How to enjoy slush?

PMTS Forum

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby cheesehead » Tue Mar 25, 2014 9:33 am

We were back to cold again, 18 until mid afternoon when it got up to 24. So the runs were back to ice. Except for one section of a steep run which still had the slush. I did the run a couple of times well. I was feeling like I had this beat until the third time when I hit one of those mashed potato spots my skis came apart, I jammed on a skid, then I totally lost it and fell. No damage done but I decided to go back to an easier run after that.

A combination of lack of confidence causing me to panic and make dumb choices. There was no reason I needed to jam on that skid instead of calmly getting under control.
I think the reason went into the slide is that I had my feet too wide, I wasn't counterbalanced, and I had way too much weight on my inside ski.

Next weekend will be the last one this season and it should be slushy. Up in the 50s. I will load on the warm wax and to my best to blast through the stuff without losing my equilibrium (just kidding)
--- aka John Carey
Madison, Wisconsin
cheesehead
 
Posts: 274
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:42 pm

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby HighAngles » Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:18 am

I just brought a couple pairs of skis that I typically ski in Spring into the shop to get a Spring grind put on them. IMHO, the grind (base structure) is the more important prep to help ensure that your skis aren't suctioned onto the wet snow. The Spring grind is a mostly linear pattern that is cross-hatched and quite coarse as compared to my normal prime season structure.
User avatar
HighAngles
 
Posts: 792
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 5:46 am

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby JohnMoore » Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:53 pm

HighAngles wrote:The Spring grind is a mostly linear pattern that is cross-hatched and quite coarse as compared to my normal prime season structure.


What would the effect be of skiing these in typical colder winter conditions?
JohnMoore
 
Posts: 437
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2004 1:44 pm
Location: Norfolk, England

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby HeluvaSkier » Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:32 pm

JohnMoore wrote:
HighAngles wrote:The Spring grind is a mostly linear pattern that is cross-hatched and quite coarse as compared to my normal prime season structure.


What would the effect be of skiing these in typical colder winter conditions?


The ski will feel railed - like too much tread on a tire.
Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.

www.youtube.com/c/heluvaskier
User avatar
HeluvaSkier
 
Posts: 1526
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:29 pm
Location: Western New York

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby BigE » Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:56 pm

The ski will be slow, like a winter tire in the summer.
BigE
 
Posts: 1519
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2004 11:42 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby skifastDDS » Tue Mar 25, 2014 3:26 pm

HeluvaSkier wrote:Rule #5:
h.harb wrote:"harden the fuck up"


Hahaha I love this thread
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
-Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken"
User avatar
skifastDDS
 
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2011 7:52 pm
Location: Boston Area

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby Max_501 » Tue Mar 25, 2014 5:14 pm

HeluvaSkier wrote:The ski will feel railed - like too much tread on a tire.


Exactly! Railed, grabby, doesn't want to brush. Basically a heavy structure sucks for winter snow.
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby JohnMoore » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:19 am

BigE wrote:The ski will be slow, like a winter tire in the summer.


Interesting analogy! I actually have all season tyres on my car, which give (according to the reviews I have read of the particular model) pretty good summer performance and pretty good winter performance, although in each case not quite as good as the best season-specific tyres. So is it possible to get a similar kind of base grind on skis? I'm going skiing in about 10 days time, and at the moment the conditions are looking pretty wintry, but they could quickly change to warm, spring slush. I wouldn't want to have my skis set up for one set of conditions so that they are hopeless if the weather does change.
JohnMoore
 
Posts: 437
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2004 1:44 pm
Location: Norfolk, England

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby HighAngles » Wed Mar 26, 2014 7:03 am

My solution is to keep a quiver of skis - I don't compromise. :wink:
User avatar
HighAngles
 
Posts: 792
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 5:46 am

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby HeluvaSkier » Wed Mar 26, 2014 7:17 am

JohnMoore wrote:So is it possible to get a similar kind of base grind on skis?


Probably whatever you have is fine. Most stock structures are very light and work well across a variety of conditions. I ski in a lot of different conditions and rarely grind a ski specially for one kind of snow. Just go ski.
Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.

www.youtube.com/c/heluvaskier
User avatar
HeluvaSkier
 
Posts: 1526
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:29 pm
Location: Western New York

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby Max_501 » Wed Mar 26, 2014 7:55 am

BigE wrote:The ski will be slow, like a winter tire in the summer.


This is not something I've experienced. For me it's the railed grabby feeling that makes the heavy structure unpleasant in winter snow.

John, as Heluva says just use what you have and bring some wet snow wax just in case it gets sticky and sloppy.
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby Matt » Thu Mar 27, 2014 10:45 pm

What do you think about something like this?

http://www.reliableracing.com/detail.cf ... 99&hsent=y
Matt
 
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 1:15 pm
Location: Northern Sweden

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby HighAngles » Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:06 am

Matt wrote:What do you think about something like this?

http://www.reliableracing.com/detail.cf ... 99&hsent=y

They call it an "alpine" tool, but it's narrow and looks just like the structure tools that have been around for ages for nordic skis. I've never tried using a nordic riller tool on an alpine ski.
User avatar
HighAngles
 
Posts: 792
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 5:46 am

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby Max_501 » Fri Mar 28, 2014 7:13 pm

HighAngles wrote:They call it an "alpine" tool, but it's narrow and looks just like the structure tools that have been around for ages for nordic skis.


Yeah, I noticed the same thing.

When it comes time to change the base structure it's best to get a base grind.
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Re: How to enjoy slush?

Postby Matt » Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:23 am

There is one interesting difference between rilling and stone grind. The stone grind pattern will be aligned in the skis direction, while the rilled structure will follow the edge. Maybe that can make a difference in the mentioned problem with course structure in fine snow. The rilled structure will work in the same direction as the edge when the skis are tipped, and the stone structure will work in the same direction as the ski when it is flat.
Matt
 
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 1:15 pm
Location: Northern Sweden

PreviousNext

Return to Primary Movements Teaching System

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 47 guests