The terrain park skiing trend began in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Brighton, Utah, Vail, Colorado and Mount Snow, Vermont were among the first resorts to add terrain parks and half pipes. Before the advent of twin-tip skis, snowboarders had an upper hand in these areas. Twin-tip skis leveled the playing field.
History
As the terrain park and half pipe trend gained momentum, more resorts added these features, which require the ability to move backward, jump into the air and perform 360 degree turns. These tasks were relatively easy on a snowboard, but less efficient on downhill skis. Some freestyle skiers, such as Clint Fiala, tried to construct their own twin tips by heating their skis up and twisting up their tails. Then, in 1998, Salomon introduced the Salomon Teneighty, the first mass-marketed twin-tip ski. They were designed with upward curves at the tip and at the tail, which allowed athletic skiers to ski forward or backward, perform jumps and stick their landings.
Features
A typical alpine ski is curved at the tip and flat at the tail, while twin tips are curved at both ends. The underfoot area of a twin-tip ski is cushioned, in order to absorb the impact of a jump. Most twin tips are a few centimeters shorter than alpine skis, to provide greater maneuverability.
Types
Twin-tip technology is not exclusive to the terrain park and half pipe. Some companies make all-mountain twin tips, which can be used in all conditions. They have a slightly wider waist than the narrow-waisted terrain park twin tips. Powder-specific twin tips are even wider at the waist.
Benefits
Twin tips are softer and lighter than traditional alpine skis, making them more agile and giving them better float in deep powder. While graphics are not the main reason to buy a particular ski, twin-tip graphics tend to be more interesting than those of traditional alpine skis.
Significance
The twin-tip ski market revitalized the downhill ski market, says Alicia Allen, a spokeswoman for SnowSports Industries America. In an interview for a January 2008 New York Times article, Allen reported that the twin-tip ski sales showed a 50 percent increase from August to November of 2007. The same article detailed National Sporting Goods Association statistics, which indicated that there were 6.5 million snowboarders and 5.9 million skiers in 2004, but 6.4 million skiers and 5.2 million snowboarders in 2006. The authors attribute this rise to twin-tip sales.
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