Why
is Ski Flex So Important?
How many of us
have walked into a ski shop, had the salesperson grab a pair of skis off the
wall, and pronounce that "these should fit you just fine"? Did they ask how
much you weigh? How long you had been skiing? What your goals were with your
ski's performance? What length of ski do you ski on now? Did they flex test
the skis? Did they do a paper test with you? Do they know how tall you are?
If the salesperson
didn't ask these questions, then he/she does not have any better idea of what
skis are right for you than you do. Fitting skis and sizing skis are very important.
Not only does it mean that you have spent your money wisely, but it also means
that you will get the most enjoyment out of your equipment. Ski flex can be
between 85 and 90% of your overall ski performance. It doesn't matter how much
$100 wax you pour into them, how many
times you have them stone ground, or how many hot box sessions you put them
through. If the salesperson on the front end doesn't put the time in, the skis
will never match your body and therefore, never run well.
When I talk about
flex, I am referring to how the skis support your body weight when on a groomed
snow surface. Ideally, we look for a ski that will support your body weight
while maintaining the longest running surface as possible on the snow. When
you push off, the ski should feel snappy and almost give a little back at the
end of the stride. If a ski is too soft, you will flex right through the camber
and form a pivot point under your foot. In soft snow, this is OK because it
allows the ski to "float" more through the snow. In firm snow, this can be quite
scary though. When the ski is too soft, the flex flattens out and edge control
becomes a thing of the past. A good way to tell if your skis are too soft is,
on a firm day, go out and balance on one foot. If you feel the ski moving below
your foot to the point where it is tough to stay on top, the ski may be too
soft. If a ski is too stiff, the opposite is true. Instead of flexing through
the ski camber, you will not be able to compress the ski at all. As a result,
you will be riding on the tips and tails of the ski almost all thetime. A stiff
ski is good in hard pack conditions because the surface you are pushing against
is so firm, the edges will not completely flatten and the ski will maintain
some of its bite on the ice. But, when conditions soften to even well groomed
standards, a stiff ski can slow you down quite a bit. They will feel very solid
going downhill, but when climbing, the tips and tails will punch into the groomed
surface or "plow" and slow your progress considerably. Therefore, it is important
to find the happy medium between too stiff and too soft.
We want a good,
solid running surface that a soft ski will offer, but we want the support and
edge control that a stiff ski offers. Sounds tough to find. Not so much. Most
ski companies build their skis with these criteria in mind. The key is that
no two skis are alike and even though the tag says so, the shop needs to put
in some time to make sure the skis are flexed the way they are supposed to be
and then match that with what the customer wants.
That's were we
come into play. Not only do we go through and flex test every pair of skis for
the prospective buyer, but we are also well versed in the different companies
philosophies behind the flex patterns of the skis. What this allows us to do
is look at a specific skier and his or her style, and make manufacturer recommendations
based on the inherent flex pattern of the ski. Different ski makers have different
flex patterns that effect how the ski feels under foot. Even though a Madshus
and a Fischer are flexed for
someone who weighs 160lbs, they will "feel" differently because of the manufacturers
design philosophy. We are equipped to help you make those choices in brands
and flex to best suit you, not what we want you to ski on. To compliment our
selection philosophy, we have assembled what we believe to be the best ski lines
in the industry. We looked at base quality, attention to detail, flex consistency,
and overall speed to offer brands that we know will ski well for anyone. We
don't sell one line over another. We believe in all the brands that we sell,
and if you ask us our opinion, we will put you on the ski that will work the
best for you. If you already know what you want, we will do all that we can
to find the right ski for you. If we don't have it in stock, we will order it
for you. We will not sell a ski just to get it "off the floor". This sport is
hard enough. Why would we want to make it harder by selling bad equipment?
Click
here for sizing charts for Skis, Poles, and Boots...
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