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Fall 1996 - "How Do The New Skis Shape Up In The Backcountry?" by Cindy Burke
This article is reprinted from The Professional Skier. All copyrights apply.
Hourglass-shaped skis are making waves at ski areas and in ski publications. Now a whole new area is beckoning for their experimentation: the backcountry.
With their high flotation, light weight, shorter lengths, and radical sidecuts, shaped skis can make alpine skiers feel like heroes when skiing powder, crud, wind-slab, spring "slop," and transitional or variable depth snow. But will shaped skis do the same thing for the free-heeled set?Yes!
If, like me, you relish the sensuous feeling of making round turns on telemark skis, you will very likely experience with shaped skis some of the most delicious and exhilarating turns you've ever made. With their dramatic sidecuts, these skis are made for round turns.
Although there are shaped skis designed specifically for telemarking, my "research" is based on using a pair of Elan SCXs mounted with telemark bindings. I've found that skiing mechanics are not so different with a shaped ski, but rotary movements can be much more subtle than with conventional skis. Because the narrow waist sinks deeper into the snow than the wide tip and tail, the bent ski requires less muscular effort to guide it through the arc of a round turn. A shaped ski is designed to carve a tighter or smaller turn radius, and with a simultaneous edge change and movement into the turn, you can often be more patient in letting the turn happen.
If the skis are tipped on edge in a telemark stance in the fall line, they will move through the turn and the skier simply adjusts the timing, intensity, and duration of that turn. I found myself developing a sixth sense about how the skis were going to turn as a result of my movements, and I could either let the sidecut do the work or apply more rotary guidance if I wanted to shorten or lengthen the radius of the turn (e.g., "Is it steep with a need for platform jump turns?" "Is there a tree well to avoid?").
No More Nosedives
One of the modifications in technique/tactics with a shaped telemark ski is that both skis can be weighted more equally in powder, crud, and deep snow because the fat tip of the lead ski will "porpoise" back up to the snow surface. With traditional skis, you have to "feather" or float the lead ski and place most of your weight on the rear ski to keep the tip (and you) from nosediving.
Telemark skiers are accustomed to using corresponding edges of both skis, making two skis carve as one. With the shaped skis, both skis are bending and carving on their sidecuts independently as well as in unison. It's quite a feeling. The first time I tried them in spring "corn" which later turned to "glop" I felt intoxicated by their flotation. After that, there was no getting off them. I felt curious and compelled to try them out in all kinds of backcountry situations and snow conditions.
The Sierras of California in May were the perfect test ground. It had been a year of abundant snow, and it wasn't hard to find every snow condition imaginable, both on- and off-piste. Unless you're among that subset of backcountry skiers who have the latest in "alpine-dimension" tele gear, you probably feel as if you're in a wrestling match with your long, skinny telemark skis in tricky snow conditions. The shaped skis float in variable snow like magic carpets.
Narrow skis tend to sink deeply in soft snow. One ski may sink or dive more than another during lead changes or changes in snow depth. Though a skier with a high degree of accuracy and experience can surely ski powder and crud with traditional "skinny" telemark skis, a narrow ski has a much greater margin for error. (Or, small errors are magnified.) I've found that small errors tend to be "erased" with a wider ski.
New Dimensions
It is no coincidence that most telemark ski manufacturers are coming out with wider, "beefier" skis for powder, crud, and backcountry. There is a corresponding movement around the world as instructors, manufacturers, ski outfitters, and recreational skiers experiment with shorter skis.
The shaped skis have more surface area than a skinny ski of the same length, so they can be skied in shorter lengths without losing stability. Shorter skis are also much easier to carry on your back, for those steep approach routes. Once on your feet, they are easier to maneuver in the trees, in narrow chutes, and on the steeps where a good platform for each turn is crucial.
When I toured with the tele-mounted shaped skis, I found they had surprisingly good forward glide, either with or without climbing skins. These skis proved the key to enjoying a true "variety pack" of skiing in one day - from lift-served runs and off-piste terrain to touring trails - and I never had to change equipment.
When Mammoth's lifts shut down for the day at 2 p.m., I could ski one of the back bowls such as Fresno or Hemlock in deep corn snow. From there, I could ski through the woods to the Minaret Summit/Vista at 9,175 feet, then ski in endless snowfields for the rest of the afternoon, or put on climbing skins and climb a couple thousand feet higher along the San Joaquin Ridge (and ski in more endless snowfields until I was ready to drop). Because there was so much deep snow everywhere, I appreciated the flotation of the fat tips and tails even while diagonal striding or doing scenic cruises. What may read as a "travelogue" was really my own private road test, and I gave the shaped skis high marks. Whether I encountered sun-baked heavy corn, dry snow in the woods, or more shallow surface corn in higher elevations and sun-to-shade transitions, the skis performed consistently and reliably. I found I could trust them to carry me through anything. I even got used to their unusual looks.
So, is that hourglass sidecut (in this case the Elan SCX's 24 millimeters) really "extreme"? Or, is this a ski simply designed for flotation and arcing turns? The skis are easier to bend because the tip and tail float higher. They turn incredibly well at slow-motion speeds, yet they're stable at speed, too. Most skiers interested in backcountry adventures are probably more interested in turning than going fast, but these skis can do both.
Conclusion
Since snow conditions and snow depths can change so quickly in the backcountry (or, on any fine spring day when powder can turn to something resembling quicksand) it is crucial to have skis that will be versatile enough to maintain a consistent
ride through transitions.
If you are used to doing "gorilla turns" when the snow conditions get tricky, you may be pleased to find yourself expending less energy with shaped skis. Since the sidecut itself nearly creates a turn, your rotary and vertical movements can be more subtle. You don't have to heave and twist the skis around so much to make the turn happen. You can ski with more stability, consistency, and confidence. Rather than a "wrestling match," your experience in the backcountry can be playful and uplifting.
Of course, these skis don't change the complexion of backcountry skiing completely. You still need to use good judgment and have strong skiing skills before venturing off-piste, especially in high country. You always need to be aware of possibly dangerous conditions or situations, and be ready for dramatic changes in weather.
Ski with friends, let others know where you're going, and have a blast! On shaped tele gear, you'll be in for quite a ride.
Cindy Burke is a Level III certified alpine instructor at Snowmass in Colorado, where she also snowboards and teaches telemarking. |
