In the days of straight skis, women skied on boards designed for men. The heavy, long skis didn't account for differences in male and female anatomy and made skiing, in some ways, tougher for women. As of 2008, women made up 37.3 percent of visitors to ski areas, according to the National Ski Areas Association. Those women will find ever more options for women-specific skis as manufacturers cater to this market.
Stance
Women have a lower center of gravity than men and carry more of their weight in their hips and thighs. To accommodate this difference, women's skis have the bindings set approximately 2 centimeters farther forward on the ski. Some manufacturers go even farther. For example, Volkl's women-specific skis feature an integrated binding in which the toe is slightly higher than the heel. According to Volkl, this makes a woman's stance more neutral, working the quadriceps and hamstrings equally, unlike a more traditional stance, which overloads the quadriceps. Balancing the stance puts less strain on your knees and reduces the risk of knee injuries.
Shape
Modern skis feature an hourglass shape, with the toe and tail of the ski wider that the middle, or waist. On women's skis, the toe is often wider, while the tail is more tapered. A women skiing on a man's ski may drag the tail of the ski at the end of a turn, because their lower center of gravity giving them less leverage in the turn. Tapering the tail allows women to finish turns more smoothly and easily.
Flex
When a skier initiates a turn, the ski itself flexes to put more surface area in contact with the snow. Women, being generally lighter than men, don't get as much flex out of a stiff ski, thus have less contact with the snow, and less control of the ski. Women's skis are more flexible, making them easier to put into contact with the snow, according to the OnTheSnow website, allowing the woman skier to maintain better control.
Weight
Women's skis are lighter, partly due to their shorter length and partly due to a desire to make them more flexible. Manufacturers sometimes use different core materials in women's skis. The lighter weights also make the skis easier to lug across the parking lot at your ski area.
Style
Women-specific skis usually feature graphics that appeal to women, often with flowers or pastel colors.
Member Comments