Do you need special skis for freeride? Alpine skis for freeride What kind of skis for a beginner freerider

Extreme descent through unprepared areas, often far from the ski slopes, attracts many. Freeride does not have a single school. He unites many directions, styles, types of skating with his philosophy. Riders say that freeride is skiing when you feel complete freedom, unity with the mountain slope, and the absence of any restrictions.

The wild slope is not a place for beginners or skiing with a child. Riders must have good athletic shape, riding skills in various weather conditions, experience in choosing terrain, and a properly planned route.

Freeride - what is it?

According to the method of delivering an athlete to the top, there are three types:

Lightweight, on a lift, if the ski resort has special areas for freeriders.
Backcountry (ski touring) is the most popular way, which involves hiking on skis to the selected peak.
Heli-skiing - delivery by helicopter.

In terms of riding style, it features carving and freestyle.

Carving is an exciting high-speed skating, the difference of which is passing turns without losing speed, 180-degree turns and even carved circular turns.

Freestyle - performing difficult tricks while descending a mountain slope, using various obstacles of natural or artificial origin.

Do you need special skis for freeride?

Skiing on ready-made ski slopes differs in many ways from freeride. Therefore, the equipment, equipment and requirements for the level of skiing will be different for these types of skiing.

The best freeride skis are chosen depending on:

relief and steepness of the mountain slope;
depth of snow cover;
preferred riding technique.

Special Design Features

The design of the freeride ski has increased the width of the blade, and the profile has rockers. Rocker is a reverse camber that allows the ski to float out of the snow while maintaining high maneuverability. The deeper the layer of loose snow, the higher and longer the rocker should be. The rocker is characterized by three parameters:

location (nose, tail or nose only);
height of rise from the surface (in millimeters);
rocker length (in centimeters).

Increasing the width of the ski surface allows you to ski confidently without falling through, while maintaining good controllability on unprepared slopes covered with loose snow.

To understand how to choose freeride skis, you need to know what slopes they are intended for. Conventionally, they can be divided into two types: directional or omnidirectional:

The directional design ensures good longitudinal sliding. They provide high stability during high-speed descent from a steep slope, require fast riding, large space, and are aimed at cutting, carving riding, and long turns.
Omnidirectional skis are designed for a relaxed ride on gentler slopes. They provide the opportunity to actively maneuver, which is important when riding in areas with difficult terrain and many obstacles.

Powder

The dream of all skiers is to glide along virgin snow, a mountain slope covered with untouched, surprisingly soft snow. Translated from English, the word powder means powder, powder, light loose snow.

The main difference between powder equipment is its increased width, which allows reducing pressure on the snow and the small radius of the side cut.

Station wagons (all mountain)

The rider must feel equally confident on a snowy slope, in areas covered with crust caked to the point of icy hardness, on a broken track and maneuvering between natural obstacles: trees, rocks, holes. Skiers who are not specialized only in powder skiing choose all-rounders. All mountain skis are very popular in our country, where despite the huge number of slopes of varying steepness and terrain, it is difficult to find ideal conditions for powder.

How to choose freeride skis?

Marking on freeride skis includes 5 main parameters:

nose width;
waist width;
heel width;
length;
side cut radius.

Typical indicators for powder skiing: nose up to 150, tail up to 140, waist up to 120 mm. At the same time, the radius of the cutout is quite small, and in cases where skiing in very deep snow is expected, it may be completely absent. The rocker on such equipment is pronounced 500-700 mm.

For station wagons, the standard waist width is 75-95 mm, side cutout is 13-19 m. The rocker is flatter 300 mm. With these parameters, the rider will feel equally good on broken ski slopes or on a wild slope with a snow depth of up to 20-30 cm.

Carving skis have a large sidecut, narrow waist, and wide tip and tail.

And for freestyle you need shorter, softer and wider skis, with long and high rockers on the tip and tail. This will allow you to continue moving when landing backwards after jumping.

Lenght and width

The optimal ratio of length and width is determined by the freeride skiing technique. Short, wide ones allow better maneuvering at low speeds; the higher the descent speed, the less maneuverability, the narrower and longer the equipment.

The width can be in the range from 90 to 135 mm. The choice depends on the skiing conditions; the greater the layer of loose snow, the wider the skis should be. The denser the snow cover and the higher the sliding speed, the smaller the width should be chosen.

