Powder skis optimize the deep, light, fluffy powder skiing experience. Manufacturers design these fat boards to accommodate the specific techniques used in deep snow, which often dramatically differ from the methods used for carving round turns in groomed, corduroy snow. Using your regular skis in powder is not impossible, but shaped skis are far less efficient than the skis designed for deep snow.
Technique Comparison
To carve a turn on groomed terrain, tip your skis so that you balance on the little toe of one foot and the big toe of the other. Do not try this in powder -- you will fall onto your side. Powder skiing always initiates by establishing your speed before you even think about turning. To understand the difference between a carving ski and a powder ski, consider the difference between a steak knife and a butter knife. A steak knife cuts and carves. In contrast, a butter knife smears. Powder skiing requires smearing the snow, not cutting into it. Using the proper tool for performing any task improves efficiency.
Turn Radius
When you do turn in powder, the movements are subtle. Powder skiing does not require the short, tight turns used in carved skiing on groomed terrain or ski racing. Since form follows function, its skis have less sidecut or shape, which gives them a wider turn radius. A carving ski has a 12- to 18-meter turn radius, which supports short, tight turns on groomed terrain. Powder skis have a 20- to 40-meter turn radius, which is more suitable for the types of turns performed in deep powder.
Wide Width Advantage
A waist of at least 80mm wide is the primary specification of a powder ski. Its tip and tails are also wider. The added width increases the ski's flotation -- an essential feature for powder skiing. When skiing groomed terrain, you ski and carve on top of the snow, whereas in powder, you float within it. In contrast to carving, which keeps most of your weight on one ski at a time, powder skiing requires equal weight on both skis, explains Lito Tejada Flores, author of "Breakthrough on Skis."
Rocker Technology
Many powder ski manufacturers now use rocker technology, also called reverse camber. The word "camber" refers to the arch in the center of your skis. Carving and racing skis have a tunnel shaped camber. The late freestyle skier Shane McConkey created the reverse camber or rocker ski. Reversing the arc of the center curve of the skis lifts the tips and tails out of the snow, facilitating easy flotation and helping you ski closer to the ski powder's surface. This powder ski innovation prevents you from catching your edges in the powder, a technical error which invariably leads to a fall. As Lito Tejada Flores explains, the advances in powder skis protect you from the consequences of your technical mistakes.
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