Author Topic: Skiing straight  (Read 517 times)

Ghost

  • Guest
Skiing straight
« on: September 23, 2006, 05:17:01 pm »
Okay, I know this may be sacrilege, but here goes.? I'm looking for a nice solid damp stable feeling GS-type ski that likes to go straight.? I see lot's of skis that score a 3 or 4 on? "straight run" , but am having trouble finding a 5.? Any suggestions (other than DH race stock)?

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter


jim-ratliff

  • 6+ Year Member
  • 1000 Posts
  • ******
  • Posts: 2739
Re: Skiing straight
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2006, 11:22:14 pm »
Ghost:

By "go straight" are you talking about just pointing them down the hill (and if so, why??) or are you saying you'd like a long turning stable ski.

Be careful what you ask for.  All of the skis that I think of as being really stable and solid in long turns were rated 4's.  The only 5's I found were tanks, Head im85/Mojo 103/SuperMojo and similar wide Alaskan slope skis.

However, if you really just want to point them down the hill, maybe you should be focusing on the turn radius and a straight run of 4.  For example, anything that has a turn radius in the 20's (if there are still any) would be pretty good going straight, not twitchy.

I think you would be more than happy with skis like the Fischer RX9, the Head XRC1100 RD (1200 this year), Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuel, Elan S12 or Ripstick.  All have turn radii in the 16's.  They may not be what you are looking for if you are skiing flat on the bases, but they go 'prettys straight' down the hill with just a little bit of edge engagement.

Tell us more about the why, please??
"If you're gonna play the game boy, ya gotta learn to play it right."

Ghost

  • Guest
Re: Skiing straight
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2006, 06:58:25 pm »
The super-fats won't do; hard snow carving is also required.

Why?
I guess it has something to do with freedom and control.  I want to be as free to choose what I do with my skis with as few limitations as possible.  With the new-fangled shaped skis you pretty much have to keep them at least slightly on edge.  If you put your bases flat to the snow and point them straight down the fall line you get tip wander.   You can rapidly shift edges doing a carved version of the wheedle or semi-skid a very long radius (much longer than the sidecut radius) turn that approximates the fall line.   Where I ski the hills are pretty small.  I like to build up speed on the steep upper portion and then make some high-g turns with it.  I want that locked-in on-rails feeling when I'm turning in a long radius turn and when I'm aiming straight for the bottom, not just when I'm making those tight turns.