When choosing a length, you should take into account the height and level of skiing of the skier. For training, beginner riders are recommended to have a length equal to their height, plus 10-15 cm. The longer the skis, the easier it is to maintain stability in the direction of movement at speed.

Cut radius

The radius of the cut determines the rotation angle. The larger it is, the wider the arc, the more stability at high speeds. So for sharp, short turns you need to choose skis with a radius of 11-12 m, and for virgin lands more than 20 m. During the training period, it is better to select universal skis with a radius of 13-15 m. It is not difficult to make both short and long turns on them.

Stiffness and weight deflection

The parameters of torsional rigidity and weight deflection are important only with an aggressive driving style and high-speed descents. The higher the indicators of these parameters, the more clearly it will be possible to lay carved turns. On slopes without preparation, it is easier to control soft, wide skis than narrow, hard skis.

Review and comparison of manufacturers and prices

Rossignol is a leader in the production of premium ski equipment. Rossignol all-mountain skis are represented by the men's EXPERIENCE line and the women's TEMPTATION line.

ATOMIC products are designed for athletes of different levels, from beginners to professionals. The use of ARC technology increases the elasticity of skis, which is extremely important for grip on the slope. The company produces not only unisex products. Lines like Affinity are designed specifically for female skiers.

The French company Black Crows is distinguished by the fact that it produces products in small batches using manual assembly.

The Swiss ski brand Movement declares the principle of creation by riders for riders. The use of rare wood made it possible to make the weight lower than that of analogues. And the company's refusal to spend on advertising allows it to maintain lower prices.

Salomon's motto is to make riding even more exciting. The constant introduction of new technologies and the search for innovative materials make it achievable. Volkl alpine skis are made from modern materials. The creation process occurs at low temperatures and lasts longer than required by standards.

Prices for models of the brands presented in the review are in a wide range from 20,000 rubles to 2,000 dollars. Moreover, the cost of a pair depends not only on the quality characteristics and brand, but also on the year of manufacture. The older the model, the lower its price.

Riding away from civilization gives a surge of adrenaline, a complete feeling of freedom and happiness. But while enjoying it, we must not forget about the risks: an avalanche, losing the route, the inability to get medical help in case of injury. Therefore, you cannot neglect safety rules; be sure to wear a helmet, goggles, special protection, have an avalanche transceiver, walkie-talkie, shovel with you, and use the services of experienced guides.

For lovers of speed and free riding, freeride skis are suitable. With the help of a special design you can feel like a surfer. To go “free sailing”, you should choose a model, taking into account several parameters.

First of all, you should understand what freeride is. The word is a transcription of the English word “freeride” and literally translates as “free ride”. Freeride does not require specially prepared trails; it is enough to find a slope with untouched snow. The descent is reminiscent of snowboarding.

For have the following characteristics:

increased width;
wide nose (wider than waist);
rocker technology;
short length.

Rocker - An early rise of the front, rear, or front and rear, starting from the middle of the ski. Thanks to this technology, “spotted” on water skiers, the rider glides easily and stays on the surface without burying himself in the snow.

Types of freeride skiing

Lightweight freeride

Another name is “freeride light”. The simplest and most budget-friendly type of freeride. A skier rides up a cable car and slides down a slope with loose, unprepared snow.

Backcountry

Requires some physical preparation: the ascent is carried out on foot with snowshoes or with special equipment for ski touring. After reaching the top, riders roll down the slope.

Heli-skiing and heli-boarding

Riders ascend in a helicopter and then roll down. This is a more dangerous type of freeride, because... involves steeper slopes and a longer descent through mountainous terrain.

Snowcat skiing

Skiers are lifted up the mountain by special tracked all-terrain vehicles with a passenger cabin - snowcats. Snowcats go over any terrain, so riders can conquer a variety of slopes - forested, hilly, steep.

Freestyle backcountry

A view for extreme skiers who decide to get out of the parks and into the natural environment. It involves not only climbing and sliding down unequipped slopes, but also performing various tricks in natural conditions - from rocks, hillocks, logs, etc.

Freestyle backcountry skis

Models designed for freestyle belong to the freeride category. However, some manufacturers put freestyle skis in a separate category.

