Skis: specifications, types

General design features and main purpose of skis.

— Universal (all mountain). Alpine skis for general use, designed for carving skiing and designed primarily for beginners and amateurs. Suitable for different slopes and types of surface - with deep loose snow, with dense snow, with a smooth slope, with hillocks, etc. They have relatively low rigidity. On each individual type of surface, such skis are generally inferior to specialized models; on the o...ther hand, they are convenient because they allow you to ski on different slopes with relative comfort without changing your skis.

— Freeride (free style). Freeride refers to skiing on mountain slopes outside of prepared trails, on untouched snow. This type of skiing is considered the most extreme because... unfamiliar slopes are unpredictable. Accordingly, freeride skis are characterized by increased durability. In addition, they are characterized by a fairly large width, a relatively wide waist (compared to all-mountain skis) and a soft tip and tail.

— Slalom / carving (aggressive skiing). Technically, carving is the basic riding style for most modern alpine skis. This category also includes sports skis designed for classic slalom on prepared slopes. They are stiffer than the all-mountains, but softer than the giant slalom models, and have a pronounced waist and a shallow-radius sidecut (see below) to facilitate tight turns.

— Freestyle (stunts). This category includes skis designed for ski acrobatics and other types of riding associated with jumps and tricks in the air - slopestyle, halfpipe, new school, etc. Among these models there are specialized options, for example Aerials - for aerial acrobatics or P&P (Park&Pipe) for new school. In any case, "acrobatic" skis are relatively short in length and can be made in a "twin-tip" shape (see below). Note that mogul and ski cross are also usually classified as freestyle disciplines, but skis for them in our catalog are separated into separate categories (see below).

— For giant slalom. Giant slalom is a type of slalom that involves a long course with a large difference in altitude. Skis for this kind of skiing have a longer length and a larger cut radius than models for slalom/carving (see above).

— Mogul (hilly track). Mogul is a type of freestyle that involves descending along a track with a large number of bumps (the track may also have springboards for aerial acrobatics). Mogul skis are distinguished by a relatively small width and cutout radius, the absence of a pronounced waist, a soft tip, medium bending rigidity and high torsional rigidity.

— Ski tour (with ascent). A ski tour is an alpine skiing activity in which the athlete must climb the mountain to descend independently, without a ski lift. For ease of ascent, skis for ski touring should be equipped with camus (devices that prevent slipping backwards) and special fastenings that allow the heel of the boot to be released during ascent and firmly fixed during descent.

— Ski cross (group descent). One of the freestyle disciplines, closely approaching alpine skiing: skiers descend along a track with turns and jumps, and in the final races, 4 people start at a time. Skis for this type of descent combine a small radius of cut, which makes turning easier, and relative softness for “working out” irregularities. Inexpensive models are very close to universal ones (see above).

— Classic running. Cross-country skis are tech designed for movement on a relatively flat surface, incl. over fairly long distances (tens of kilometers). They are made long, narrow and, unlike mountain ones, have no waist; and running bindings rigidly fix the foot only in the toe, allowing the heel to move up and down. The classic style of running involves moving skis parallel to each other, ideally along a finished ski track.

- Cross-country skating. A type of cross-country skiing for moving in skating style - along a wide road, with movements reminiscent of the movements of a speed skater. They have a slightly shorter length than the classic ones described above, as well as a small edging along the edges of the lower part to ensure effective thrusts.

— Classic cross-country/skating. Cross-country skis, equally suitable for both classic and skating (see above). The design features are closer to ridge ones; It often happens that the declared type - “pure ridge” or universal - depends more on the decision of the manufacturer than on technical features.

— Short (skiboards). Very short alpine skis of symmetrical design, with a “twin-tip” shape and a wider width than classic models. They are divided into two categories - standard (length up to 110 cm) and longboards (110 - 130 cm). The first variety is intended primarily for trick riding; At the same time, the short design places special demands on skills, but allows you to perform tricks that are not possible on conventional skis. Longboards, in turn, are also suitable for freeride.

— Splitboard. Splitboards, in fact, are not skis, but a type of snowboard. The main difference between this device and a regular “board” is its collapsible design: a splitboard consists of two halves, which, when separated, turn into a pair of skis. The capabilities of such skis are similar to models for ski touring (see above): they are equipped with skins, bindings with a free heel and are well suited for independent ascent. To descend, the halves are connected back, the fastenings are rearranged, and when riding down, such a board is actually no different from a classic snowboard. Splitboards are valued primarily among tech who prefer mountains without a lift or other equipment, or for some reason do not want to use such equipment.

“Gender” and “age” of skis.

- Unisex. Skis designed for adults (as well as teenagers of appropriate height) regardless of gender. As a rule, they have a discreet or relatively neutral design; the size may vary.

- Women's. Skis designed for women have a slightly smaller size than unisex models. In addition, they are often made in a distinctive bright design.

- Children's's. The main feature of...children's skis is their short length, which allows a child who has not reached adult height to ride them comfortably.

Approximate skill level the skis are designed for.

— Newbie. Equipment designed for those who have no (or little) skiing experience and are learning the basics of skiing.

— Progressive. Models for those who have mastered the basic skills of riding, but still need practice to use skis confidently.

— Average. Models for amateurs who ride regularly and in large quantities, but in relatively uncomplicated conditions.

— Experienced. Skiing for those who...have surpassed or intend to surpass the experience of the average skier (go to more difficult tracks, learn new tricks); also suitable for the initial training of athletes.

— Expert. Professional models designed primarily for athletes.

The more “professional” a ski is, the more features it provides, but the price comes at the cost of difficult handling and the need for specialized skills. Therefore, when choosing according to this indicator of skiing, you need to soberly assess the level of the skier. Also note that some models may be suitable for several levels at once. For example, skis for advanced skiers can be comfortable enough for initial training, or vice versa, quite advanced and suitable for intermediate levels.

The length of each ski. First of all, stability and turnability depend on this indicator: the longer the ski, the easier it is to keep it on course and the harder it is to turn.

The choice for this indicator depends primarily on the height of the user, however, for different types and styles of riding (see above), recommendations for height will also be different, they should be clarified in each case separately from special sources. It is not worth neglecting the recommendations for...size: skis that are too long will be bulky and make it difficult to manoeuvre, too short will be unstable and will fall heavily on loose snow.

The radius of the curved line that forms the sidecut of the skis. Such cutouts are typical for mountain models — they are necessary for successful cornering at speed. At the same time, the smaller the cutout radius, the more pronounced its curvature, the greater the difference in width between the toe / heel and the waist, and the higher the steering (smaller turning radius). In turn, for "high-speed" skis (for example, for giant slalom), the radius of curvature is usually small.

— Directed. Classic ski shape. In such models, only the toe is bent up, and the heel is straight, rectangular (or close in shape to a rectangle). The directional shape is designed only for forward movement — when moving backward, the heel is almost guaranteed to burrow into the snow, locking the skis. This, on the one hand, reduces the risk of rolling "in the wrong direction", on the other hand, it somewhat limits the possibilities for tricks.

— ...ref="/list/429/pr-20080/">Twin type. Twin-type skis are bent up not only in front, but also in the back (moreover, the heel, usually, has the same width and shape as the toe). This allows you to ride them both forward and backward with equal success. This possibility is relevant primarily for trick riding, so twin-tips are used mainly in skis for various types of freestyle (see "Type and style").

— Partial twin-type. This category includes skis, both ends of which are rounded, but differ in width. At the same time, unlike the "full" twin types, the heel in such models does not necessarily bend upwards — it can be straight. For a number of reasons, this form is popular in a wide variety of types of alpine skiing.