Ski 101 - Ski Construction & Technology

So here we try to explain a bit more about skis. Why do they work the way they do? Why is one ski more or less money than another? Why do some skis work in powder better than others?
Let's try and answer this and more!



Ski Construction

Ski Construction

A ski is made up of layers of material, in effect sandwiched together. There are many variations on this theme. There might be a wood core, surround by other layers of glass fibre, metal, carbon fibre etc, or the ski may be foam injected. Wood core skis tend to be more expensive, and in return give better response and feel, which can be tuned. Foam injected skis tend to be lower down the price range. These still give a really nice feel to the ski, but cost less to make. Layers of material are added to change the characteristics or stiffness of the ski, and also to give the bindings something to mount to.

Top Sheet

Every ski has a top sheet. This is the bit you see. There are plenty of graphics to attract the eye, but the thing to consider with a top sheet is that they can take a beating, so it is important that the top sheet protects the ski. Some even have aerodynamic profiles!

Bases

Every ski also has a base. These are very important, and you get what you pay for. At the basic level, the base is extruded, stretched through a die and then cut and placed on the ski base. This is cost effective, and gives you a base to apply wax to. If you spend a little more money you then will get a better quality base, which will use better materials, may be sintered or contain an additive. With better quality bases, repairs are easier, the base will last longer, and they will receive wax better, resulting in improved performance on the mountain.

Edges

When the bases are not doing the work, letting the ski glide along, you will be on your ski edges. There are not many edge manufacturers left, and there are categories of edge quality. Again, the more you pay the better the edges get. They are made from work steel, and the thickness will vary depending on the manufacturer and the type of ski. Keeping your edges sharp and consistent is key to a long life for your skis, and great performance. It's important you get your skis serviced at a ski shop who know what they are doing, as just changing the side angle can make a difference to the way a ski works



Bindings

Bindings

There are a wide range of bindings available, and there are two categories - Integrated bindings that come with the skis you buy, and mountable bindings, that you use with a flat ski that has no bindings.

The key thing about bindings is to ALWAYS have them set up by a professional. There are two key settings; the DIN setting which is the setting at which the skis will release from your boots, and the Forward Pressure setting. This is critical, and the way it is set varies binding to binding. What it does is ensure the boot is sufficiently held between the bindings. Incorrectly set, it wont matter what your DIN setting is, the ski won't release correctly!

When buying skis with bindings or just bindings, there will be a DIN range, for example 3-12. When your din is calculated using a din chart, ideally you want to be sitting around the middle of the range. The more advanced the ski or binding, the higher the DIN range will go.
Mountable bindings come in a variety of styles. We sell the standard alpine binding which is on the majority of skis. We also sell bindings with walking or touring modes, to make it easier to ascend the mountain when you are poling in your skis.

If you are ever in doubt about your bindings, don't fiddle, get them into us so we can check your DIN settings, and also do a full binding test on our new Wintersteiger Binding Test Machine.



Geometry

The geometry of a ski is what makes it ski the way it does, and makes it suitable for the terrain it is intended:

Sidecut: This is the curve of the edges from tip to tail. You will have a tip (or shovel) width, a waist width, and a tail width. There will also be a radius given. By running wider tips and/or tails and a narrower waist, you create a shorter radius. The radius measurement is the radius of the circle that has created the hourglass shape on the ski. The shorter the radius, the shorter the distance the ski will turn in.

Tip (Shovel) And Tail: The nose of the ski, the tip or shovel, will be curved up to avoid it contacting the snow as you ski and turn. The tail can vary. Piste skis will generally have a fairly square tail, with a slight rise. Skis for use in parks or freestyle skis will be 'twin tip' where the tip and the tail are both curved up fairly equally, to allow the ski to be used in either direction, and avoid catching during tricks or skiing in powder.

Waist: This is the width of the ski at its narrowest area, underneath the binding. A narrow waisted ski will generally be a piste ski, and be matched to a narrower tip and tail. An all conditions ski will have a slightly wider waist to allow it to float a little, and a wider tip and tail to create a versatile radius. A powder ski will have a very wide waist, and less of a sidecut, as we want as much surface area as possible to give the ski float in powder.

Camber and Contact Points - And "Rocker!": The camber is the space underneath the centre of the ski when it is on the ground. This is needed, so that when you want to turn you 'push' the ski into the snow revealing the sidecut of the edge to the ground, so that you start to carve. Tuning the contact points and camber effects the liveliness and stability of the ski. K2 have introduced "Catch Free" for 2009 which allows for easier initiation and finishing of ski turns, ideal for progressing new skiers.



The buzz word this year is ROCKER. Like a water ski, there is no camber under the centre of the ski. The ski is flat at the centre and then rocks up at the tip and the tail. This further improves the float of the ski (Just like a water ski) and can be tuned depending on where the ski will spend most of it's time, but is more suited to powder conditions.



Ski Lengths

A key one this. Supplier's measure skis in different way, but the measurements given are a good yardstick between brands. Choosing the correct ski length can transform how a ski feels on the mountain. Our ski buyers guide covers choosing length. The key thing to note, is that running a ski a little to short encourages shorter turns, and has progressing skiers hugging the mountain. Too long a ski, and the turns will be wider, the ski faster, and a progressing skier can find it a handful.

In an ideal world you want a ski that encourages opening yourself up, facing down the mountain, and is long enough to do this and remain stable. For advanced skiers, they will generally ski slightly longer planks, and from time to time may adjust the length depending on whether they are a carver, wanting nice arcing turns, or point-and-shoot skiers wanting to drop down the fall line.