Differences between backcountry freestyle skis and classic freeride skis

Compared to freeride classics, freestyle backcountry models have several features:

the design allows you to turn over in the air;
the fastenings are located closer to the toe (for freeride ones - closer to the heel);
increased maneuverability;
uneven stiffness - soft heel and stiffer toe;
larger lateral radius;
full (double) rocker.

What are freestyle backcountry skis for?

Freestyle backcountry is well suited for beginners and experienced riders. They are more maneuverable, lighter, cope better with relief slopes and do not require complex techniques from the skier. You can start learning to slide down mountain slopes with this model. It doesn’t have to be used only for tricks, they are also suitable for regular descents.

Do you need special skis for freeride?

The freeride technique on alpine skis requires maneuverability at high speed, and ordinary thin models cannot cope with this task. Therefore, models for alpine skiing have been developed:

universal;
carving (piste);
freeride.

The piste ones are suitable for descending on groomed, equipped slopes. They are stiffer and tapered at the waist. On piste skiing, skiing is done not in a straight line, but in arcs. The radius of the arc determines the speed of the rider, and the radius depends on the technical capabilities of the skier and the sidecut. According to the radius of the cut, short-, medium- and long-radius piste skis are distinguished.

For freeride alpine skiing, universal and freeride models are suitable.

What types of freeride skis are there?

Specially designed skis for freeride:

freeride (classic) - with rocker;
powder - the widest;
park&pipe - for performing tricks and jumps;
ski tour - for climbing a mountain.

Park&pipe are designed for performing tricks in ski parks with jumps, railings, etc. Ski touring is specially designed for backcountry. The model is lightweight and allows you to climb uphill by lifting your heel off. When lowering, it is secured with a fastener. Skis are inconvenient for extreme descent.

Powder

Designed for driving on deep (from 20 cm), soft, hard snow. A good pair for overcoming bumps and uneven slopes. They feel great in wooded and gully areas with a meter deep snow. Main characteristics:

width - up to 150 mm at the toe and up to 140 mm at the waist;
turning radius - 24-35 m;
front rocker.

Powders are not suitable for groomed slopes.

Station wagons (all-mountain)

Suitable for various terrain with soft, sticky, deep (from 30 cm) snow. On station wagons you can overcome soft bumps. However, on compacted slopes they are significantly inferior to piste models in terms of speed and maneuverability.

Characteristics:

width - 140 mm at the toe and 100-105 mm at the waist;
turn - 16-24 m;
low front rocker.

All-rounders are suitable for learning to freeride.

Big mountain freeride (freeride skis for big mountains)

An improved version of station wagons. High-slope freeride skis can go literally anywhere. They cope well with extremely hard slopes and deep, melted snow. They are often reinforced with carbon fiber in one sheet.

Main characteristics:

width - 108-120 mm;
low front, rear, rarely full rocker;
turning radius - 21-35 m.

The pair is difficult to control and is suitable only for experienced skiers.

How to buy the right freeride skis

Finding the best skis for freeride is quite difficult. You should take into account several parameters and understand what skis are needed for - riding on groomed slopes or overcoming natural obstacles.

Cut radius

This parameter shows what the turning radius will be. Skis with a small indicator are able to turn quickly and often. The large radius (from 17 m) helps to turn smoothly. It is important for a novice skater to pay attention to this in order to make maneuverability much easier.

To cross the forest, it is better to choose a pair with a radius of up to 15 m. For a free descent, 20 m is enough.

Stiffness and weight deflection

Hardness is not measured by quantity and can only be checked with your own hands. Soft skis are easier to control. They are suitable for deep soft snow. For descending on dense, melted surfaces, it is better to purchase a hard pair.

The weight deflection distributes the pressure of the ski on the slope and depends on the stiffness. In freeride models, the weight deflection is combined with rocker. The longer it is, the higher the maneuverability. The short rocker helps with sharp turns and driving in dense snow.

The greater the rider's weight and the shorter the ski, the greater the stiffness should be.

Lenght and width

Long skis are less maneuverable than short skis. Therefore, beginner skiers are advised to choose models exactly according to their height. This will make management much easier.

The size indicated on the skis is an average parameter and may not correspond to reality. Typically, a vertically placed ski is 5-10 cm higher or lower than the skier.

