Snow Ski Equipment - How to Choose Beginner Skis
The first thing you should know about choosing skis is that most of the well-known manufacturers doing a great job at designing superb boards. However, you can expect to hear many conflicting opinions, most of which can be boiled down to a simple matter of taste. That being said, as a new skier, it will take a little while to discover your own likes and dislikes. For this reason, for the first few months after you learn to ski, you should spend some time renting and demoing. Although some people are excited about buying skis right away, this is usually inadvisable. If you are enthusiastic about the sport, you will probably progress pretty quickly. Thus, you will quickly outgrow the skis that you buy during your first season of skiing.
When you do decide that you are ready to buy your first pair of skis, here are some factors to be taken into consideration.
• Ski Length: In general, beginner and low intermediate skiers should choose skis that measure at head height minus 10 to 15 centimeters. Your personal body weight should also be taken into consideration when choosing alpine ski length. Lighter skiers might choose a somewhat shorter ski, whereas heavier skiers may want to go a bit longer.
• Ski Flex: Skis that are described as “developmental carving skis” are designed for beginners and low-intermediates. They are characterized by their softer flex, which makes them more responsive at slower speeds. Skis that have a softer flex are also more forgiving than stiffer skis. This means that when there is what some skiers refer to as a “pilot error,” they will be less likely to punish you by causing a wipeout.
• Sidecut: Developmental carving or beginner skis have wider tips, small waists and narrower tails. This design helps skiers make the transition from skidding to carving.
• Gender: Women’s skis are not simply defined by their pretty graphics. They are designed to complement the unique features of the female anatomy. The average woman tends to carry more weight in her lower body than her upper body. Her center of gravity is about one inch lower and further back than a man's. These anatomical differences justify the existence of women’s skis. Since the average woman usually weighs less than man, most female-specific skis have a softer flex and a lighter weight than their male counterparts. In many cases, the core of these skis is made from lightweight wood or foam. This makes them more flexible and therefore easier to turn. Because of women's wider hips, smaller feet and lower center of gravity, they tend to have trouble putting pressure on the tips of their skis. Some manufacturers solve this problem by mounting bindings 1-2 centimeters in front of the center of the ski. This brings the skier's center of mass closer to the tips, which in turn allows her to exert more pressure on the tips.
Bindings and Din Settings
Your ski bindings are designed to attach your ski boots to your skis. When the ski technician mounts the bindings to your new pair of skis, he or she will ask you some questions that will determine your DIN settings. DIN is an acronym for Deutsche Industrie Normen, which is a scale that was devised to ensure that ski bindings release under the same force at all skiing destinations worldwide.
The first question you will be asked is “skier type.”
Type I Skiers are cautious. They require lighter release/retention settings.
Type II Skiers are less cautious, but not reckless. They do well with/moderate release/retention settings.
Type III Skiers are aggressive. Their higher skiing speeds necessitate higher release/retention settings.
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