Have skis got longer again?
 

Have skis got longer again?

I have been using 165-168cm skis for the past few years and I find this
length very good. - I don't normally cross them!

I was looking in Snow and Rock and the skis they had were generally a
bit longer.


--
Michael Chare

Have skis got longer again?
 

On Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:24:25 +0000, Michael Chare
mUNDERSCOREnews@chareDOTorgDOTuk wrote:

Have skis got longer again?

I have been using 165-168cm skis for the past few years and I find this
length very good. - I don't normally cross them!

I was looking in Snow and Rock and the skis they had were generally a
bit longer.

Err, it depends what length you buy. Most normal recreational skis
will be available in lengths starting from around 160cm or lower; some
more dedicated off-piste or "freeride" skis are only available in
larger sizes, but they're the excpetion.

If you're only looking at what's on display I suggest you just ask an
assistant.

--
Ace
Ski Club of Great Britain http://www.skiclub.co.uk/
All opinions expressed are those of the poster and in no way reflect those of the Ski Club or its members

Have skis got longer again?
 

In message
Michael Chare mUNDERSCOREnews@chareDOTorgDOTuk wrote:

Have skis got longer again?

I have been using 165-168cm skis for the past few years and I find this
length very good. - I don't normally cross them!

I was looking in Snow and Rock and the skis they had were generally a
bit longer.


Depends on the type of skiing you want to do. Recreational piste skis
are generally shorter similar to either Freestyle or race Slalom or GS.
But off-piste, All Mountain or Freeride skis generally are medium to
long. My short touring skis are 172cm Freeride skis, previously I'd
skied lengths of 175 or 180, but the 172 although shorter are wider
underfoot so offer me a similar amount of floatation in soft snow.

Mike
--
o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark
\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing,
" || _`\,_ |__\ \ | caving, antibody engineer and
` || (_)/ (_) | \corn computer user" http://www.antibody.me.uk/

Have skis got longer again?
 

Mike Clark wrote:

In message
Michael Chare mUNDERSCOREnews@chareDOTorgDOTuk wrote:

Have skis got longer again?

I have been using 165-168cm skis for the past few years and I find this
length very good. - I don't normally cross them!

I was looking in Snow and Rock and the skis they had were generally a
bit longer.


Depends on the type of skiing you want to do. Recreational piste skis
are generally shorter similar to either Freestyle or race Slalom or GS.
But off-piste, All Mountain or Freeride skis generally are medium to
long. My short touring skis are 172cm Freeride skis, previously I'd
skied lengths of 175 or 180, but the 172 although shorter are wider
underfoot so offer me a similar amount of floatation in soft snow.


Heh. I remember skiing on 210s, back in the 1970s.


--
Honda CB400 Four x2 Triumph Street Triple Ducati 800SS
Yamaha 660 Tenere Suzuki GN250, TS250ER x2
So many bikes, so little garage space....
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

Have skis got longer again?
 

On Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:07:59 +0000,
(The Older Gentleman) wrote:

Mike Clark wrote:

In message
Michael Chare mUNDERSCOREnews@chareDOTorgDOTuk wrote:

Have skis got longer again?

I have been using 165-168cm skis for the past few years and I find this
length very good. - I don't normally cross them!

I was looking in Snow and Rock and the skis they had were generally a
bit longer.


Depends on the type of skiing you want to do. Recreational piste skis
are generally shorter similar to either Freestyle or race Slalom or GS.
But off-piste, All Mountain or Freeride skis generally are medium to
long. My short touring skis are 172cm Freeride skis, previously I'd
skied lengths of 175 or 180, but the 172 although shorter are wider
underfoot so offer me a similar amount of floatation in soft snow.


Heh. I remember skiing on 210s, back in the 1970s.

My first skis, in ~1994, were 205s. Seems incredible, but there really
was a general belief that longer was better, although very few people
could demonstrate why that should be the case, except at racer level.

As it happens, this was about the period when things were changing,
and so my next few skis went down through dtages of 203, 198, 195,
188, 183, 177, then back to 192 (my Salomon Czar fat long rocker
off-piste skis), as my skiing improved. When I teach now most
beginners are on 160 or shorter, and the progress we can make is
incredible.

Of course, it could just be down to my skills as a teacher...


--
Ace
Ski Club of Great Britain http://www.skiclub.co.uk/
All opinions expressed are those of the poster and in no way reflect those of the Ski Club or its members

Have skis got longer again?
 

"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:07:59 +0000,
(The Older Gentleman) wrote:

Mike Clark wrote:

In message
Michael Chare mUNDERSCOREnews@chareDOTorgDOTuk wrote:

Have skis got longer again?

I have been using 165-168cm skis for the past few years and I find
this
length very good. - I don't normally cross them!

I was looking in Snow and Rock and the skis they had were generally a
bit longer.