Wide models easily overcome deep soft snow and are suitable for unprepared slopes. Narrow skis maneuver better on hard surfaces and are able to change direction faster. Station wagons with a waist of 100 mm have average performance.

Typically the width indicated corresponds to the waist. Socks are 2-5 cm wider than the waist.

Ski categories

according to experience - for beginners, amateurs, professionals;
by gender - male, female;
by age - children, teenagers, adults.

Each category differs in size, weight, fastening, and maneuverability. Beginners are advised to buy universal models with double rocker. They can be used to ride on slopes with different snow densities and make quick turns.

Important! A child can acquire riding skills from the age of 5. Foreign schools accept children aged 2-3 years. However, it is better to master freeride from the age of 8-10.

Manufacturers and prices

Top 10 alpine ski manufacturers.

How to help a “beginner” freerider (regardless of his prior ski training) choose his first set of equipment?

If you look at skiing Internet resources, this is perhaps one of the most discussed issues there, in terms of the number of clicks comparable only to “teach kataze correctly” and “90-60-90 is looking for a travel companion for a trip to Courche Avel.” Often these three topics are started simultaneously by one user according to the principle “I want everything now.”

I’ll say right away, having seen such a question at the beginning of the topic, I don’t read further, because almost everyone who answers will certainly talk about themselves and their “favorite” (i.e., equipment), and the criterion of objectivity is by no means the most important thing in such discussions. Therefore, I don’t know whether my advice will be any kind of revelation for those interested, but in any case I will try to make it useful.

In fact, it is quite difficult for a person with extensive experience to advise anything to a beginner; one way or another, “experience” will dominate, and personal feelings from a particular model of skis will not coincide with the feelings of not only a beginner, but even a friend with experience. There is one win-win recommendation: try it yourself first, and then buy what suits you best. In theory, this article can be ended at this point. But I’ll also mention a couple of common truths on a couple of pages.

Riding experience since 1980. Worked as a ski guide and instructor.

On the issue of waist width

I’ll try to remember myself, looking for my first skis for deep snow... Like many, I diligently studied the test results of various ski magazines and forum gurus, and as a result I liked the skis, which at that time did not cause general delight. To be precise, these were my second virgin ones - Salomon Pocket Rocket. And I chose the first ones simply based on geometry: a combination of maximum width with a minimum own turning radius. They were Kneissl (a now defunct brand) with an 80mm waist, the widest not only in the brand's collection that year, but also on the European market. We’re not talking about the North American market, where there were already models from Atomic and Volkl for heli-skiing with a width of more than 100 mm, produced, oddly enough, since the “pre-carving” times.

Everything changed quite dramatically at the beginning of the 2000s, which began among ski equipment manufacturers under the slogan “Carving for the masses, freeride for the youth!” It is interesting that, one way or another, we still live in this paradigm. The first, as always, was our “American friends” in the mass segment - the K2 company. In addition to them, at that time there were already many garage brands in the States and Canada that produced wide skis for freeride and telemark. However, it would be unfair not to mention that there was something in Europe too. So, K2 ventured into a model with a waist of about 90 mm (AK Enemy, and then Seth Pistols), since then this width has become the standard for freeride station wagons.

Skiers with good technique who love piste skiing prefer just such models - with a waist of 90-100 mm, in terms of their performance characteristics they are closer to an extended giant slalom (classic setting of bindings, a combination of camber with front rocker, the rear one may be absent, it may have titanal in construction, with good torsional rigidity) than to virgin twin-tips with mid-mount mountings. This waist is combined with its own radius from 18 to 24 m (a larger radius requires more powerful, high-speed skating, and, accordingly, greater skill and strength). These all-rounders behave excellently on a prepared track, but due to their width they already float up in the virgin snow, it all depends on its density and the skill of the skier himself, and this is required.

Soft vs hard

But it’s unlikely that experts read such articles—they make recommendations themselves. Therefore, we will continue for those who are not yet strong in technology (but maybe don’t think of themselves that way), but are no longer averse to freeriding.

