in Ski Hardware 23-Sep-2008 - 26 Replies
Poll - How Fat?
| under 70mm | 13% | 1 | |
| 70mm - 79mm | 0% | 0 | |
| 80mm - 89mm | 63% | 5 | |
| 90mm - 99mm | 13% | 1 | |
| over 100mm | 13% | 1 |
Total Votes : 8
RossF
reply to 'How fat?' posted Sep-2008
:wink:
Ise
reply to 'How fat?' posted Sep-2008
Rossfra8 wrote:I'm not one to follow fashion. I know the day would rarely come where they would be required but when it did.....
I'd think in Canada you're getting more of those days though. I guess I see the advantages fairly clearly and we do get the odd day where either it would good or it's actually hard to ski with the 88mm I do have.
It's all the other days though, whenever I think about getting something at 95mm (I like the kilowatts) I think of the days hacking down some wooded gully hopping around trees and rocks. When I was doing the instructor training a trainer told me to ski all season on slalom skis and by the end of the season I was pretty good in a meter of powder on them, I've lost that a bit now of course, but even so, I can hop around any bit of tree on a slalom ski and I struggle even on the 88mm's and sometimes just the length is hard to get into some gullies.
That's always seemed the reality of off piste skiing to me, sure we're on big slopes at the top but the ski out is so often a handful and I sometimes wonder what ski nirvana some people are in if they're comfortable on 2m 120mm skis or similar.
Edited 1 time. Last update at 23-Sep-2008
RossF
reply to 'How fat?' posted Sep-2008
If I was sinking into chest deep blower then I think I could justify 190, 120mm skis. I would consider them inappropriate at other times.
Skied 2 days on a G3 El Hombre (185? maybe? not sure) at Revelstoke and found myself wanting a bit more ski in the super deep snow and for stability/landing at speed. Perhaps more width than length would be appropriate.
Skied 2 days on a G3 El Hombre (185? maybe? not sure) at Revelstoke and found myself wanting a bit more ski in the super deep snow and for stability/landing at speed. Perhaps more width than length would be appropriate.
Edited 1 time. Last update at 23-Sep-2008
Bennyboy
reply to 'How fat?' posted Sep-2008
ise wrote:if you skied them and want that's good enough, I was curious how many people were skiing on 2m skis 120mm wide which is normal if you believe everything you read apparently. I'd love to see some figures about what's actually being sold, I know 2 out of 3 pairs skis sold in Chamonix are probably over 100mm but I've met some people who've shopped there and been pretty miserable :D
Much more commonplace in North America really, but fat skis are getting more popular over here. Its much more of a "culture" in Canada and the US though, if you see what i mean.
Ise
reply to 'How fat?' posted Sep-2008
bennyboy wrote:
Much more commonplace in North America really, but fat skis are getting more popular over here. Its much more of a "culture" in Canada and the US though, if you see what i mean.
I'm not sure we do see many around here, maybe bandit has noticed? It still seems the rarity and once we're into proper back country it's so very rare, in fact if you see someone touring on 90mm plus skis you can nearly guarantee that a) they're English and b) they bought them in Chamonix and c) they're slow :D
I suppose that's because while a a metre or so of powder isn't unusual then more than a couple of metres is fairly rare. Even so, I'm impressed at people in the US touring on 100m skis, they must be a nightmare to kick turn although I wonder just how common it really is despite the hype. I can't help but notice that pre-cut skins at those sizes aren't really common and Fritschi and Dynafit don't bother making crampons that big either which makes you wonder.
If I had ten pairs of skis I'd probably have something at around 100mm but otherwise I can't convince myself.
Ise
reply to 'How fat?' posted Sep-2008
Rossfra8 wrote:
And they will look great nailed above the fireplace next year :D
good point, we've got to look to the future, there's already more wooden skis over fireplaces than were ever made, what would we have over the fire in future? I'd say my old force 9's but I may have thrown them away so my zags are a good looking ski which would look OK.
Edited 1 time. Last update at 24-Sep-2008
Bandit
reply to 'How fat?' posted Sep-2008
ise wrote:
I'm not sure we do see many around here, maybe bandit has noticed? It still seems the rarity
I'm not sure actually. I have noticed that you point and laugh out loud, when you see what you call...and I quote you here
clown skis
Then again, you did spend last winter on a pair of 88mm twin(ish) tips. ... :lol:
ise wrote:
If I had ten pairs of skis....
Have you checked the rack recently, you must be close? 8)
Ise
reply to 'How fat?' posted Sep-2008
bandit wrote:
I'm not sure actually. I have noticed that you point and laugh out loud, when you see what you call...and I quote y
I know there's one local guy who has some but I've always assumed he was a hairdresser and drove a suzuki vitara. There's another guy who's got some as well but he manages to carry more kit than I've got in the whole chalet about his person all with silly stickers on it as well. I've never seen either of them actually ski though so I assume they don't.
Topic last updated on 05-October-2008 at 09:08