by Stein, Eric's Son
Ski Types
You may have noticed is that there is an increasing trend
towards specialization in skis. So, what are the differences
between all the types of skis available and why are they
important?
Let's answer the second question first. If you do not
have the right type of ski for the type of skiing that
you are doing, you are probably not going to have as much
fun as you could have and you may actually put yourself
in some danger. Having said that, let's see what's out
there. Beginning with telemark skis, this type of ski
is used for mountaineering, extreme skiing and lift-served
downhill skiing and racing. They tend to be the heaviest
(e.g., 3000 g. per pair) and widest cross-country skis
and usually have metal edges and a single, or alpine,
camber. Sidecut is exaggerated to help the skis turn and
often reaches 10 mm., while tip widths range from 70 to
90 mm. The most extreme versions of this type of ski are
hard to tell apart from traditional downhill skis.
Backcountry skis are typically lighter versions of telemark
skis that are used for off-track skiing. Some of them
may have 3/4 metal edges and a double, or cross-country,
camber if they are to be used mainly for touring and less
for mountaineering. Tip widths range from 60 to 80 mm.
and weights average around 2300 g. per pair.
Touring skis are the all-around type of cross-country
ski, and are at home in-tracks and off-trail. They have
a cross-country camber and are typically somewhere in
the middle when it comes to dimensions and weight. 5 to
10 mm. of sidecut, tip widths of 60 mm., and weights of
1700 g. per pair are typical.
Sport-touring skis work best in prepared tracks, but
have some off-track capability. Side cut is usually around
5 mm., tip width between 50 and 55 mm., and the weight
of a pair of these skis is in the neighborhood of 1500
g..
Performance skis come in two styles, classic and skating.
Both styles of this type of ski are designed for use on
prepared ski trails. They are light and lively. The classic
style skis have tip widths from 45 to 50 mm., sidecut
of 3 to 5 mm. and weigh about 1300 g. per pair. Skating
skis usually have no side cut, widths of around 44 mm.
and tip the scales at a featherweight 1100 g. per pair.
Racing skis are also made in the two types mentioned
above. Racing skis are the lightest and narrowest of all
the cross-country ski types. Classic racing skis may have
a tip narrower than the ski's waist (41.5 versus 44 mm.,
respectively) to reduce friction in the track, and weigh
only a remarkable 1000 g. per pair. Skating racing skis
tend to have parallel sides, widths much the same as the
sport-touring skis, but are lighter, sometimes weighing
under 1000 g. per pair.