I would immediately like to warn against the common misconception that the stiffer the ski, the “sportier” it is, meaning longitudinal rigidity. In fact, “sportiness” - grip on ice is associated with high torsional rigidity, which is easier to achieve in longitudinally rigid skis, but not necessary (modern technologies help with this). Choosing a model based on rigidity is a very individual and multifactorial matter. To summarize, we highlight the following design features that are characteristic of both narrow and wide skis:

The hard middle in models with camber provides better grip on ice: the longer this part, the higher the speed you can stably (without edge breaks) make carved turns.
The soft front part (let's call it the tip of the ski, although the tip itself is much shorter than what we mean by this name - the front third or quarter of the ski) makes it easier to enter the turn, but is demanding on “longitudinal” work - pendulum transfer of the skier’s weight along the length of the ski in the turn. Loading your socks too quickly can cause the ski to kick up and send you flying over your head.
A hard heel (again: not the heel itself, but, on average, the last quarter of the length), provides protection on landings, but is demanding on technique: if you “stay too long” in a turn, you’re already rushing straight down. In such a situation, a soft heel can simply take you across the slope, but if you make an error in landing, it can put you on your back. And how can we objectively judge what is soft and what is hard? Sometimes you can hear directly opposite opinions about the same model, although meticulous American guys conduct stiffness tests by loading the ski with a standard weight and measuring the change in deflection.

Rostovka

Perhaps only one indicator is not controversial - the area of the sliding surface of the ski. Absolute objectivity, neither add nor subtract, unless broken. It is clear that skis with a larger surface float up easier, i.e. at a lower speed. And then the brain of the novice freerider begins to smoke from tension. Logic advises taking wider skis, but the timid subconscious calls for caution: “You won’t be able to cope with skis that are 40 or even more millimeters wider than your usual ones!” I'll tell you a story. A man who didn’t know how to ski at all went heli-skiing with his friends. Well, he became bored, and maybe it was a shame to sit alone in a helicopter, waiting for others. I decided to try... And I went. Technically, it may be incorrect, but here we go. Because wide skis in virgin snow travel almost the same as narrow skis on a snow groomer. What you should be afraid of is, rather, not the width, but the excessive length, especially when forum gurus talk about “...wet and straighten and short skis sucks!”

Yes, the length gives advantages on moves, speed stability, but what to do if the technology is not yet enough and “turning with your feet” is an unfamiliar phrase, and in front of you is not glacial fields of an average slope, but a forest or a narrow couloir, the snow is wet, or even broken . There is only one answer: take skis at height or a little higher. Over the years, I and many of my good skating friends (interestingly, of different heights and weights) came to a decision: no longer than 186 cm! This length optimally combines stability and agility. Although the fashion for two-meter sleepers has not bypassed us.

Ski turning radius

Let's talk about the ski's own turning radius (SRP). For those who don't know what this means, I'll explain. If you extend the cut line of the ski (along the edge), then sooner or later it will close into a circle, the radius of which is indicated on each ski. Such a geometric action is only possible if the cutout has one radius (mono-radius) - this is what most ride skis have (we all have them), it ensures calculated arc control.

Multiradius

But there is also a multi-radius, for example, double, like models with V-shape (we don’t have such skis this season). V-shaped, the toe is wider than the heel, a smaller radius on the toe makes it easier to enter the arc, and a larger radius on the heel makes it easy to complete it; in addition, this shape ensures that the toe “automatically” floats up (and the narrow heel sinks). Scott in some of its models (for example, Scrapper) uses a different radius distribution: very large in the middle third and smaller at the ends (the ability to shorten the turn with active longitudinal work).

Skis with a radius of up to 20 m

The intended purpose of short-radius (up to 20 m PSA) models is backcountry-freestyle. Most popular among novice riders due to ease of use in virgin snow, they cut clearly on hard snow with a short central part, and fairly long ends with a rocker are included in work in deep snow, stable at speeds from low to medium.

Skis with a radius of more than 20 m

And the third group of skis, which I briefly mentioned at the beginning of the article, is with a PSA of more than 20 m. Quite rigid longitudinally, the rear rocker is absent or not pronounced, with a waist from 100 to 115 mm. Will be of interest to powerful riders in a wide variety of conditions. By the way, it is precisely these models that are duplicated by manufacturers in a lightweight version for fans of freeride/ski touring.

