TAIL SHAPE
Te three primary categories of tail shape include flat tail (minimal upturn), slightly upturned and rounded, and twin tip (with a tip at both the tip and tail of the skis) All affect how the skis finish a turn. A flat tail is appropriate for race and carve-specific skis because it allows the ski to stay in contact with the snow – creating more energy, acceleration and rebound at the turn finish.
FIGURE 5.8: Ski tail designs FLAT
UPTURNED
TWIN-TIPS
An all-mountain ski has a slightly upturned tail, allowing the ski to easily release out of a turn. Te upward curve and softer flex reduce pressure on the tail. Tis keeps the ski from over-turning and allows for easier transition into the new turn. It makes the ski more forgiving and versatile under a wide range of turn shapes and snow conditions. For twin tips, the tip and tail shapes and measurements are very similar (with very little or no taper), for skiing forward or backward (switch). Park-specific skis are twin tips; they allow takeoff and backward landing on park or terrain features. An increasing number of all-mountain and powder skis also have twin-tip designs, giving skiers more options for how they choose to ski the mountain.
SKI WEIGHT
Manufacturers build skis with variation in materials and weight. As a general rule of thumb, the heavier the ski the more stable it is at high speed – and the less likely it is to be tossed around in a turn. Te downside of the weight is that the skis take more effort to turn, especially at slower speeds, and they are less versatile and forgiving. Metal-laminate skis with integrated binding systems (described later in this chapter) are generally the heaviest. Tese are designed for high-speed carving, when ski deflection is reduced and weight is an advantage for stability. Models without metal are the lightest. In many models, you can select skis with wood cores, or wood cores combined with metal. Te weight of different ski bindings also factors into the overall ski weight.
SKI FLEX AND TORSION Ski flex refers to how a ski bends along its length to form an arc. Torsion is the amount of effort it takes to twist the ski along its length. Stiffness varies: beginner and intermediate skis are usually softer in both flex and torsion, allowing easier turn initiation and exit. Tey also respond at slower speeds with smaller forces. Skis with stiffer flex and torsion are preferred at higher speeds, when forces are greater.
76 PSIA ALPINE TECHNICAL MANUAL
TheSnowPros.org
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