Topic: Dudes on newer Skis

[canehdianJ]

Hey,

I am rocking 2009 spec Volkl Goatama's for my powder skis and this weekend saw a bunch of folks on Rockered and Reverse camber ski's just crushing through the crud.  Anyone ever tried these?  I know 90% of you snowboard but ide love to hear thoughts on this.  My goats are the last year they did them as a flat ski.  They have no rocker or reverse camber.

[THE EDJ]

The guy I was riding with at KH (he skis) was talking about this actually. He said the major issue with reverse camber on skis is that its very hard to keep an edge once you get out of the deep stuff. They are like nothing else in the pow, but getting back to the chair can prove to be a challenge and high speed stability is severely sacrificed.

My theory... on a reverse camber snowboard your weight is distributed across the length of the board, allowing the ability to hold an edge even at speed on a hard pack groomed run. On skis your weight is right in the middle (or near) of the ski, making it nearly impossible to get any force to the ends of the skis, where your traction and stability comes from.

The solution... buy a snowboard or have multiple sets of skis for different conditions.

[canehdianJ]

have multiple sets of skis for different conditions.

already have 2.  why not have 3

[Craig D]

My brother has a set of K2 Hellbents. His comment is just to get them longer, so you have a longer section of edge in the hard pack and because of the rocker, they are a dream in the good stuff. The rocker also negates some of the difficulty of turning a bigger ski because so much of it is off the ground. This would lead to a heavier ski.

Another option is to surrender to the fact that if you want one ski to one thing very well, you will be sacrificing something else. So if it is a powder day bring out the rocker, if it is not, bring out the cambered ski.

[93ScoobyD]

On skis your weight is right in the middle (or near) of the ski, making it nearly impossible to get any force to the ends of the skis, where your traction and stability comes from.

To an extent yes. I personally have a pair of 179 Hellbents and 182 Atomic Thugs. And for good reason. Reverse cambered skis are really wierd to get use to but are absolutely the best thing to ski on when the snow gets fresh or a little cruddy. But the only thing is the skis will be a nightmare when you want to charge or go super fast down groomers to a lift or something when the snow is super hard, (and I dont mean go fast down strawberry, I mean ball tuck down Continental Divide, thats scary itshay on Hellbents) because thats when the loss of snow contact comes into play. However, thats what K2 and most companies thought of when making reverse cambered skis, is the amount of contact under foot and because your tips and tails are completely useless. When your skiing down a run that has only contact underfoot, thats when you have to realize that your tips arent touching and you gotta me more aware that you may loose an edge very very quickly. But skiing rockered skis is wierd at first, but ill never not have a rockered pow ski. And why I bought the Thugs and Hellbents, because I wanted a rockered fat ski and a cambered, I just bring the Bents out on big dump days to really have fun.

Chris

[B4NE1]

I ride 183cm Atomic Bentchetlers which are rockered 20cms tip and tail but cambered under foot. Best of both worlds. I also have Line Elizabeths which are fully cambered and i actually prefer my Chets on groomers mostly because the Elizabeths are super soft and flappy. Obviously in pow they are amazing and they can also hold their own very well on groomers, they just ski very short because the running surface is about 150 cms.

[canehdianJ]

Bought some s7's.  Will review next week!

[Jitenshakun]

Bought some s7's.  Will review next week!

watch out on the groomers on the way to the chair.  They will slip out from under without notice.

In the powder they are great but man they are a lot of ski to move with wee little legs.

Overall, you'll love 'em.

[canehdianJ]

watch out on the groomers on the way to the chair.  They will slip out from under without notice.

In the powder they are great but man they are a lot of ski to move with wee little legs.

Overall, you'll love 'em.

no different then my gotamas, i stay off the groomers anyway when i rock the pow skis.  If there isnt new snow i am on the dynastars anyway.  pretty exited though.  the gotamas felt short.  They just may end up listed here    that or find themselfs with touring bindings.

[katalyst]

interesting read.  i was wondering the same for myself in regards to rocker skis.  will definitely go that direction for my powder skis then.

[93ScoobyD]

interesting read.  i was wondering the same for myself in regards to rocker skis.  will definitely go that direction for my powder skis then.

Do it. Realistically people only think you should but rockered pow skis if you ski deep deep snow. Not true. They honestly make every run more fun due to the maneuverability and playfulness of them. Like buttering and pressing all the way down a groomer or something. Just that much more fun. And when you do get a good snow day, oh dang you'll be in heaven.

[canehdianJ]

Nom?  cant wait to try em.... anyone want some gotamas?  If not, i will have fat touring skis