A couple of notes on the combination of ski shape with camber and rocker. The most characteristic thing is that the weight deflection (camber) in the middle part coincides with the cutout (the part of the ski from the section with the maximum width in the front part to the similar one in the rear; behind these sections the rockers begin - the rises of the toe and heel). To reduce the inertia of the tips (many people don’t like the way they “dangle” in a flat ski when the skis are slightly edged), manufacturers use various technological innovations designed to reduce the weight and area of these parts of the ski. Some brands produce full-rocker (camber on the contrary) models for pure virgin skiing. Their advantages in deep snow are obvious, but on hard snow they are more demanding on the skier’s technique (longitudinal balance).

Thus, having assessed your physical and technical capabilities (or their shortcomings), you can approximately understand what shape, size and stiffness your first skis should be; it is important, of course, to understand in what conditions you will be skiing. Many people are mistaken in thinking that they can find a universal one for all occasions in the mountains, and beginners also want to do it the first time. Blessed is he who believes.

Our top 10 skis for beginners in freeride

A selection of skis this season. Some are already in stores and online, others are on the way and will be available soon.

Freeride is an off-piste type of skiing that involves riding on loose, deep snow and requires good physical preparation. Fans of mountain slopes without prepared trails strive for freeride skis to be as comfortable as possible and truly reliable.

Alpine skis for freeride: special design features

Their choice should be approached quite seriously, because the result of skating will, first of all, depend on the correct size. The main difference between these skis is their increased width. In addition, freerider skis have a wide nose, and their profile is made with a kind of rocker - a bend in the toe. This bend begins much closer to the middle, when compared with the piste ski model.

Due to the special design, in freeride skis the distribution of the level of stiffness along their length has been changed. This approach to production allows riders not to drown in the snow surface, and when developing high speeds, skis become completely similar to surfing on a water surface. For this purpose, the rider's stance has also been changed - the center of gravity has been shifted towards the end of the skis.

How to choose freeride skis by size?

In order to know how to choose skis for freeride, you need to decide on the basic characteristics. This is one case where size actually matters a lot.

Ski width. It currently varies between 90-135 mm. A lot depends on the width - the larger it is, the less the skis will sink and dig in. The choice depends directly on the riding conditions. For virgin lands with a snow thickness of about 50 cm, the best option would be super-wide 125-140 mm. For compacted snow, usually in spring, and icy conditions, skis with a width of 110-120 mm are well suited. And if you want to get adrenaline from breakneck speed, you should prefer a universal width – 90-105 mm.
Ski length. Depends directly on the height of the athlete. In addition, the role of physical training is also important. A beginner level skier, when asked how to choose skis for freeride, needs to remember the formula - height plus 10-15 cm. The longer the skis are, the more predictable their speed will be. However, long skis are not characterized by maneuverability and controllability, so it is better to forget about steep jumps on them. The length of universal freerider skis is height plus 5 cm.

Good to know

Important parameters when choosing skis for a freerider are:

Side cutout– using its geometry, the turning radius is determined. For basic freeride conditions, skis with a radius of 18-25 cm are quite suitable, for a leisurely descent (forest, difficult terrain) - 12-15 cm.
Heel (toe) shape Doesn't have much effect on the ride, you can choose the design you like.
Camber– weight deflection. Determination rule: two skis should be folded together and try to compress them. The harder it is to compress, the larger the camber will be. The significance of the indicator is taken into account for an aggressive and high-speed riding style.
Torsion rigidity. The behavior of skis in a cut curve depends on it. The higher this indicator is, the more clearly the skis will lay the arc. Thus, a large waist (skis 120 mm) requires a lot of experience and strength from the athlete to enter the turn.
Stiffness and elasticity– a significant parameter with which manufacturers are actively experimenting.

The main thing when choosing alpine skis for freeride is to correctly assess your size, capabilities and level of training, and also remember all the selection criteria. This is when skiing will be safe and bring a lot of pleasure.

I think everyone has long and well remembered that the only reliable way to choose suitable alpine skis is to take them for a ride, most often this is actually done in tests. Unfortunately, this opportunity is not always available to everyone, so we often have to rely on someone else’s opinion. Fortunately, there are still quite objective parameters that we can calculate and use as a guide when choosing alpine skis.

And here is one such objective parameter that relates specifically to all-mountain and freeride skis - this is the area of the ski, which accounts for one unit of our weight. With it, everything is quite obvious - the larger the surface area supports your weight, the less the skis fall into the snow, the better they ride in this snow. As already, again, it was said, skis with specific properties are designed to minimize the amount of effort of the skier in certain conditions. And any model is a compromise of minimizing energy costs for different riding conditions.

