Like any sport, skiing well depends on choosing the right equipment for conditions. Because snow conditions vary widely—from groomed to hard pack and ice to powder—there are many ski options available to skiers. Most skis fall under two styles: parabolic, better known as shaped skis, and powder skis. While these two types of skis share many similarities, they offer skiers distinct advantages.
Identification
Shaped skis were developed in the late 1990s. Their design, based on the outline and turning ease of a snowboard, features a wider tip and tail and a narrow middle. Similar in look to an hourglass, the curve of shaped skis from end to end is referred to as sidecut. Powder skis, on the other hand, are designed specifically for skiing deep snow, they are significantly wider than shaped skis. While modern powder skis feature some sidecut, the middle of the ski is considerably wider than a parabolic ski.
Function
The sidecut of shaped skis enables skiers to better control their descent down the fall line and turn quicker. The middle, or waist, of the ski enables a skier to transfer power to the ski edges—beginning at the tip and finishing at the tail as a skier completes a turn. Powder skis allow a skier to float on top of powder snow using pressure control and transfer of weight to the ski. The wider waists of powder skis support a skier’s weight in deep snow.
Technology
Camber is the amount of flex a ski has from its tip to its tail. Shaped skis are manufactured with enough camber to force the tip and tail to stay in contact with the snow’s surface regardless of conditions, including hard pack, groomed, ice and wet snow. Traditional powder skis do not contain as much camber, or flex, as shaped skis. Less camber allows powder skis to float. Additionally, in 2002 ski manufacturers introduced reverse camber skis, also known as rocker. The tip and tail of a reverse camber ski curves upward, keeping the ends of the ski on top of light snow.
Warnings
There are numerous styles of parabolic skis, such as race, all mountain or carving. These styles of skis within the shaped ski type are identifiable by sidecut. Race skis feature a deeper side cut than all mountain skis and offer better stability on firm snow at higher speeds. All mountain skis have less sidecut than carving skis and function better in wet and heavy snow conditions. Likewise, because powder skis offer little or no sidecut, they tend to be less stable on groomed or icy terrain.
Considerations
Determining whether to purchase a parabolic, or shaped ski, versus a powder ski depends on the conditions a skier typically encounters. Many skiers compromise by purchasing an all-mountain shaped ski that performs well on a variety of surfaces including hard pack, ice, wet and even in powder to a depth of 18 inches. These skiers opt to rent powder skis when necessary. Most ski areas rent powder skis.
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