New Ski Gear for 2010

2010. The year just sounds futuristic. That technology is bound to strike a milepost
seems almost a given, and the snow riding industry does not disappoint this season.
Exploration of various geometries, cambers, and flex patterns continues to explode the
variety of available models gravitating towards much more rider and snow specific
offerings. The big guys are breaking out the big guns and companies like K2, Volkl, and
Head, who have 30+ different models with several lengths each, are creating a never
before seen array of beautiful fat sticks to get you down the deep stuff on top of their
already impressive Piste performance catalog. If it seems the hardest part is going to
be picking what you want from the panoply available at your local ski store, than the
small but growing number of custom shops i.e. Wagner Custom, Igneous and Folsom,
may be able to fit a pair of skis to you like a new suit. And even if your suits are all
Armani, new luxury brands are finding a niche as the 50 year Lacroix legacy is backing
the new Iridium line. Still, one company has metaphorically 'split the Atom' and for
sheer ingenuity and engineering ka-POW they will go down in history next to the
snowboarders that brought us sidecut.

Atomic has made a quantum leap in Ski technology by introducing the D2 Doubledeck
Vario Cut. The mad doctors over at the Atomic lab have devised a way to vary the
sidecut (effectively the turning radius) of the ski based upon the pressure put into the
turn! Their radii range over 6 meters, 11.5m-17.5m on the 172cm length model and
adjust instantly to the energy their given in a carving turn. See for yourself here, but
the curious will not be sated until they at least demo a pair and have an opinion to
share as they scope their next well-groomed fall line from the chair.

To approach the rest of the carving ski market out there, many brands have a
particular patented 'dampening system' or 'flex enhancer' or even a computer chip to
optimize the turn characteristics of their skis. When sampled by the consumer though,
it still comes down to personal preference. Volkl for one realized this and has refined its
Power Switch, introduced in '08, to continue to give riders several different stiffness
settings with the turn of a dial. Space age ski tech still, but it means the serious
customer will have a lot of demoing to do before settling on the perfect pair.

Almost all ski producers out there have embraced fully the 21st century spirit of
tweaking the geometry of the ski, and the trend has been fat. A perhaps previously
under-represented niche, the move towards wider skis reflects the desire of the new
powder hound to float within and on top of the snowpack while keeping the requisite
length in check to salvage the maneuverability required for the new freeskiing style(not
many 200s out there this year). Another recent deep snow modification has been
reverse camber or 'rocker,' and can run the entire length of the ski or just the part
~30cm from tip and tail, leaving the camber underfoot for better grooming or touring
performance. The ObSETHed from K2 is a solid representation of this concept, at
135/105/125 (tip/waist/tail width in mm) they are fat and have tip and tail rocker to
give a nod even further to pow performance, while still having sidecut enough to turn
you down the harder pack to get to those stashes. It has a cult following of solid riders,
and sets the bar high, although not high enough to be unchallenged. That K2 has
nothing wider that 98mm underfoot without tip rocker says quite a bit about the
direction and acceptance this new style is growing towards, and just about every
company out there who wants to compete in the freeski market has rocker available on
some models.

As for pushing the envelope though, there seems to be almost no bounds as brands
compete for the 'fattest' out there. Skis with 130mm underfoot are almost
commonplace now, and bells and whistles like rocker and taper and even swallowtails
can make it seem like a different sport off in the wild untracked places. There are even
the behemoths from Cristal Sky, weighing in at 211/181/199!!! On the other end of the
spectrum, the spritely and space age Anton Gliders, using injected magnesium
suspension to make a small beginner-intermediate level carving ski of the future.

Now, there might be a couple of problems with this anything goes promiscuity of
prototypes. Some can't figure out what they should get, and others still can't find
exactly what they are looking for. Fortunately the market has realized this and small
custom shops have been opening around the world to address your every desire in a
ski. Shops like the guys down at Igneous Skis in Jackson, WO produce several models
and lengths and can also control for stiffness by adding more layers of laminate. The
look is beautiful wood with handmade quality and touch. Folsom Skis out of Boulder,
CO is a freeride focused sweet stick shack that sees its model line as starting points
from which to modify specifics to your own whims. Wagner Custom out of Telluride, CO
can custom tailor your dream ski based on a thorough interview process and the power
of robotic manufacturing, metaphorically growing your ski design like a snowflake from
a droplet, each pair completely unique. They are not inexpensive, but neither is
demoing the field hoping to find the ones that feel right. Of course if custom artwork is
worth consideration, check out Icelantic Skis, with some of the coolest artwork in the
business they have the vision to push the boundaries of design and the skis to back it
up. Props to the Shaman.

In the end, it is all personal preference now, with the spectrum of possible rides
getting flushed out (but by no means covered completely!). Know what kind of skiing
you want to do and the design will follow from there. I wish I knew where the sport will
be in 2020, and I can't wait to find out.

Dan LeRoy is a ski engineer with Wagner Custom Skis and Winterstick Snowboards.
Think snow.