When I first wrote this article, I did not know that similar numbers indicate in the technical characteristics of vehicles - snowmobiles, snowcats, swamp vehicles, all-terrain vehicles. In addition, I calculated the recommended values in the number of square centimeters cm 2 per kilogram of weight, that is, the inverse values of the accepted values. Now everything has been corrected to the usual g/cm2, grams per square centimeter - that is, the specific pressure on snow. At the same time, the idea itself, which was obvious to me, found clear scientific and technical confirmation.

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How will we calculate the area of the ski? The edging shape is quite complex. But for the sake of simplicity, you can consider the edge on the side of the mountain ski as a straight line from the waist to the toe/heel, since this will introduce less error into the calculation than subsequent factors. In this case, we simply calculate the arithmetic average of the width of the toe, waist and heel - add them and divide by three. Next, multiply the resulting number by the length of the ski. The length of the ski is measured by the base, so strongly bent tips and heels will introduce an even greater error. In addition, the toes, and often the heels, are rounded. All these inaccuracies affect the result we need, but not much. Don't forget about the dimensions - the length of the ski is in centimeters, and the width is in millimeters, so they should be divided by 10. We got the area of one ski. There are two skis, so let's multiply the number by two. And divide your weight in grams by this area. For example, the author’s favorite skis for trips to big mountains

73 kg x 1000 / [ 184 (size, cm) x (136+99+120)/10/3 (arithmetic mean of width, cm) x 2 ] =

16.8 g/cm 2

Now let’s compare the resulting number with the following scale compiled by the author, g/cm2:

26-31 - an indicator for narrow long skis of classical “straight” geometry (in fact, they were not very often straight; experiments with the shape were always going on); To understand how much effort it takes to ski these skis in virgin snow, watch the video. To ski, you have to use the godil technique, make frequent turns with the creation of a compacted area of snow in the final phase of the turn, from which the skier pushes off into a new turn.

Wide and/or long?

The large waist width of skis (more than 100 mm) carries the cost of completely depriving them of their versatility. Such skis are good at minimizing effort in the snow, but! – as soon as the need arises to ride on a solid support, placing them on the edge is associated with significant efforts in the ankle area. If you come to ski with wide skis at a resort where, alas, there has been no snowfall for a week, and not only the slopes, but also all the surrounding fields, bushes and copses are rolled into concrete, after a day or two of skiing on these skis, your legs will begin to fall off. The author of this had the pleasure of skiing for several days in such conditions before the snowfall began in Whistler on rented skis with a 125 mm waist and retained vivid impressions of this skiing.

For this reason, the author often sacrifices width in favor of versatility and, in the absence of a specific forecast for a trip in the snow, takes skis with a waist of 99 mm (16.8 g/cm2). And he also considers the optimal length for his weight, which fluctuates around 73 kg (and technical level), the length of such skis to be around 185-190 cm (these ones are perhaps a little short).

In general, those whose waist is in the range from 75 to 90 mm can be considered all-mountain skis. The larger the waist, the more off-piste properties the ski has. Today, with some stretch, a waist within 100 mm is considered a universal. But, of course, only with a stretch - on a hard slope, such skis require effort.

It should be noted here that the called waist width ranges depend on the dimensions of the skier. Namely, they are proportional to the size of the lower extremities. Relatively speaking, for a person with a foot of 29 cm, a waist width of 93 mm is equivalent to a waist of 80 mm for a person with a foot of 25 cm (simple proportion 29/25 = 93/80). The correctness of the statement is relative, since proportions are reduced not only to the length of the foot.

In addition to the increase in area, there is another reason for the need for greater length. To exaggerate somewhat, we can give this explanation for the design of longer, more off-piste alpine skis: imagine your short, stiff, piste skis. In addition to the fact that their small area will contribute to falling into the snow, their hard socks will bury themselves in it. Imagine that we lengthened their tips with a softer core, which does not provide good support on a hard slope, but bends upward with resistance to movement in deep snow, as a result of which the skis float in the snow - they no longer bury themselves. The effective support area over which the weight on the hard ski is distributed remains the same - the soft part of the ski barely supports the weight until the skis sink into the snow and flex. But the advantage is good shock-absorbing properties when moving in broken snow, and this reduces the severity of impacts to the legs.

