The Virtues of Narrower Skis

[seskelson]

The concept is certainly not new for those on this forum. But, for those who may have missed it, a recent post by Jackson Hoggan in his blog on real skiers is worth a read.

[h.harb]

PMTS and Harb Ski Systems has been advocating forever that narrow skis will get you farther and help you learn faster, wide skis will only reinforce bad habits and hold you back. The ski industry isn't about helping you to ski better, it's about making money from you and giving you the information they want you to hear, just like government and corporations. If you want the truth and the best help, stick with PMTS and Harb Ski Systems.

[skijim13]

Just got back from a ski trip to Sun Valley with large group people from our ski club, there was a local guy in our area who sold his ski shop and retired down in Sun Valley. This person is now the expert boot fitter at the ski shop in Sun Valley. One of my friends bought new boots from him, watching him ski you could see he was off alignment to his LTE of his left ski, I asked him about alignment with his new his boots and he said they put in a new foot bed. I told him that we had much more done with our boots including canting. I sent him back to the shop in town and he gets bus latter that day and tells everyone they fixed his boots, but he should buy new wider skis. They also told him that with the wider skis he should widen up his stance, many people on the bus from the ski club said it was true that before when you had straight skis you needed a narrow stance, but with the new shaped skis they work without a wide stance. I lost respect for that boot fitter at the ski shop and was glad we never had him fix our boots when he had his ski shop in our area.

[h.harb]

You can't talk yourself into being an "Expert Boot Fitter". You can only reveal your inadequacies by doing so.

[Basil j]

I am on the thinnest ski in years this season(Elan SLX 66cm waist) and my skiing on hard snow and bumps has improved tremendously. Whileworking on and learning the PMTS fundamentals this season, I have found a shorter thin waisted ski is just superior for hard snow skiing. I just got my wife the female version (Speed magic) and after 2 days out on them she is skiing better also.(She has been on a 74cm waist Dynastar for years). I ski my motive 80's now and they feel like big bananas 6"of fresh or less, the SLX is my go to board.

[BigE]

Remember way back when 70mm was considered an all-mountain ski?

[Basil j]

Dynastar intuitive 74 was all Mountain ski of the year several years in a row. People look at my wife's skis like they are ancient fossils. She has demoed several 80+cm skis over the years and for where we ski(primarily the East) a 74cm ski can take her anywhere. Now on a 66cm slalom profile, she is getting on her edges earlier and finishing her turns much better. Honestly I don't get the wide ski phenomenon here in the east unless you ski primarily in the woods. Otherwise a good carver rules. My brother went from a Peak 76 to a TT80 and the Peaks just collect dust now. He absolutely loves them.

[seskelson]

For good boot fitters Harald's' shop can provide you with recommendations if you are not close to Dumont. I go to a gentleman in Salt Lake who is a friend of Harald's and has done lots of work with the Harb products. We worked on new boots last Fall ( Head boots), but I am going down again on March 22nd for a little more "tweaking". It is a pain for me to make the drive, ( 31/2 hours) but you can see I believe it is worth it. ON my right leg I need a good cant. My prior Head boots were fit by the same individual and they have been great. Do not be deceived. Good boots plus good fitting plus TT80 = happy.

[h.harb]

Dynastar intuitive 74 was all Mountain ski of the year several years in a row. People look at my wife's skis like they are ancient fossils. She has demoed several 80+cm skis over the years and for where we ski(primarily the East) a 74cm ski can take her anywhere. Now on a 66cm slalom profile, she is getting on her edges earlier and finishing her turns much better. Honestly I don't get the wide ski phenomenon here in the east unless you ski primarily in the woods. Otherwise a good carver rules. My brother went from a Peak 76 to a TT80 and the Peaks just collect dust now. He absolutely loves them.

People find out eventually, what we have been telling them at Harb Ski Systems. We have been saying this since the beginning of this mis-led Ski Industry trend, after much experimenting, even the first year. "The Truth " about the ski industry hype promoting wide skis is it's BS. It's not just PSIA you can't trust, it's The Ski industry, SIA, the Feds and the CiA and the NSA. You can trust "Snow"--however, Den", great name.

[skijim13]

My friend is one of the coaches for mogul skiing on our mountain he is not PSIA trained, and used to be involved in competitive mogul skiing. He teaching a narrow stance with narrow skis to make turns in the moguls. He is always disagreeing with the PSIA members on stance witdth and the wide skis they use and teach our customers to use in the bumps. We watch it everyday how it never works well for the customer. Yesterday my wife and I got to ski with a fellow PMTS skier at our mountain who came to ski with us, she was still in college like my son. Her skiing was better than the most of my friends who ski and the majority of people on the mountain. It is just great to see how effect PMTS is for everyone who is wise enough to learn it.

[Skiasaurus Rex]

[ Honestly I don't get the wide ski phenomenon here in the east unless you ski primarily in the woods. Otherwise a good carver rules.

True.

You know, there is no law against having both: Narrow ski and a wider ski. Most serious skiers I know have both-and few have 'mid-fats' or 'jack of all trades-master of none skis'.

However, There has been a resurgence in 'master's level' race skis as firm snow/ groomer tools on our mountain, in fact, I don't think that trend ever went away as racing drives the culture of our hill.

That said, when we get a great soft snow day like last Saturday or big heavy days like we had for much of February, the Woods are filled with people on much wider skis, and no one on narrow skis.

I've used a short, narrow carving ski for 80% of my skiing this season, and I was darn glad to have them. But for the other 20% of the days, I was equally damn glad to have something wider.

It's just good to have both. Now what is 'wide' or how 'wide' and how 'modern', well, you know the threads here that discuss that.

The Intuitive 74 was a great ski, btw. As was the ATV 4x4 that preceded it.

[Basil j]

Totally agree. Right tool for the right job. I use my motive 80's in a 182cm for deeper snow days and they are great. If I lived out west I would probably ski an 80cm waist ski as my everyday ski, something like a rev 80 or the motive. But here at Cannon, AKA ice station zebra even during a good eastern snow year, for me, a hard snow carver like my SLX or my speed course are hard to beat. It gives me the confidence to go after it on the hard snow.