BASI ISIA & ISTD - NEW SIDECUT REGULATIONS
From this winter BASI have introduced new regulations concerning the skis you need to use for the ISIA & ISTD technical exams. This will be enforced for the 2009 / 2010. For men your skis need to have a greater sidecut then 17m and for women a greater sidecut then 15m.
download BASI statement pdf
Recommendations
This is a tricky one. Do you go for an All Terrain ski or an on-piste performance ski? Slalom skis are now out. These tended to be the preferred choice for assessment courses. GS skis are great for the higher speeds and Eurotest training but not so versatile for all terrain, bumps or tighter curves on Piste Performance. So we have narrowed the choice down to two skis.
Focusing mostly on Piste Performance
We're suggesting you go for the Salomon 2V GS ski in a smaller length to give you the all round versatility
171 or 178 for men have a sidecut radius of 17m & 18m.
164 or 171 for women has a sidecut radius of 16m & 17m
Emma has been testing out the 2V in the 171 and absolutely loves them. She is pretty convinced that this is the ski to use for all BASI Technical Courses.
Focusing on Off Piste
Go for the
Salomon Lord or Lady. This is pretty wide underfoot. So much better in the variable then the 2V but less performance on the piste.
177
& 185 Lords for men have a sidecut radius of 17.4m & 19.5m
161 & 169 Lady for women have a sidecut radius of 13.6m & 15.4m.
Lee's on a 177 Lord, Phil a 185 Lord and Emma a 169 Lady. We love them. It's our main ski of choice throughout the winter.
EUROTEST - NEW LENGTH REGULATIONS
From this winter the new ski regulations for Eurotest have been incorporated.
For men 185 + - 5cm
For women 180 + - 5cm
Recommendations
There is only one ski we would recommend. That is the Salomon Lab 2V. You can't go wrong. Fast, grippy as hell!
Other recommendations for fun skiing.
What skis will you be using this winter?
Race Training: GS & Slalom Labs. These are the most amazing skis ever. They're so grippy it feels like your skiing on rails. Ice just melts in their tracks. You need to be fit and strong and and definitely not for the faint hearted. They'll have your pants running away in terror! If you're training for the 'Eurotest' or a serious racer, these are the babes.
Bumps, Firm Snow: 3v's. You'll love these slalom skis. For all-round skiing on firm snow their simply the best. Short so you can Manoeuvre them easily in bumps and steep, awkward places. Great sidecuts so the curves are as tight as you like and stiff so you can still 'hoon' around on them. If it's performance your after and skiing mostly on firm snow, grab some of these.
All Terrain: X-Wing Tornado T1 . The all round specialists. We use these when we're skiing firm and deep snow on the same day. Phil's on 178's and Emma's on 170's. They're 76/75mm underfoot. Narrow enough to grip on firm snow and wide enough to give us the support in deeper snow. The sidecut for a 178 is still an amazing 16.2 metres so they still come round in a nats whisker. Great and easy enough to use so anyone can handle them. The perfect all-rounder.
Off Piste, Backcountry: Lord. new for this year with great reports. For seriously deep snow. If you want 'help' then these are the skis for you. The smaller lengths still have amazing sidecuts with tight curves so for anyone struggling in deep snow get yourself a pair of these beauties. Phil's opted for the longest, 1.85m. 85mm underfoot with a 19.5m radius sidecut. Emma's gone for a 1.69m. These are our 'secret weapons' for off piste.
Off Piste, Backcountry, Touring: Fury. Emma was skiing on these skis last year and used them as her all-round skis and loved them. They're 83mm to 86mm underfoot so a true off piste ski. This year Phil will be using them as his backcountry skis mounted with touring bindings.
How To Choose Skis
skiing in chile, skiing in argentina,
skiing in south america
Choosing a ski can be a minefield so at Snoworks we’ve developed a simple system that will
allow you to easily choose skis to fit with your skiing
preferences whatever make and whatever model.
There are three main factors you need to take into consideration
when choosing skis.
1. Length
2. Width of the skis under the foot
3. Sidecut Radius.
Everyone is familiar with selecting a ski by length but
the other two factors, width under foot and sidecut radius
determine how the ski performs and are more important then length when selecting a modern ski.
Width under foot
The width of the ski under foot determines the type of
skiing you wish to do, relevant to terrain and snow conditions.
We have divided the width under foot into 3 categories so you can select easily your preference.
| |
Width |
Type of Skiing |
| 1 |
less than 70mm |
Firm Snow |
| 2 |
70mm - 80mm |
All Terrain |
| 3 |
more than 80mm |
Deep Snow |
Sidecut Radius
The Sidecut Radius
is the geometrical shape of the side of the skis. This determines
the radius of the curve the ski makes when using its design
to steer. The radius of the curves the ski makes can vary massively depending on how you
steer. Again we have 3 categories so you can easily select your preference in relation to your ability level and the speed you wish to ski at. The quicker you wish the ski to 'come around' the tighter you want the sidecut radius.
| |
Radius |
Size
of Curve |
Speed - relative |
| 1 |
less than 14m |
Small Radius |
Slower Speeds |
| 2 |
14m – 17m |
Medium Radius |
Medium Speeds |
| 3 |
more than 17m |
Large Radius |
High Speeds |
Exceptions
Depending on your ability level it is possible
to ski any ski in any conditions, steering different size
curves and traveling at different speeds. Use the chart
if you need help in selecting skis that will help you in
your chosen skiing preferences. |