So the length of freeride skis is not only due to the need to have a larger ski area. If you have any hesitation in choosing the length of your skis (), in the author’s opinion, you should prefer longer ones. Perhaps at first the unusually large length will cause difficulties in handling, but you will adapt to it. But you will always tumble in the snow on short skis.

And in defense of the longer length, skis immersed in snow do not behave quite the same as those placed on a hard slope. Already on a slightly broken slope, the skis begin to yaw and require control. And in snow, stability in the direction of movement becomes much more important. Especially at speeds. And long skis maintain this stability better.

A little practice in choosing

For example, let's look at the stock skis of the high-quality Swiss manufacturer Movement - Evolution, from a line from which the author still cannot get rid of consultations on choosing from: o) On the specified website they can be purchased for 160 €, which is extremely inexpensive for high-quality, even non-Swiss ones skis with a wooden core (why the wooden core is so important - see this article). The geometry of these skis is 116-80-104, and the radius is 20m - quite a typical all-rounder. In addition, this model has very soft tips that prevent them from digging in, and the stiffness has a so-called “progressive distribution” - it increases disproportionately as you move towards the center of the ski, which ensures an increase in the ski's return with increasing load.

It is known, however, that a skier weighing over 80 kg, who once rashly acquired this model, was dissatisfied with it. According to the above scale, skis will be of “universal interest” if the pressure on the snow does not exceed 20 g/cm2. We count:

184 x (116+80+104)/3/10 x 2 x 20 = 73.6 kg

That is, these skis in their long size 184 will provide minimum universal properties for a person weighing within 73 kg. They can be considered relatively freeride (our coefficient is up to 17 g/cm2) only if they weigh 61 kg. In the author’s opinion, the size 184 is too big for this weight, so the long size of this model cannot lay claim to the role of freeride skis rather than all-around skis. Moreover, under no circumstances can these skis be of interest to a guy weighing over 80 kg - with such an area for his weight, these may not be skis with soft tips. Having been enriched with the information provided above, he would have understood that the Evolution in size 184 is a station wagon for a skier weighing 65-73 kg. The proof is, in particular, the given review of a girl weighing 64 kg, skating for the first season and satisfied with a slightly smaller size - 177.

But in size 170, the same calculations give a weight of 57 - 68 kg. A relatively aggressive skier weighing about 60 kg will be satisfied with these skis at a height of 170, as off-piste skis. And the logic here is simple - the width of the skis remains the same in a smaller size, and for a person of small dimensions, the proportions of these skis turn out to be the same as wider skis for a larger skier.

Winter program Progress-Ski, details

Regular (all season) Progress-Ski visiting school in Nechkino, alpine skiing and snowboarding.

Russian "small" resort on the banks of the Kama, coniferous forest on the slopes. The ski day is a full 12 hours - from 10 to 22. Well prepared slopes. Snowmaking. Fast chairlift.

Convenient transport accessibility for Moscow and the middle zone. The most budget trip of the season. Recommended for those working on technical excellence, and for those who are new to it.

A wonderful place to relax - and mega-favorable prices. Wonderful, beautiful place. Good conditions to start skiing and snowboarding!

Dates: November, February, March, more on request. Alpine skiing and snowboarding groups. Children's groups.

Zell am See - Kaprun, Kitzsteinhorn glacier, Austria, Alps

This is surprising - but in the fall, pure spring weather usually reigns on the glacier. Would you like to experience spring in November? With the simultaneous early opening of the season!

Alpine skiing group (snowboarding group on request).

Karakol, Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan

For beginners - prepared trails, for intermediate ones - forest paths, for advanced ones - freeride through the forest or in the fields. Everyone can do something they like and can do. The Central Asian flavor adds a special spice to the trip.

Stable one and a half to two meters of snow cover, the opportunity to be the first to roll out fresh slopes (the number of riders greedy for virgin soil is still small here!), comfortable temperature all season, epic landscapes (Issyk-Kul is also visible from the slopes)! For the freerider - the opportunity to inexpensively take snowmobiles and snowcats to sweet spots.

Good, almost “homely” attitude of the local population towards riders. Feeding with hearty Central Asian cuisine, as if for slaughter. An internal Russian passport is enough! And with all these advantages, it’s cheaper than the Alps!