Depends on the type of skiing you want to do. Recreational piste skis
are generally shorter similar to either Freestyle or race Slalom or GS.
But off-piste, All Mountain or Freeride skis generally are medium to
long. My short touring skis are 172cm Freeride skis, previously I'd
skied lengths of 175 or 180, but the 172 although shorter are wider
underfoot so offer me a similar amount of floatation in soft snow.


Heh. I remember skiing on 210s, back in the 1970s.

My first skis, in ~1994, were 205s. Seems incredible, but there really
was a general belief that longer was better, although very few people
could demonstrate why that should be the case, except at racer level.

As it happens, this was about the period when things were changing,
and so my next few skis went down through dtages of 203, 198, 195,
188, 183, 177, then back to 192 (my Salomon Czar fat long rocker
off-piste skis), as my skiing improved. When I teach now most
beginners are on 160 or shorter, and the progress we can make is
incredible.

Of course, it could just be down to my skills as a teacher...



So rule of thumb when I learnt to ski was the type should reach your nose -
what do you reckon it should be now - shoulder?

--
Paul S

Have skis got longer again?
 

"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:07:59 +0000,
(The Older Gentleman) wrote:

Mike Clark wrote:

In message
Michael Chare mUNDERSCOREnews@chareDOTorgDOTuk wrote:

Have skis got longer again?

I have been using 165-168cm skis for the past few years and I find
this
length very good. - I don't normally cross them!

I was looking in Snow and Rock and the skis they had were generally a
bit longer.


Depends on the type of skiing you want to do. Recreational piste skis
are generally shorter similar to either Freestyle or race Slalom or GS.
But off-piste, All Mountain or Freeride skis generally are medium to
long. My short touring skis are 172cm Freeride skis, previously I'd
skied lengths of 175 or 180, but the 172 although shorter are wider
underfoot so offer me a similar amount of floatation in soft snow.


Heh. I remember skiing on 210s, back in the 1970s.

My first skis, in ~1994, were 205s. Seems incredible, but there really
was a general belief that longer was better, although very few people
could demonstrate why that should be the case, except at racer level.

As it happens, this was about the period when things were changing,
and so my next few skis went down through dtages of 203, 198, 195,
188, 183, 177, then back to 192 (my Salomon Czar fat long rocker
off-piste skis), as my skiing improved. When I teach now most
beginners are on 160 or shorter, and the progress we can make is
incredible.

Of course, it could just be down to my skills as a teacher...


So rule of thumb when I learnt to ski was the tip should reach your nose -
what do you reckon it should be now - top of the shoulder?

--
Paul S

Have skis got longer again?
 

Ace wrote:

My first skis, in ~1994, were 205s. Seems incredible, but there really
was a general belief that longer was better, although very few people
could demonstrate why that should be the case, except at racer level.

Back in the day, when wooden skis demonstrated a remarkable coefficient
of friction, you needed long skis if you wanted to move at all.

As regards later plastic skis, I do remember my Rossignol Drac 210s
(late 1970s vintage) having remarkable straight-line stability, but all
the turning ability of a supertanker.

--
Honda CB400 Four x2 Triumph Street Triple Ducati 800SS
Yamaha 660 Tenere Suzuki GN250, TS250ER x2
So many bikes, so little garage space....
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

Have skis got longer again?
 

Paul S news_AT_ghweb_DOT_me_DOT_uk wrote:

So rule of thumb when I learnt to ski was the type should reach your nose -
what do you reckon it should be now - shoulder?

When I learned, you put your arm straight up, and crooked your hand over
so it was parallel to the ground, and the tip of the ski was supposed to
nestle in the palm of your hand when the end was on the ground.


--
Honda CB400 Four x2 Triumph Street Triple Ducati 800SS
Yamaha 660 Tenere Suzuki GN250, TS250ER x2
So many bikes, so little garage space....
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

Have skis got longer again?
 

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:48:55 +0000,
(The Older Gentleman) wrote:

Ace wrote:

My first skis, in ~1994, were 205s. Seems incredible, but there really
was a general belief that longer was better, although very few people
could demonstrate why that should be the case, except at racer level.

Back in the day, when wooden skis demonstrated a remarkable coefficient
of friction, you needed long skis if you wanted to move at all.

I guess. But there you're talking about pre metal-edged ones, so 1920s
and earlier, I'd have thought. And I know you may remember them, but I
don't ;-)

As regards later plastic skis, I do remember my Rossignol Drac 210s
(late 1970s vintage) having remarkable straight-line stability, but all
the turning ability of a supertanker.

Aye, and that, of course, was why there were so many variations of
tern involving lifting one or both skis to turn them off the snow,
either by jumping or the famous "Stem Christiana" and its variants.
Sadly some of these are still very much used by some people to this
day.

--
Ace
Ski Club of Great Britain http://www.skiclub.co.uk/
All opinions expressed are those of the poster and in no way reflect those of the Ski Club or its members