What is taper on a ski?

Taper (Tip / Tail Shape): When the widest point of a ski's tip or tail is drawn closer to the center of the ski, and the material beyond it is “tapered” in toward the end of the ski.

Why are skis tapered?

The concept is simple: by tapering a ski's tip, tails or both, the narrower ends release more easily from turns and, if rockered, are less likely to unexpectedly catch. The design is hyper-common among powder skis, but is steadily creeping across the full spectrum of widths.

What is a hooky ski?

What I am wanting to know about is that hookiness that happens when you notice that your skis are not tracking smoothly on the straightaways. The tips are squirrelly and catch every so often, pulling the ski away from you.

Are shorter skis better for control?

Shorter skis are great for ease of control. They are lightweight, more maneuverable, and feel more playful. Shorter skis are easier to turn than longer skis. Because of their reduced length, shorter skis have less contact with the snow, and so there is less friction when pushing through a turn.

What happens if skis too short?

Having skis that are too short to support your weight will have a lack of control, lack of response or rebound, and will not absorb the vibration when at a higher speed.

Should your skis be as tall as you?

There is no magic formula for determining the right size ski for you. In general, the proper ski length is somewhere between your chin and the top of your head. For example, a skier that is 6' tall will want to look for skis between 170cm and 190cm.

What is chalk snow?

Chalk: Dry, easily edgeable snow that often forms when it's consistently cold and often windy.

What is a poppy ski?

If the ski is just so stiff that you get it to flex deeply with some effort, you store a lot of energy in the ski, you get a lot of rebound -> you conclude the ski is "poppy".

What is aggressive snow?

Abstract. Background/Aim Aggressive ski-snow interaction is characterised by direct force transmission and difficulty of getting the ski off its edge once the ski is carving. This behaviour has been suggested to be a main contributor to severe knee injuries in giant slalom (GS).

Can I ride switch on a directional board?

Can I Still Ride Switch? And going to a directional board doesn't mean that you're completely sacrificing switch riding and fakie landings. Most directional boards still have plenty of tail splay, so you're fine carving a few turns switch, or throwing a 180.

Do I want camber or rocker?

The camber design traditionally gives you more consistent pop off jumps. However, rockered skis and boards simplify the task of transitioning from nose to tail. For jibbing, rockered skis and boards are popular for avoiding hang-ups on boxes and rails. Pressing into a rail is much easier with a rocker design.

What happens when you catch an edge?

If the snow hits an edge before it meets the base, the snow exerts a force on the outside of the edge, which pushes the snowboard into the snow, and stops the board from sliding. This is what happens when an edge catches, stopping the snowboard from sliding any further, and tripping the snowboarder up.

Do longer skis go faster?

Because longer skis generally have a larger turning radius. Therefore, they spend more time in the fall line … which means they can, and do, ski faster than a shorter ski.

What happens when your skis are too long?

TLDR; Longer skis have more stability and float better in snow, but they also have a larger turning radius. Shorter skis sacrifice stability (especially at speed) but are quick to respond and easier to make short sharp turns. Short skis turn faster but long skis go faster.

What is rocker ski?

Rocker, also referred to as early rise, is the happy medium between a full cambered ski and a reverse camber ski. Picturing the same ski on a flat surface, rocker is when the center of the ski has mild camber, but the rise, or upturn, of the ski begins behind the ski's widest point (closer to the bindings).

What is a forgiving ski?

A "forgiving" ski simply allows for grosser body movements without instantaneous reactions. Say you regularly let your hips fall behind your feet; a forgiving ski will give you time to regain your balance without repercussions, while an unforgiving ski will dump you unceremoniously on your rump.

What is crud snow?

The definition of crud can vary, but often it just means powder that has been tracked out to an extent. Crud can be fun to ski, but in a sense it's the opposite of corduroy in that it's unpredictable. Skiers must keep their balance going back and forth between deep and packed snow. PHOTO: Crud, Eric Wagnon.

What is chunder snow?

Chunder: Irregular, sometimes large clumps of snow such as snowcat debris. Sometimes also called chunk.

What is corduroy in skiing?

A snow groomer is usually employed to pack snow and improve skiing and snowboarding and snowmobile trail conditions. The resulting pattern on the snow is known as corduroy, and is widely regarded as a good surface on which to ski or ride.

What is muddy snow called?

Smud: Brown or muddy snow usually resulting from warmer weather.

What are the bumps on ski slopes called?

What are Moguls? Moguls are bumps that you'll find on some groomed slopes at downhill ski areas. They can be constructed purposely by the ski area, but more often they form naturally as skiers carve turns down a slope.

Are wider skis better for beginners?

Generally speaking, beginners are going to want a narrower ski. For starters, beginners spend most of their time on-piste, where a wide-waisted ski will feel unwieldy. Narrower skis are also nimbler and are therefore easier to lay over on edge.

Are longer skis harder to control?

The length and waist width of your skis determines how much surface area your ski is touching on the snow. A longer, fatter ski will float more in deeper snow, as well as gain speed faster as your weight is more dispersed along the ski. The tradeoff is that longer skis are harder to control.

What do twin tip skis do?

A modified version of their alpine counterparts, twin-tip skis are designed to enable a skier to take off and land backward while jumping and to ski backwards (switch) down a slope. The name "twin-tip" comes from the dual shape of the ski.