What skis are right for me?

Pah, never heard of him :wink:

bandit wrote:
Well this fella obviously can't hack it then, back in 1994. Do you want to tell him, given his reputation )

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/1224631/getty-images-sport

Judge for yourself

old skis gs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_ZqE4y33w4&feature=related

new skis gs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNIiCOesUEo

old skis sl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InqI87Ysp_0&feature=related (Watch slomo @ 4.00 min)

new skis sl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW4r27teE9E&feature=related

This is racing and not what people were/are doing free skiing where the difference is very much more pronounced.

Trencher

Trencher wrote:There's what people used to call carving and then there is actually carving. A lot of people still don't seem to know the difference. Very few people can carve reasonably tight turns on skis with sidecuts over 21M yet alone the 35M plus sidecuts of years go. You must be one of those few bandit.

A ski with a sidecut can be made to carve.

Twenty years ago the ability to carve was a real milestone in the development of a skier - and it took effort, patience and (almost invariably) instruction to achieve. But it certainly wasn't impossible.

Just because carving comes in the box with the skis nowadays doesn't mean it didn't happen back then... 8)

As a "graduate" of the same ski school as bandit, I can tell you that there were plenty of European skiers on top of their carves.

Set yourself a challenge Mr T - grab some skinnies off eBay (an old style SL ski will make it easier) and commit some time to them. Might take some effort... :wink: ...but they'll carve. Judge for yourself. 8)

I'm all misty-eyed with memories of my first linked carves; riding Dynastar Courses (GS or SL) at something approaching light-speed down the Mont Blanc (Blue) run in Arc 1600/1800, strung out behind crazy Phil... happy days...

Admin wrote:

Twenty years ago the ability to carve was a real milestone in the development of a skier - and it took effort, patience and (almost invariably) instruction to achieve. But it certainly wasn't impossible.

So here's a friendly challenge. Show me some twenty year old pictures (or video) of skiers carving clean turns (that are not 100M long). I'm willing to believe it if I see it )

I think much depends on how you define a carved turn. The modern term means no skidding at all. That did not happen on twenty year old, nearly straight skis. Now I know racers in DH are carving on 45M radius skis, but I don't know many people who want to ski at 100kph plus, making one turn every football pitch.

Admin wrote:
Set yourself a challenge Mr T - grab some skinnies off eBay (an old style SL ski will make it easier) and commit some time to them. Might take some effort... :wink: ...but they'll carve. Judge for yourself. 8)

Did you see the first of the sl videos I posted above. If La Bomba can't get those skis to carve cleanly, there's little hope for me :lol:
What I am looking at in those videos are the skis. when a ski is carving, it is bent to the arc of the turn. Even in the longer turns that look carved, it is possible to see the whole rear half of the ski is straight mid turn. If half the ski is straight, it can not be carving cleanly. Even allowing that racing is different to free skiing and some drift of the skis maybe desirable at times on a course,it's hard to see what could be called a cleanly carved turn. Just because there is extreme angulation and inclination of the skis, the skis still may not be carving. In the other sl video on modern skis, it is possible to see cleanly carved turns. That's not a comment on the skiers, just the equipment.

The OP talked about an all round ski and carving. Carving is part of all round and it would be silly to try to learn to carve on skis that require an experts skills to carve.



Trencher

Trencher wrote:
The OP talked about an all round ski and carving. Carving is part of all round and it would be silly to try to learn to carve on skis that require an experts skills to carve.

I see that the OP suggested wanting a freeride ski. This would be some way from your definition of a carver. To me, their query suggests wanting a ski suitable for all kinds of skiing on all terrain.

The ability to carve a turn is part of skiing, along with sideslip and traversing. Unless the OP wants to stay on groomed slopes, a ski specifically for carving might be a bit limiting.

I would be bored too, but that's my problem )

Here we go I am going to have my two pennies worth, I would think straight skis should be able to carve as it not just down to the ski but the skill of the skier, the side cut on skis today just surly take carving to the next level. :D

Ian Wickham wrote:Here we go I am going to have my two pennies worth, I would think straight skis should be able to carve as it not just down to the ski but the skill of the skier, the side cut on skis today just surly take carving to the next level. :D

Ian, have you ever really seen a skier on on old skinny skis actually carving ?

Trencher

Trencher, I dunno about Ian, but I have seen hundreds of skiers laying rails on skinnies over the years. Some of them, I have had the honour of chasing as a student :D